The 50th Toronto International Film FestivalRoy Thomson Hall didn’t just kick off with a movie—it opened with a homecoming. On September 4, 2025, at 7:00 PM UTC, the lights dimmed for John Candy: I Like Me, a deeply personal documentary that turned the grand hall into a living room where Canada remembered one of its most beloved sons. The film, directed by Colin Hanks, didn’t just recount the life of John Candy, the towering, tender-hearted comic who died at 43 in Durango, Mexico, while filming Wagons East. It felt like a reunion. The audience? A mix of aging fans, young cinephiles, and a who’s who of comedy royalty who still miss him.
A Canadian Icon Returns Home
John Candy was born John Franklin Candy on October 31, 1950, in Newmarket, Ontario, and his roots never left him—even as he became a Hollywood staple. From SCTV to Splash to Planes, Trains & Automobiles, Candy’s comedy was never about punchlines. It was about warmth. His characters weren’t perfect—they were clumsy, generous, sometimes a little lost. And that’s why we loved them. The documentary’s title comes from the theme song Candy wrote for his short-lived 1986 NBC variety show, a line that felt less like ego and more like a quiet confession: I like me. Maybe he did. Maybe we all needed to hear that.Prime Minister Mark Carney was there, not as a politician, but as a fan. "He made us laugh when we needed it most," Carney told the crowd. "And in a time when comedy often feels sharp-edged, John’s was the kind that wrapped you in a blanket." The emotional weight of the moment wasn’t lost on anyone. Thirty-one years and six months after Candy’s death, the festival returned him to the city where his career began.
Voices That Knew Him Best
The film’s power comes not from slick editing or flashy reenactments, but from the voices that still ache to speak his name. Tom Hanks, Steve Martin, Bill Murray, Catherine O’Hara, Dan Aykroyd, and Martin Short appear in candid, tearful interviews. Martin recalls Candy’s habit of showing up to set with a bag of donuts and a bad joke. Murray tells the story of Candy stealing his coat during a blizzard in Toronto—and returning it two weeks later, stuffed with socks and a note: "You’ll need this more than I do."Family footage is the film’s quiet heartbeat. Home videos of Candy playing with his kids, Jennifer and Christopher, laughing with his wife, and goofing off on set feel like stolen glances into a life cut too short. "He wasn’t just funny," Jennifer Candy said during the post-screening Q&A. "He was the kind of dad who’d let you eat ice cream for breakfast if you promised to read a book after." Christopher added, "We never had to wonder if he loved us. He showed up—with pancakes, with jokes, with his whole heart."
Why This Matters Now
In an era where comedy is often weaponized or algorithm-driven, John Candy: I Like Me feels like an antidote. The film doesn’t shy from his struggles—the weight, the pressures of fame, the industry’s tendency to typecast him as the lovable fat guy. But it refuses to reduce him to a stereotype. Instead, it shows how his Canadian upbringing—his work ethic, his humility, his belief that laughter should bring people together—shaped his art.Director Colin Hanks, son of Tom Hanks, didn’t just make a tribute. He made a reckoning. "I grew up watching him," Hanks said after the premiere. "But I didn’t realize how much he was holding the whole thing together—on screen and off. He was the glue. And now, we’re realizing how much glue we’ve lost."
The documentary’s score by Tyler Strickland—a blend of soft piano, warm strings, and nostalgic jazz—mirrors Candy’s tone. It’s not grand. It’s intimate. The soundtrack, released by Lakeshore Records on October 17, 2025, has already climbed the iTunes comedy chart.
Legacy in Motion
The film didn’t just win hearts in Toronto. At the Cinéfest Sudbury International Film Festival in October 2025, it took home the Audience Choice award for Documentary—a rare honor for a film that didn’t rely on controversy or shock value. Just sincerity.Amazon Prime Video acquired global distribution rights, releasing the film on September 18, 2025, just days after TIFF’s close. The trailer, which opens with Candy’s voice saying, "I like me," and cuts to clips of him making strangers laugh on sidewalks, has over 12 million views. Comments pour in from Japan, Brazil, and rural Australia: "My dad watched this every Christmas." "I didn’t know he was Canadian." "I cried so hard I woke my kids."
It’s rare for a documentary to feel like a gift. But this one does. Not because it’s perfect—Tim Grierson of Screen International noted its "melancholy" tone—but because it remembers Candy the way he’d want to be remembered: not as a star, but as a friend.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why was John Candy’s death such a shock to the public?
John Candy died at 43 from a heart attack while filming in Mexico, just as he was entering what many saw as his creative peak. Unlike many celebrities, he was never associated with scandal or excess—he was known for his kindness, his work ethic, and his relatability. His sudden death felt personal to millions who saw him as a comforting presence in their lives, not just a performer.
How does this documentary differ from other celebrity tributes?
Most celebrity documentaries focus on rise-and-fall arcs or controversies. John Candy: I Like Me avoids both. It’s built on home videos, intimate interviews with family and peers, and a quiet reverence for his everyday humanity. There’s no villain, no redemption arc—just a man who made people feel seen, and the people who loved him trying to explain why that mattered.
What role did Canada play in shaping John Candy’s comedy?
Candy’s Canadian roots in Newmarket, Ontario and his time on SCTV gave him a unique comedic sensibility—dry, character-driven, and deeply human. Unlike American sitcoms of the era, Canadian sketch comedy valued awkwardness over punchlines. That’s why Candy’s characters felt real: they weren’t trying to be funny. They were just being themselves.
Why did Amazon Prime Video acquire the film?
Amazon saw the film’s viral potential as a cultural reset for comedy. With streaming platforms saturated by edgy or cynical humor, John Candy: I Like Me offered a rare, emotionally resonant alternative. Its success on TIFF and at Sudbury proved there’s a global audience hungry for comedy that doesn’t mock, but embraces.
Are there plans for a sequel or expanded series?
No official plans exist. Director Colin Hanks has stated the film was always meant to be a standalone tribute. However, the archive footage uncovered during production—including unreleased SCTV sketches and Candy’s personal journals—is being preserved by the Canadian Film Archive in Toronto, with potential future exhibitions planned for 2026.
How has the film impacted younger audiences unfamiliar with John Candy?
Many Gen Z viewers have reported discovering Candy for the first time through the film—and then binge-watching his classics. TikTok trends now feature users reenacting scenes from Planes, Trains & Automobiles with captions like, "This is the dad energy we need." The documentary didn’t just revive his legacy—it reintroduced him as a role model for kindness in entertainment.
