When you make a purchase through links in our articles, Future and its distribution partners may earn a commission.
Source: CBS and AMAZON PRIME VIDEO
I watched a documentary for the first time the film "John Candy: I Like Myself"« on the plane and was ready to burst into tears. While there were moments where it evoked strong emotions, Colin Hanks' documentary mostly paints a warm picture of a man who lit up a room with his presence, a man who certainly had his struggles, but who always wanted to care for others. There's also a darker version of John Candy, a man often compared to comedians Chris Farley and John Belushi, who also died too young. But Hanks insists on not going that far.
The documentary filmmaker released the film "« I Like Me ), the name of which refers to the cult film Candy "« Planes, trains and automobiles"» , in late 2025. Several months later, it still impresses fans. Hanks recently admitted he could have made a more "provocative" version of the film for Prime Video, but decided against it, telling THR:
My job as a filmmaker isn't to create drama, but to show where that drama actually existed and present it in a compelling way. Everyone experiences trauma in some form or another. It doesn't have to be a major trauma. But it was precisely these character traits—this outgoing, unifying energy—that made John special. They were also learned coping mechanisms.
John Candy died in 1994, twelve years after his fellow comedian and former star SNL John Belushi died of a drug overdose. Chris Farley, often compared to Candy as another eccentric comic figure, also died of a drug overdose in 1997. Candy died in his sleep while filming the movie. «"Wagons East!"» . It is known that he did not take good care of himself at the time, but it was not drugs that took away his friends and family.
People draw parallels between these three men because they were all taken from us too soon. They were all funny, and their comedy masked some of the pain. But John Candy's story was different, and he made such an impression on Colin Hanks at a young age that the director wanted his film to preserve that image of Candy forever.
He impressed more than just Hanks. He gave Mike Myers great advice on how to get started in comedy. He spoke candidly with Conan O'Brien about his comedy career. He was so wonderful in taking care of Macaulay Culkin when his own father wasn't filming "« Uncle Buck» . Everyone who knew John has a similar story.
The darkest moment in the documentary, in my opinion, concerns Candy's career choices, both maintaining his weight for Hollywood roles and accepting too many offers from people who perhaps took them for granted. Hanks said he saw Candy as an ordinary person. He wanted the documentary to be relatable and relatable to viewers. The result is a captivating film that certainly captures the impression the actor made on those around him.
If you haven't seen this movie yet, you should check it out by subscribing to Amazon Prime. «Spaceballs 2» will also be released without him, but his colleagues on the set have done a lot to convince us that Josh Gad is working in the right place.