RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
This article contains spoilers for the film ‘John Candy: I Like Me.’
Vulnerable, funny, raw, insightful, tender, and illuminating. John Candy: I Like Me is a bright tribute and classic bio-documentary filled with compelling snippets and heartwarming stories told by beloved family and famous friends.
At its core is the essence of a kind, people-pleasing, and internally conflicted famous mensch – one who, like many of us, wrestled with insecurity throughout the course of his successful career.
Is there anything bad to say about John Candy?
The question is quickly addressed by friend and former co-star Bill Murray, who touches on the conundrum of Candy’s story during his first pre-credits interview, underscoring the duality, complexity, and expansive nature of the late actor, who passed away from a heart attack at the age of 43.
“I can’t tell you what was right and what was wrong with John Candy…I wish I had more bad things to say about him,” Bill Murray said.
Candy, a Canadian actor well-known for his comedic and classic roles in SCTV, Uncle Buck, Planes, Trains and Automobiles, and Home Alone, among others, was branded as a distinguished and natural comedian and creative, a loyal friend and respectful man who knew each and every one of his crew members by name, and a man with a childlike expression which radiated beyond his loved ones.
The documentary delves into his personal history: his upbringing in Newmarket, ON, his startup with local comedy groups, his unplanned wedding featuring images of the iconic McDonald’s arches, and his love for being a husband and father, providing insight into moments that shaped Candy as an actor and as a person.
But the most poignant moment in the acclaimed actor’s life, the untimely passing of his father, Sidney, from a heart attack at the age of 35, becomes the film’s focal point, connecting Candy’s internal experience to his external expression, and subtly suggests layers of his character, his struggles with anxiety, and his smile that hid more than it could ever reveal.
Despite his public joviality, the actor struggled with unresolved grief resulting from sudden loss, a longing for home, guilt fuelled by his inability to balance being both an actor and a family man (despite his deepest desires to do so), a need for external approval, and a drive for greater accomplishments.
It became clear to me that Candy’s lovability and creative talents were never meant to be questioned — the inevitability of his humanity, and the weightiness of his lived experience were meant to be acknowledged.
Film director Colin Hanks, son of famed actor Tom Hanks, uses vintage home videos, private recordings, framed family photos, and personal anecdotes from friends and fellow actors like Eugene Levy, Tom Hanks, Catherine O’Hara, and Steve Martin to rewind time and shed light on Candy’s short life.
The intimate, sit-down-style direction, interviews and glimpses allowed for a view of Candy beyond the beloved figure on screen, one that positioned him as a vulnerable, flawed, and contemplative human being. It was Hanks’ depiction of Candy’s perfectionism, self-doubt, struggles with the pressures of fame, and stories of agitation and panic attacks caused by mental illness that resonated with the universal experience of living and being: messy and muddled.
The pacing of the film was thoughtful, offering space for moments of humour and heavier emotional touchpoints, creating a rhythm that felt fitting for the man at the core of the film. While not strictly linear, the plot unfolds in a way that feels slightly less like a biography and more like a conversation held between reminiscent friends.
With angelic, choir-like music, real and re-told eulogies, an emotional layer is added to the already heart-gripping documentary, which brought tears, weeps, and sniffles to Scotiabank Theatre (myself included) during the Toronto International Film Festival.
Despite my deep enjoyment and empathy for Candy’s story, I wonder if the documentary’s impact stemmed from its quality, or whether my enjoyment was simply due to Candy’s undeniable star quality, raw nature, warmth, and likeness.
Would I have enjoyed the film if it were about someone other than this lovable actor? That remains uncertain.
But one thing remains certain, if I were John Candy, I would like me, too.
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