(courtesy IMDb)
SNAPSHOT
From director Colin Hanks and lifelong John Candy fan Ryan Reynolds comes John Candy: I Like Me, an exploration of the life of the Canadian comedic icon. This comprehensive John Candy film documents his on- and off-camera existence, featuring never-before-seen home videos, intimate access to his family, and candid recollections from collaborators to paint a bigger picture of one of the brightest stars of the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s. It’s the story of a son, husband, father, friend, and professional driven to always bring joy to audiences and loved ones while battling personal ghosts and Hollywood pressures. John Candy: I Like Me is directed by American actor / filmmaker Colin Hanks, director of the two other doc films All Things Must Pass and Eagles of Death Metal: Nos Amis (Our Friends) previously. Produced by Colin Hanks, Sean Stuart, Glen Zipper, Ryan Reynolds, George Dewey, Johnny Pariseau, Shane Reid. The film is premiering at the 2025 Toronto Film Festival this month. (courtesy First Showing)
It’s a rare thing to really feel the humanity in someone’s comedy.
Sure, many comedians are very funny, and cleverly so, and you can intellectually appreciate how razor sharp observant they are and even feel an emotive response to what they’ve said.
Watching John Candy at work though always felt seeing into the heart of someone; he was hugely funny absolutely but he was also raw, vulnerable, honest, and exquisitely truthful about the human condition in a way that few other comedians are.
So, watching the documentary, John Candy: I Like Me, while it will be sad to mourn once again the great comedic artist we lost in 1994 at the all-too-young age of 44, will be like spending time again with a particularly insightful warm and embracing friend … and that will be precious indeed.
John Candy: I Like Me premieres on Prime Video on 10 October worldwide.