John Candy: I Like Me is a 2025 American documentary film, directed by Colin Hanks, and a portrait of the Canadian actor John Candy. It premiered as the opening night film of the Toronto International Film Festival on September 4, 2025, followed by its digital release on Amazon Prime Video on October 10.
Premise John Candy began his career on the sketch comedy series Second City Television before becoming one of the most popular and beloved stars of comedy films until his death of a heart attack in 1994. The film relies primarily on rare and never-before-seen archive footage, outtakes, private home video, audio commentary, and interviews provided by friends and family. The film's title comes from a line that Candy's character spoke in a memorable scene from the 1987 film Planes, Trains and Automobiles.
Appearances
Production John Candy: I Like Me was first announced by producer Ryan Reynolds in 2022. The film's acquisition from Amazon Prime Video was announced in February 2023.
Music Cynthia Erivo recorded a cover of the song "Everytime You Go Away" (that ended the film Planes, Trains and Automobiles), which was released as a single on October 3, 2025.
Tyler Strickland composed the film score, with the soundtrack album released by Lakeshore Records on October 17, 2025.
Studio cut excerpts used the following tracks:
Track listing
Release
The world premiere of John Candy: I Like Me took place at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 4, 2025, at the Roy Thomson Hall, which included a live Q&A session with the film's director, producer and Candy's children, Jennifer and Christopher Candy, following the screening. Canadian prime minister Mark Carney attended the premiere, spoke to the audience, and paid tribute to Candy. The same day, an official trailer was released by Amazon Prime Video.
Audience viewership According to Amazon, John Candy: I Like Me debuted at No. 1 on Prime Video for its digital release in the United States and ranked third for the week ending October 17, 2025.
Reception Critical response Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 69 out of 100, based on 14 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.
Michael Rechtshaffen of The Hollywood Reporter rated the film positively, calling it a "big-hearted documentary that's as embracing and generous of spirit as the man himself". Tim Grierson of Screen Daily gave a mixed review, calling the film "an appealing, ultimately melancholy tribute to the late Canadian comic," adding, "I Like Me contains interviews with such comedy luminaries as Tom Hanks, Steve Martin, Bill Murray and Catherine O'Hara, who speak with endless affection about the late star of hits like Splash and Planes, Trains & Automobiles [...] Although a somewhat conventional portrait, the film works best as a lament for a talented actor who struggled to reach his full potential before passing away far too young." Jason Bailey of RogerEbert.com was more critical, giving it 2.5 out of 4 stars, describing some of the structuring choices as "downright baffling" and continuing, "little to no interest is paid to Candy's considerable growth as an actor over the course of his career—particularly in the last few years of his life." However, he praised the archive material, writing, "We're treated to copious home videos, rare outtakes from his movies and footage from his stage performances, family photos, the works."
Accolades Award Year Category Recipient(s) Result ACE Eddie Awards 2026 Best Edited Documentary Feature Shane Reid and Darrin Roberts Astra TV Awards 2026 Best Documentary TV Movie John Candy: I Like Me Cinéfest Sudbury International Film Festival 2025 Audience Choice Award: Best Documentary Colin Hanks Cinema Audio Society Awards 2026 Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing for Television – Non-Fiction, Variety or Music – Series or Specials Brad Dawe, Michael Kool, Gary A. Rizzo, and Tyler Strickland Critics' Choice Documentary Awards 2025 Best Biographical Documentary John Candy: I Like Me Heartland International Film Festival 2025 Audience Choice Award: Documentary Special Presentation Colin Hanks Hollywood Music in Media Awards 2025 Best Original Score – Documentary Tyler Strickland Las Vegas Film Critics Society 2025 Best Documentary John Candy: I Like Me Primetime Emmy Awards 2026 Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special Colin Hanks, Sean Stuart, Glen Zipper, Ryan Reynolds, George Dewey, Johnny Pariseau, and Shane Reid Outstanding Music Composition for a Documentary/Nonfiction or Reality Program (Original Dramatic Score) Tyler Strickland Outstanding Picture Editing for a Nonfiction Program Shane Reid, Darrin Roberts, and Dominic Rolandelli Outstanding Sound Editing for a Nonfiction or Reality Program Jonathan Greber and Christopher Lafaye Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Nonfiction Program Gary A. Rizzo, Brad Dawe, Michael Kool, Mark Leone, Thomas Nino Orozco, and Donny Tam Producers Guild of America Awards 2026 Outstanding Producer of Televised or Streamed Motion Picture Colin Hanks, Sean M. Stuart, Glen Zipper, Ryan Reynolds, and George Dewey San Diego Film Critics Society 2025 Best Documentary John Candy: I Like Me
References
External links