Sunday Matinee #27 Planes, Trains & Automobiles

Our first foray into the John Hughesiverse!

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Quotes with Notes

Genesis 25:29-33
Full Text: Genesis 25:19-34 (Revised Common Lectionary)
7th Sunday after Pentecost (July 16, 2023)
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Context: Sarah and Abraham’s son, Jacob, is now married to Rebekah. She gives birth to twins, Esau (born very hairy and red) and Jacob (born literally clutching at Esau’s heel). Esau is a hunter, Jacob is a tent maker, and while Isaac showed preference for Esau, Rebekah showed preference for Jacob. 

29 Once when Jacob was cooking a stew, Esau came in from the field, and he was famished. 30 Esau said to Jacob, “Let me eat some of that red stuff, for I am famished!” (Therefore he was called Edom.) 31 Jacob said, “First sell me your birthright.” 32 Esau said, “I am about to die; of what use is a birthright to me?” 33 Jacob said, “Swear to me first.” So he swore to him and sold his birthright to Jacob.

Planes, Trains & Automobiles | 1987 Paramount Pictures, Hughes Entertainment | IMDB
Starring Steve Martin, John Candy, and in the referenced scene, Nick Wyman and Gaetano Lisi
Written and Directed by John Hughes
Context: Neal Page (Steve Martin) is desperate to get out of his office building in New York and get home to Chicago for Thanksgiving with his family. He can’t find a cab to get to the airport, even when he’s in a foot race with another business person (to be fair, never get in a foot race with a character played by Kevin Bacon from Footloose, he has the moves). Finally, he sees a cab and tries his luck. Neal tried to convince this man (Nick Wyman) to give him the cab instead.

Neal: Sir?
He runs up to a man getting into a cab.
Neal: Sir? Sir, excuse me. I know this is your cab, but I'm desperately late for a plane, and I was wondering if I could appeal to your good nature and ask you to let me have it.
New York Lawyer: I don't have a good nature. Excuse me.
Cab Driver - New York: [impatiently] Come on!
Neal: Can I offer you ten dollars for it?
New York Lawyer: [scoffs] Nah.
Del Griffith gets the Cab Driver’s attention and they start loading his gear into the cab. Meanwhile, Neal keeps negotiating with the Lawyer.
Neal: Twenty! I'll give you twenty dollars for it.
New York Lawyer: I'll take fifty.
Neal: [hesitates, then starts to take the money out] All right, all right.
New York Lawyer: Anyone who'd pay fifty dollars for a cab... would certainly pay seventy-five…
Neal: Not necessarily… [pause] All right, seventy-five dollars. You're a thief!
New York Lawyer: Close. I'm an attorney.
Neal: [dryly] Have a happy holiday.
Neal gives the Lawyer the cash.
New York Lawyer: This'll help.
The cab speeds away.
Neal: Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey, that’s my cab! That’s my cab!

Commentary:

There is a lovely moment on The Simpsons in “Deep Space Homer” (season 5, episode 15) when the real Buzz Aldrin is a guest star and pokes fun at his status as the second person on the moon: 

“Gentlemen, I’d like you to meet the two experienced astronauts who will accompany the winner into space: Race Bannon and Buzz Aldrin, the second man on the moon!”

“Second comes right after first!”

Not only does one have to give credit to Buzz Aldrin for being a good sport, this scene is a perfect example of how society often treats “second place.” Gotta win, gotta be first, gotta be number one. That’s not easy in a sea of competitors for any given event, but that’s the attitude that often gets embraced. 

In many cultures and societies for as far back as we can remember, the firstborn child - and especially for many cultures, the firstborn son - receives greater privileges, inheritance, and/or privilege than their younger sibling(s). In the time and culture of this story of older twin Esau and younger twin Jacob, Esau has his birthright of all three of those items in greater quantities than Jacob. Additionally, his father Isaac prefers him, anyway, so that’s that. But Jacob often has something up his sleeve, and in this case, he is figuratively clutching at Esau’s heel to get what he wants. 

When Esau sells his birthright to Jacob out of sheer hunger and desperation for a meal, he has acted rashly. Nothing can take this back. On one hand, it’s his own fault. On the other, Jacob set up a no-lose situation for himself. When someone is desperate, it’s up to the rest of us to be helpful, not take advantage.

In Planes, Trains & Automobiles, Neal is desperate to get home for Thanksgiving. Despite warnings from his colleague, he makes a mad dash for the early flight and needs a cab. Unfortunately, he picks the smarmiest smarmer who ever smarmed to try and sweet talk him into getting the cab. A little cash? No. Big cash. Okay, fine big cash. Did I say big cash? I meant very big cash. Ugh, fine. And all the while, the cab is taken from them both by another man, Del, who barely has two nickels to rub together. 

Like Esau in his moment of hunger, Neal lets his hunger for home get the better of him and gives up quite a bit of cash. This is cash that he can’t afford to lose, as we see where else he could’ve used it during the movie. The lawyer is overt in his delight about taking advantage of Neal’s desperation. We’re meant to dislike him, and therefore empathize with Neal and stand in solidarity for any of the times someone has taken advantage of us. 

But that’s too easy.

In both this Biblical and cinematic scene, we might put ourselves in the shoes of Jacob and the lawyer instead. When have we taken advantage of a situation? Have you seen someone else who is desperate and you either didn’t care or used it for your own gain? Where can you do better? How does God want you to treat others? It’s always easier to put ourselves in the shoes of the oppressed than the oppressor, even if it’s good for us to try.

How about a bookend quote from The Simpsons? If you thought second place was bad, definitely don’t come in third! Here, we get a reminder of "what the Olympics are all about: giving out medals of beautiful gold, so-so silver, and shameful bronze." 

That does it, Dear Reader, we’ll see you next time. May you be open to the wonder that is around you and may it inspire you to live with generosity and kindness. And to today’s preachers, may gathering for worship with your community encourage you in your own personal faith journey. God’s peace and good movies to you!

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