John Candy: I Like Me

Directed by Colin Hanks

United States | 2025 | 113 mins | English

"He stuck acting in his back pocket and he behaved like a human being" - Mel Brooks

A deeply affectionate portrait of one of cinema’s great comic talents, John Candy: I Like Me revisits the life and legacy of a performer whose kindness and timing made him unforgettable. Director Colin Hanks draws together home movies, rarely seen clips, and new interviews with those who knew Candy best — from Steve Martin and Tom Hanks to Catherine O’Hara and Eugene Levy — to create a celebration as generous and open-hearted as its subject.

Born in Ontario and loved worldwide, Candy became a familiar presence through SCTV, Splash, Spaceballs, and Planes, Trains and Automobiles, shaping the comedic landscape of the 1980s and early 1990s. The documentary charts that rise with humour and care, balancing joyous nostalgia with honest reflection on the pressures of fame, body image, and self-doubt.

Hanks’s direction captures the essence of Candy not only as an entertainer but as a friend, husband, and father. His warmth shines through in every frame, reminding us how rare it is for laughter and empathy to coexist so naturally on screen. Three decades after his death, Candy’s presence still feels immediate, a reminder that true comic brilliance lies in humanity as much as in humour.

John Candy: I Like Me stands as a loving tribute to a man who made audiences laugh until they cried, and sometimes, cry because they appreciated the power of that laughter.