Even if he had only contributed to "N.L. Vacation", "Planes, Trains & Automobiles", "Home Alone", and "Ferris Bueller's Day Off", that would be a very sizeable body of classic 80s film work. He had a gift for understanding that awkward Mid-Western Americana was actually pretty funny and cool, something of which many of us growing up then could relate. Looking back 40 years, it even makes one miss all those dorky parents, teachers, salesmen, and administrators. Even his "bad" movies are not that bad, as he generally made his characters quaint, relatable, lovable.