The Inspector, The Sentinel, The Trustee
Steve Martin was known for playing “wild and crazy guy” types, when suddenly he took a turn for the uptight with Neal Page. Neal and his travel buddy Del make yet another ISTJ/ENFP pair for this blog—like Spock and Kirk, or Zoë and Mal—and the personality conflicts make great fun. The cognitive function stacks are exactly flipped, so Neal and Del push each other’s buttons in just the right places on their wild and crazy adventure home for Thanksgiving.
Dominant Function: (Si) Introverted Sensing, “Relive the Experience”
Neal goes into every situation expecting things to be just so—a first class seat for a quick flight home, a clean and comfortable hotel, a rental car waiting in its assigned parking space—and he’s constantly disappointed. He suffers through the indignities of coach, cringes at the sight of his cheap motel room, and glares at his raucous fellow bus passengers with an air of put-upon longsuffering. He’s highly sensitive to annoying changes in his environment, and Del’s bodily functions, sloppy habits, and endless chatter drive him mad.
Neal’s family and home, waiting for him in the suburbs of Chicago, is warm and comfortable and traditional. He likes old-fashioned showtunes, a preference not shared by the other passengers on his bus. He wears crisp, neat business clothes and hat, slightly older than the current fashion (even for 1987, when the movie was released), and a very nice watch. He tries to maintain his decorum and appearance throughout his adventure, and each piece he loses strips him of a little more of his sanity.
Auxiliary Function: (Te) Extraverted Thinking, “Organize the Experience”
Neal leads an orderly life with tight, exact schedules. He’s timed his trip home so he can get out of New York by 6pm and home to Chicago by 9pm. When things start to go awry, he believes he can still make it work, and starts making calls.
Del’s “go-with-the-flow” approach doesn’t suit Neal at all. The more things go wrong, the more Neal strives to control his environment. He criticizes Del and parts ways with him in an effort to travel more efficiently. He argues with his stewardess when his first class ticket—which he booked a month ago—isn’t honored, and unleashes an R-rated rant against the car rental clerk when they screw up the arrangements for his vehicle (that scene is probably the only reason the movie is rated R to begin with, but, oh, boy, is Edie McClurg’s appearance worth it).
Tertiary Function: (Fi) Introverted Feeling, “Evaluate the Experience”
Neal keeps his composure for an inordinately long time considering his circumstances. He fights for what he believes is his—whether it’s a taxi that belongs to him, or the family waiting for him to return. His dignity escapes him as the pressure builds, however, and he lashes out at his hapless travelling companion.
After some time spent with Del, however, Neal does some soul-searching and believes that he’s spent too much time away from his family. He and Del share the value of love for family, and it’s what begins to finally bond them. When Neal finally figures out what’s up with Del, he feels guilty for abandoning the guy and invites him home.
Inferior Function: (Ne) Extraverted Intuition, “Conceptualize From the Experience”
Neal works in marketing, maybe? He and his team have created several designs for their boss to approve, but the guy seems terribly indecisive. In any case, for Neal it’s just a job—as he tells his co-worker, they’re selling cosmetics, not curing cancer.
Neal gets increasingly irritated with changes in his planned schedule, but does his best to find new ways to complete his trip home. As desperation sinks in, he’s willing to do just about anything, including pawn his watch or sit in the back of a refrigerated truck. His patience is truly tested when he has to listen to Del’s meandering anecdotes, so he offers the advice, “When you’re telling these little stories? Here’s a good idea—have a point!”
At the end of his travels, Neal sits in the train home reflecting on his adventure. He grows sentimental about Del—Si-dom at work—and rolls the memories around in his head. As he puts the pieces together, Neal suddenly makes an intuitive jump and realizes that Del is alone. He returns to the station to retrieve his friend and bring him home for Thanksgiving.
Heroes & Villains of MBTI 