So, I was rummaging through my movie collection the other day, thinking about what to watch, and ‘Planes, Trains and Automobiles’ came to mind. You know, the John Hughes classic with Steve Martin and John Candy. Absolute gold. But then a thought popped into my head – what’s the actual age rating on that film? I had a vague memory of it being a bit… spicy in parts, despite the overall heartwarming story.
I figured, easy enough, I’ll just look it up. So, I hopped onto my computer and started digging. My usual routine, you know, just typing “planes trains automobiles age rating” into the search bar. And let me tell you, sometimes finding a straight answer feels like pulling teeth, but this one wasn’t too bad once I started clicking around on the results page.
Turns out, ‘Planes, Trains and Automobiles’ is generally slapped with an R rating in the good old US of A. That surprised me a little at first, because you think John Hughes, you often think more along the lines of PG-13, right? Like ‘The Breakfast Club’ or ‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off’. But nope, this one got the R. I saw some other ratings for different countries too, like a ’15’ in the UK, which kind of lines up.
So, why the R, you ask?
Well, after poking around on a few of those movie info sites – you know the ones, they break down why a movie gets its rating – it really boils down to one main thing, or rather, one very memorable scene. Language. And not just a sprinkle of bad words here and there. Oh no. There’s that legendary scene at the car rental counter where Steve Martin’s character, Neal Page, just completely loses it. He unleashes a barrage of F-bombs. I mean, a truly impressive, creatively angry string of them. It’s famous for a reason, and it’s pretty much the big flag for the rating.
Most sources I checked pointed to similar reasons:
- Strong language: This was the big one, repeatedly mentioned. That car rental scene is Exhibit A.
- Some thematic elements: You know, adult frustration, dealing with stressful travel, that kind of stuff.
But it’s overwhelmingly the language that tips it into R territory. Without that one extended tirade, it probably would have been a different story, maybe a PG-13. It’s funny how one scene, just a minute or two, can define the rating for an entire movie, isn’t it?
So, if you’re thinking of watching it with younger kids, that’s the main thing to be aware of. The rest of the movie is mostly comedic mishaps and has a surprising amount of heart, especially towards the end. But that rental car scene? Definitely not for little ears. I remember watching it years ago and being genuinely shocked by that outburst but also finding it hilariously relatable – the peak frustration, I mean, not necessarily the extensive vocabulary I’d personally use in public at an airport!
Anyway, that was my little dive into the ratings rabbit hole for ‘Planes, Trains and Automobiles’. It’s still a fantastic movie, one of my favorites for sure, but it’s just good to know what you’re getting into, especially with that one particular scene. Always pays to do a quick check if you’re unsure, I reckon. Saves any awkward moments later!
