SPOILER-FREE PLOT SUMMARY
John Candy was one of the most beloved comedic actors for nearly three decades. His career started from humble, almost accidental, beginnings and he was surrounded by household names like Bill Murray, Catherine O’Hara, Eugene Levy, Rick Moranis, Harold Ramis and Andrea Martin well before they were household names. After he made the leap from Canada to Hollywood, he was involved in films like SPLASH, SPACEBALLS, THE GREAT OUTDOORS and UNCLE BUCK, among others. His career has some duds, no doubt, but he left a lasting memory through the characters he played on screen for us, the audience. But what was he like in private? Was he a loving father? How did he deal with tragedies around him? Through archival photos and home video, JOHN CANDY: I LIKE ME explores the life of one of the best comedic actors of the 1980’s.
SPOILER-FREE REVIEW
Streaming on Prime starting on October 10, JOHN CANDY: I LIKE ME focuses on the joy, fun and positivity of its subject, not the negative, gossip-ridden swill most documentaries swim in. While it does mention his personal struggles, it doesn’t focus on them and that’s a breath of fresh air in a culture where shock and negativity get the ratings and, therefore, propel projects. One could argue that, because the Candy family is involved, director Colin Hanks and producer Ryan Reynolds shy away from the gravity of some of his vices. But I’m not sure it matters much. The tone of the film is about how beloved he was. Spending a healthy percentage of screen time diving into his downfalls would’ve gone against the grain and felt more awkward than necessary.
Right from the beginning, you see Hanks’ directional prowess. The opening MGM lion growl gives way to a blink-and-you’ll-miss it moment featuring Candy as Barf in SPACEBALLS. He then goes counterintuitive with a comedy-based subject. Instead of grabbing the audience with a montage of one-liners, quotable sayings or famous scenes, he goes the emotional route early, opening with Dan Aykroyd’s deeply poetic eulogy from Candy’s funeral. And, of course, he foreshadows the entire film for the audience with Bill Murray trying to find something — anything — bad to say about his late friend.
In the end, JOHN CANDY: I LIKE ME is absolutely lovely. You walk away feeling bad for how people treated him at times but simultaneously overjoyed that there was ever somebody in Hollywood who went beyond the stereotype. You can feel the loss, even 30+ years later, by his friends, colleagues and family members… and you feel it for all the right reasons.
If you hear somebody rave about a movie, you’d probably expect a higher score. In this case, I can’t decide if I loved it so much because I’m a John Candy fan or if the movie was just done that well. So, understand that my score is a conservative one out of a fear of bias. Either way, JOHN CANDY: I LIKE ME is not to be missed, whether you’re familiar with his work or not.
JKG SCORE: 7.0
Untitled Film Project 