MovieChat Forums > Box of Moonlight (1997) Discussion > Isn't this a remake of Planes, trains an...

Isn't this a remake of Planes, trains and automobiles?

posted 14 years ago by lkillen
3 replies | jump to latest

Don't get me wrong, I loved the movie and John Turturro 1000's never ceases to cause me to look deeply within.

But how is Sam Rockwell not John Candy and John Turturro not Steve Martin whom through their escapades, one liberates the other from an over-starched life of rigidity, ritual and success.

It was indeed a formula movie and the story had been told many times before, be it Jed Clampet educating Mr. Driesdale or Andy Taylor liberating the rich transient passing through Mayberry.

Nevertheless, my wife did not get it but I thought it was great.

[–] Templeton_Pecker 14 years ago

The Kid and Al Fountain aren't travelling together. There is no desperation to get home with or without each other. In "Box...", Al Fountain is stuck in podunk, and he's torn between wanting to take this haphazzard path, or go only with what's familiar and go home! There's a character conflict there that we do not see in Steve Martin's character. Steve Martin just desperately needs to go home, while Al Fountain does as well, but Al is not stuck with the Kid. Steve Martin's character was STUCK with Candy's.

I loved both films, btw!

[–] Yinky 9 years ago

This is hilarious. I just watched PTA for the first time the day before I watched this. I remember thinking to myself that Sam Rockwell was just a way, way, way, way, etc hotter version of John Candy's character.

The movies are pretty different, so I'd say that no, it's not a remake. But my mind went the same place as yours, which in itself is spectacular.

I was thinking that this movie was more along the lines of O Brother, like a retelling of a classic story from mythology somewhere. It does fall into the "buddy" movie, but I thought this was a little more thoughtful and intelligent.

[–] lkillen 8 years ago

that is a stretch.