I Like Me (film): A wonderfully touching tribute to John Candy

If you are under 40 years of age, you probably wont even remember how much of an icon John Candy was, but he was a real star even though he didn't really fit at all into any one category of actor. He was too big for action, too jolly for drama, and too serious for comedy as a singular devotion, but what he did have was wonderful charisma and something that was just so memorable in the films he was in. It's tough to put a finger on it but if you ask anyone who has seen Planes, Trains, and Automobiles they will remember the iconic "I like me" scene and how it almost certainly brought tears to their eyes.

A lot of people, including me, probably don't know how great a guy Candy was on as well as off the set, and this documentary complete with interviews with a ton of people that you likely associate with Candy, will definitely bring back some memories, make you feel a bit bad but also good at the same time, and probably help you to learn a bit more about the big guy that we all loved back in the 80's and 90's.

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If you do know anything about John Candy you will already know that he died very early in life and for the most part we were just made to believe that this was because of substance abuse and it almost certainly was and is just covered up a bit because he was such a likable person. They kind of underplay his involvement with drugs and instead focus on his anxiety, which is fine. There is no reason to drag his name through the mud if we don't have to because in the grand scheme of things, he was overall, a very good person who despite his own demons, was an angel to those around him.

This is probably best summed up by Macaulay Culkin, who says that he was going through a rough time with his parents trying to take control of his fame (and money) and it was John Candy who put him at ease.

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The two met before Culkin became one of the biggest stars in the world from Home Alone and according to Macaulay, Candy was one of the first people to notice the overbearing behavior of his father, and while Candy didn't offer a great deal of advice or encourage anything silly like legal action (which Culkin eventually did pursue later in life) Candy did console him and make him feel at home and at people on the set of Uncle Buck.

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This portion of the film alone is compelling enough that I ended up doing more research into it and there is a lot more to the story there but this was a documentary about Candy, not Culkin. It is important to note though that Macaulay Culkin intentionally stays out of the public eye and rarely does interviews or even public appearances but he readily signed on to this when asked to do so by producers Ryan Reynolds and Colin Hanks.

Other people give really heartfelt testimonials about how it was to work with John, going all the way back to his Second City days in Chicago when barely anyone even knew who he was. The sequences with Steve Martin, John's co-star in Planes is particularly touching and this is likely because of two particularly touching scenes that took place in that epic film.

What can I say? If you've seen the chemistry between those two in that film it is pretty clear that they became great friends and the early departure of John was something that deeply affected a lot of people.

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it's crazy to think that time goes by so fast, but it has been 30 years since Candy died. As is pointed out by Macaulay himself, HE is now older than Candy was at the time of his death.

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Should I watch it?

I don't think you need to be familiar with John Candy's body of work to enjoy this and to be touched by it. I was alive and young when he was in the limelight, and I was shocked just like everyone else was when he died.

This documentary sheds a lot of light on his life and the problems that he both had, and solved for other people during it. I learned a lot as well because like most people, I wasn't really paying that close of attention to his career and since during most of it we didn't really have internet, I was unfamiliar with the specifics of the trials and tribulations that he faced.

I think that almost anyone will get some sort of enjoyment out of this because it is truly touching and I was made misty-eyed multiple times while watching it.

_{this film can only be legally streamed on Amazon Prime. I can be purchased or rented on Fandango as well}