John Candy in “John Candy: I Like Me.”
Prime Video
John Candy: I Like Me, a documentary from Colin Hanks and Ryan Reynolds about the life and career of the late comedy legend, premieres on streaming this week.
The documentary had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September. The official summary for the film reads, “From director Colin Hanks and producer Ryan Reynolds comes John Candy: I Like Me.
“Those who knew John best share his story, in their own words, through never-before-seen archival footage, imagery, and interviews. It’s a documentary of the life, career, and loss of one of the most beloved actors of all time.”
In addition to archived footage featuring the actor, John Candy: I Like Me includes interviews with several of Candy’s collaborators, including Steve Martin, Mel Brooks, Tom Hanks, Martin Short, Eugene Levy, Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, Catherine O’Hara, Dave Thomas and Macaulay Culkin. The documentary also features Candy’s widow, Rosemary, and his children, Chris and Jennifer.
Candy, of course, was one of the cast members featured in the classic sketch comedy series SCTV from 1976-79 and SCTV Network from 1981-83. On film, Candy starred in such comedy classics as Stripes, Splash, Spaceballs, Planes, Trains & Automobiles, Uncle Buck and Home Alone.
Candy died of a heart attack on March 4, 1994. He was 43 years old.
John Candy: I Like Me will premiere on Prime Video on Thursday. While Prime Video did not indicate an exact release time for the documentary, most new original shows and films debut on the streaming service on the day of release at 3 a.m. ET/12 a.m. PT.
Prime Video is one of the components of an Amazon Prime subscription, which costs $14.99 per month or $139 per year. Prime Video-only subscriptions are also available for $8.99 per month. Both services are ad-based, but subscribers can pay an extra $2 per month to get their programming ad-free.
How Are Critics Reacting To ‘John Candy: I Like Me’?
John Candy: I Like Me earned an 81% “fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 27 reviews. RT’s Critics Consensus, Popcornmeter rating and audience summary are still pending.
Michael Rechtshaffen of The Hollywood Reporter is among the top critics on RT who gives John Candy: I Like Me a “fresh” rating, calling the film “a big-hearted documentary that’s as embracing and generous of spirit as the man himself.”
Steve Pond of The Wrap also gives John Candy: I Like Me a “fresh” review on RT, writing in his review summary, “This doesn’t make for a dark movie – the copious clips of Candy’s performances always keep things light and entertaining – but it does bring additional shadows into the story, which helps flesh out an affectionate, good-hearted portrait.”
Beandrea July of IndieWire also gives the film a “fresh” review on RT, writing, “In the end, [Colin] Hanks delivers a good, but not great, portrait of a lovable guy whose shortcomings took him out — an ordinary guy with extraordinary talent who remains one of the best comedic actors of the 20th century.”
Meanwhile, Peter Debruge of Variety is among the top critics on RT who gives the documentary a “rotten” review, writing, “[Colin] Hanks’ doc mostly shows how great it must have been to know John Candy when he was alive … Amid all that adulation, Hanks might have scrapped the title I Like Me and called the movie Everybody Likes Candy instead.”
Kristy Puchko of Mashable also gives the film a “rotten” review on RT, but notes, “[Colin] Hanks has great elements in John Candy: I Like Me. But how he pulls them together lacks showmanship, elegance, and a personal connection.”
John Candy: I Like Me premieres on Prime Video on Thursday.