In his relatively short career, John Candy created a slew of scene-stealing characters in movies, including several filmed in the Chicago area.
There is the orange whip-loving parole officer in “The Blues Brothers,” the good-hearted “polka king of the Midwest” in “Home Alone” and the irresponsible-but-lovable titular character in “Uncle Buck.”
Fans will be able to revisit the magic the late comedian created in the new documentary, “John Candy: I Like Me,” directed by Colin Hanks. Ahead of its Oct. 10 release on Prime Video, the Chicago Theatre will host a screening and Q&A with actor Ryan Reynolds, who produced the film, on Sunday.
The historic Chicago Theatre is a fitting location to celebrate Candy, a Canadian native and alum of The Second City Toronto, who also brought improvised shows to Chicago.
Candy came to prominence with a class of other notable Second City-trained comedians, including Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi and Bill Murray. And he would go on to work with director John Hughes on films set in or referencing Chicago, including “Planes, Trains and Automobiles,” one of Candy’s most popular projects. But his film career was cut short when he died of a heart attack at 43 in 1994.
His collaborators and family members say he had a deep impact on the Chicago comedy scene and beyond with his joy-filled performances, good nature and generosity.
“He packed a lot of life into his years and made a difference,” said Kelly Leonard, vice president of creative strategy, innovation and business development at The Second City. “The film and the reaction to the film show that this guy was beloved, and still can make us laugh and will for decades. I put him up there with W.C. Fields, Abbott and Costello and the Marx Brothers.”
After developing a well-received short video tribute to Candy in 2019, Reynolds, who is a fellow Canadian, obtained the Candy family’s blessing to work on the documentary. It tracks Candy’s life and career, and includes commentary from Tom Hanks, Steve Martin, Macaulay Culkin, Catherine O’Hara and many more of his A-list collaborators.
Though Candy trained in Toronto, he did perform a few shows at The Second City in Chicago in the 1970s, said Leonard, who drew parallels between the two cities.
“Toronto has always been the Canadian version of Chicago,” Leonard said. “It’s a second city as well in many ways. It’s got a little bit of a chip on its shoulder. Their hockey team loses just like our teams lose. Everyone’s frustrated about it, but they still go.”
Like Belushi, Chris Farley and George Wendt, Candy became known as a legendary “Second City big guy,” who exuded an amusing “world-weariness,” Leonard said.
“There’s an everyman quality to them, but there’s also a larger-than life quality,” Leonard said. “And I think the tension between those two things is actually a very Chicago thing. There’s a street intelligence. They probably have read Proust, but you don’t know that because they’re not going to let you know.”
Leonard also said that Candy was magnetic.
“There are just certain people who come along to The Second City that everyone gloms onto,” he said. “That list is five people, and John Candy is one of them.”
While some of his peers starred on “Saturday Night Live,” Candy honed his skills on the Canadian sketch comedy show “SCTV.” He went on to a successful film career, with standout roles in “Stripes,” “Splash” and “Planes, Trains and Automobiles.” In the latter, as the annoying and equally charming Del Griffith, he delivers a crushing monologue that includes the famous statement, “I like me,” which inspired the title of the documentary.
“That character is just everything you want in a vulnerable, comedic, lovable, sad character,” said Candy’s son, Chris.
Candy’s daughter, Jennifer, said that her favorite role of her father’s is his portrayal of Dean Andrews Jr. in “JFK.” It was an opportunity for him to show off his dramatic chops, she said.
“I vividly remember him working so hard on that with a dialect coach and really putting in the time and the energy to his character,” said Jennifer, who trained at The Second City in Chicago, and even lived in the same apartment complex as her father — within walking distance of the organization.
Candy’s life wasn’t easy; the actor struggled with personal tragedy, physical health issues and anxiety— all of which is explored in the documentary. The film also includes clips of some of his old interviews with journalists who made offensive comments about his weight.
“He always handled it so gracefully and I admired that, but it was still so uncomfortable to watch him be uncomfortable,” Jennifer said.
Chris said he wished his father had been able to overcome some of the insecurities that plagued him at the end of his life.
“I think he really needed to stop and look around and realize that he had established and done so much for himself,” Chris said. “There was this fear that I even remember as a kid where he was uncertain about the roles he was getting offered or the work that was available. It made him feel like there was no work when there was.”
“Even though he was beginning to take charge of his life and be more accountable for himself, he really needed someone to say, ‘John, you need to stop for a couple years. No one’s going to forget about you. No one’s going to stop loving you,’” Chris continued. “I wish that someone got through in that way.”
In fact, the love for Candy has lasted decades, which is illustrated in the documentary. Leonard said the film provides an escape from today’s “bleak” reality by highlighting a good human being and a comedy style that may not have been political, but was effective in its ability to provide relief and happiness.
“I’m interested in satire,” Leonard said. “I also want to have really funny people just make me laugh in a room with a bunch of other people who find it funny and experience that joy. So the documentary is a reminder that that existed in John Candy, which means it can exist in us.”