John Candy: I Like Me, 2025.
Directed by Colin Hanks.
Featuring John Candy, Rosemary Candy, Chris Candy, Jennifer Candy-Sullivan, Eugene Levy, Catherine O’Hara, Bill Murray, Steve Martin, Dave Thomas, Martin Short, Tom Hanks, Dan Aykroyd, Robin Duke, Andrew Alexander, Conan O’Brien, Andrea Martin, Macauley Culkin, Chris Columbus, Mel Brooks and Kelvin Pruenster.
SYNOPSIS:
The film explores the life and legacy of the iconic funnyman Candy, who died of a heart attack in 1994 at the age of 43.
If you were to ask someone what their favourite comedy from the 1980s or early 1990s might be, chances are it will have Canadian actor and funnyman John Candy starring as the lead or at the very least a supporting role. Though Candy’s life and career could be considered brief due to his tragic passing from a heart attack, his impact on the comedy scene is still felt to this day with many of his roles cited as some of the funniest or most heartfelt ever put to screen. John Candy: I Like Me pulls back the layers of the iconic actor’s life, exploring his upbringing and comedic passion and the influence he had on his family, colleagues and fans as well as the pressures he put on himself to make everyone laugh and feel happy.
Directed by Colin Hanks, whose father Tom Hanks starred in the 1984 comedy Splash as Candy’s brother, John Candy: I Like Me paints a poignant portrait of one of comedy’s most recognizable actors. There’s a term many of Candy’s childhood friends and fellow comedians use throughout the documentary as they relate Candy to the ‘everyman’ and that certainly seems clear through the various home videos, archival interviews or behind the scenes footage as well as the many anecdotes told of him. Hanks and producer Ryan Reynolds successfully carry Candy’s relatability through his personal struggles after the early death of his own father and how that shaped him going forward.
The documentary flows with ease and balances the hilarity of Candy’s personality with the tragedy of his passing. The abundance of home footage of Candy’s life as he transitioned from schoolboy to husband and father or small-time actor on the Canadian sketch comedy SCTV to his rise in stardom provides great insight into who he was as a joyous person. John Candy tried to make everyone laugh and took great care of those around him while masking his own insecurities and fears. Footage of various interviewers and newscasters commenting on Candy’s weight, many of which are right to his face, give clearer context into the effects his family and friends describe it had on him, especially towards the end of his life.
Despite the tragedy though, the doc is a celebration of a consummate comedian who strove to give comfort to his fans while exploring his many nuances. It is important to note Candy was capable of giving his characters a level of emotional depth and personality that makes his performances hard to forget, even his brief cameos like in Home Alone or National Lampoon’s Vacation. Watching his performances in Uncle Buck or Trains, Planes & Automobiles where he plays more than the simple funnyman shows how much of himself he put into his roles. Indeed, it is that latter film from his character Del Griffith the doc gets its subtitle from where after Steve Martin’s verbal assault on Del’s personality he drops the eccentricities for a moment to deliver one of the film’s most memorable scenes, providing the backbone for its emotional twist at the film’s conclusion.
Through faces like Eugene Levy, Catherine O’Hara, Dan Aykroyd as well as the Candy family, John Candy: I Like Me is a moving and emotional tribute to a comedy legend who passed all too soon. Hanks and the team gives a full sense of who John Candy was and how he continues to affect those around him with an impact as large and boisterous as his personality.
John Candy: I Like Me can be viewed at the Toronto International Film Festival and will be released on Amazon Prime on October 10th.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
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