9 John Candy Movies That Will Rekindle Your Love for the Comedy Icon
John Candy was much more than just a comedic actor—he was, and is, a Canadian national treasure, revered alongside other late great icons like Phil Hartman, Norm MacDonald, and Leslie Nielsen. But Candy's warmth, humor, and larger-than-life presence had a huge impact globally, too, and it's still being felt.
As Colin Hanks and Ryan Reynolds' new biopic, John Candy: I Like Me, makes its way to Prime Video in October, I found myself getting all misty-eyed remembering his amazing films and legendary SCTV characters, many of which I enjoyed with my late father, who had a soft spot for Candy's humor. Going through his filmography was a gut-busting reminder of his genius and why he was so beloved.
This is not a ranked list, but rather a chronological list of some of his best (and my favorite) John Candy movies.
Stripes (1981)
In 1981, most fans of John Candy would have only known him for his work on SCTV , but when his fellow Second City alum Harold Ramis wrote this goofball military comedy and director Ivan Reitman cast Candy in what would be his first major Hollywood film, America would finally be let in on Canada's best-kept secret.
Stripes is the story of a pair of down-on-their-luck friends played by Bill Murray (fresh off of Meatballs ) and Harold Ramis, who decide to join the Army to kickstart their loser lives. Candy's breakout performance as the clumsy but lovable Ox, who joins up to lose some weight and get some respect, was immediately endearing to audiences.
Best Candy Moment:Easily the mud wrestling scene, where the formidably sized Ox takes on a group of women with reckless abandon in a bar.
Splash (1984)
This Ron Howard-directed romantic comedy tells the story of a lovelorn New York man (Tom Hanks) who falls in love with a beautiful, mysterious woman (Daryl Hannah) with a magical secret—she's a mermaid. I'll spare you the fish-out-of-water references, but the film was well-received for its quirkiness and chemistry between its two leads.
However, it was Candy who once again stole every scene in Splash , playing Hanks' loudmouthed older brother, Freddy, who, while playing the smarmy perpetual bachelor, still managed to be lovable.
Best Candy Moment:Hands down, the racquetball scene, where a sweaty, panting Freddy cracks a beer and puffs on a smoke on the court, while doling love-life advice to his brother.
Summer Rental (1985)
Summer Rental was a huge milestone for Candy, as after two hits playing supporting characters, it proved to the world that he could headline a major blockbuster, too. The movie follows Jack Chester (Candy), a stressed-out air traffic controller who's forced to take a vacation to chill out, so he and his family hitch up a U-Haul and head to Florida for a month's holiday.
It's hard to beat a John Candy everyman character who's been beaten down so low that there's no choice but to rise back up again. Their rental house is a rundown shack, Jack suffers a scorching sunburn, and some local jerk (Richard Crenna) has challenged him to a sailing competition. The film is chock-full of mishaps, physical gags, and awkward moments that would later form Candy's signature humor.
Best Candy Moment:I'll never forget my dad nearly falling off the couch laughing at Candy's first appearance, navigating the beach—wearing a Blackhawks jersey, his daughter on his shoulders, trudging through blistering sand, stepping on everything and everyone as the cooler leaks ice. Classic Candy.
Spaceballs (1987)
This Mel Brooks Star Wars spoof is not only one of my favorite movies, it's also my all-time favorite John Candy movie. OK, maybe it's tied with the next film on this list, but how brilliant was the casting of Candy as Barf, the adorable Chewie to Bill Pullman's Solo/ Skywalker mishmash character, Lone Starr.
Barf just spews adorable comic relief in Spaceballs , as he and Lone Starr take on President Skroob (Brooks) and Dark Helmet (Rick Moranis) to stop them from stealing all the air from planet Druidia while also rescuing the beautiful Princess Vespa (Daphne Zuniga). Of course, Lone Starr might just have the power of The Schwarz on his side.
Best Candy Moment:Candy is brilliant out of the gate as Barf, delivering this endlessly quotable line when Vespa and Dot Matrix first meet him: "I'm a mog! Half man, half dog. I'm my own best friend."
Planes, Trains, and Automobiles (1987)
When you say the name John Candy, it's this John Hughes masterpiece that inevitably comes to mind. There are simply too many classic moments to mention here, and too many career-defining ones for Candy in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles . But his turn as traveling shower-curtain-ring salesman Del Griffith will have you dying, laughing, and welling up before it's all said and done.
Steve Martin and Candy put on a masterclass in straight-man/funny-man comedy dynamics, as Martin's tightly-wound ad exec, Neal Page, gets stuck with Del as the strangers decide to pair up on a frantic journey home to Chicago in time for Thanksgiving. We're just along for the ride as Neal's last nerve hangs in the balance through disaster after disaster. The twist ending in this iconic road trip comedy is one of the most heart-wrenching ever, all crushingly delivered by Candy's masterful ability to play over-the-top comedy and emotional, dramatic moments.
Best Candy Moment:It's impossible to pick, but I've never been on a road trip where I haven't thought of Del and Neal "going the wrong way!" into traffic on the freeway. That, or the motel scene where Neal wakes up with Del spooning him that is one of the funniest moments in movie history. "Those aren't pillows!"
The Great Outdoors (1988)
The second of four John Hughes movies that Candy would star in (if you don't count his small role in Vacation ), The Great Outdoors was another notch in Candy's belt of mastering the role of the wholesome everyman versus a loudmouthed jerk.
Similar to Summer Rental , Candy plays Chet Ripley, a Chicago family man who takes his wife and kids on a lakeside getaway. This time, though, the jerk is his brother-in-law, Roman (Dan Aykroyd), an investment banker who thinks he's better than Chet. Hilarity and loads of physical gags ensue, as the pair go head-to-head.
Best Candy Moment:The massive "bald-headed bear of Clare County" breaking down their cabin door. It lands on Chet and proceeds to bounce up and down on him while Candy hysterically grunts.
Uncle Buck (1989)
Next in the Hughes/Candy timeline, Uncle Buck is another of my favorites with some of the best moments in comedy history. In one of his most iconic starring roles, Candy plays Buck Russell, the single, irresponsible brother to Bob, who calls on him to take care of his three kids (including a pre- Home Alone Macaulay Culkin) during a family emergency.
Buck clearly has no experience with kids (to the chagrin of his girlfriend, Chanice), and his rough-around-the-edges methods are appalling (he makes a giant pancake and flips it with a snow shovel). But with Candy at the helm, Buck wins the kids (and us) over with his lovable honesty, fierce protectiveness, and weird-but-cool uncle charm.
Best Candy moment:Either the rapid-fire interrogation by young Miles (Culkin), or the scene where Buck tears down Maizy's overly stern principal, who has a huge wart on her face.
Home Alone (1990)
While it's just a cameo in one of John Hughes' most famous films ever, Candy makes a lasting impression as Gus Polinski, the "Polka King of the Midwest," in a memorable cameo in Home Alone , one of the greatest Christmas movies ever. You all know the story about eight-year-old Kevin McCallister, who was left home, alone, by his family at Christmas. But in the last moments of the film, his mom Kate (Catherine O'Hara), who has been frantically trying to get back to Kevin, gets lucky and meets Gus, whose band offers her a ride home in their van.
In his brief, improvised performance with his longtime friend, O'Hara, Candy leaves a lasting, emotional impression as he regales Kate with silly stories and kindness, in the hopes of easing her guilty conscience.
Best Candy Moment:It's brief, so I'm just going to say the whole genuine and charming thing.
Only the Lonely (1991)
1991's Only the Lonely marked a turning point in Candy's career, in that it gave him a chance to show the world that he was much more than just pratfalls and punchlines—he could play more dramatic roles, too.
As aging Chicago cop, Danny Muldoon, torn between his overbearing Irish mother (whom he still lives with) and finding love with Theresa (Ally Sheedy), an introverted funeral home employee, Candy was praised by critics for how natural and emotional his performance was.
Best Candy Moment:Danny and Theresa's first dinner date scene is an excellent example of Candy's range, as he blends awkward sincerity with a tinge of light sweetness. After the date, when he thinks it's gone terribly, there's an authenticity to his worry that is beautiful.
If Candy hadn't died in 1994, at just 43, it's wistful to ponder whether he'd have enjoyed a similar "second act" to contemporaries such as Robin Williams, Steve Martin, or Bill Murray, who all successfully developed into formidable dramatic actors. His last two films, Wagons East (the movie he was filming when he died), and Canadian Bacon , were released posthumously.
