John Candy: I Like Me

John Candy: I Like Me
Release poster
Directed byColin Hanks
Produced byColin Hanks
Johnny Pariseau
George Dewey
Shane Reid
Ryan Reynolds
Sean Stuart
Glen Zipper
StarringJohn Candy
CinematographyJustin Kane
Edited byShane Reid
Darrin Roberts
Music byTyler Strickland
Production
companies
Distributed byAmazon Prime Video
Release dates
  • September 4, 2025 (2025-09-04) (TIFF)
  • October 10, 2025 (2025-10-10) (United States)
Running time
113 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

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.[1] 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.[2] 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.[3] The film's acquisition from Amazon Prime Video was announced in February 2023.[4]

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.[5]

Tyler Strickland composed the film score, with the soundtrack album released by Lakeshore Records on October 17, 2025.[6]

Studio cut excerpts used the following tracks:

Track listing

John Candy: I Like Me (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
No.TitleLength
1."A Life Well Lived"2:45
2."He Was a Kid"2:38
3."A Quiet Life"4:14
4."Escape into Character"1:38
5."Second City"0:36
6."Argonauts"2:52
7."The Fun Time Could End"2:26
8."The Real Article"1:33
9."Meeting Rose"2:45
10."Finding John"3:05
11."Interested in Film"1:55
12."You Don't Know"2:18
13."From the Archives"1:59
14."John Becomes a Star"1:01
15."Happy the Way I Am"3:43
16."My Brother Jim"1:31
17."All Too Much"4:56
18."Durango"1:48
19."A Gift to the World"2:30
Total length:46:22

Release

Ryan Reynolds at the film's premiere at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival

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.[7] Canadian prime minister Mark Carney attended the premiere, spoke to the audience, and paid tribute to Candy.[8] The same day, an official trailer was released by Amazon Prime Video.[9]

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.[10][11]

Reception

Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 89% of 77 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.7/10. The website's consensus reads: "Focusing on the good times as it chronicles John Candy's life and career, I Like Me gathers those who knew and loved the iconic actor for a bittersweet retrospective that feels like a cathartic group hug."[12] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 69 out of 100, based on 14 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[13]

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".[14] 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."[15] 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."[16]

Accolades

Award Year Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
ACE Eddie Awards 2026 Best Edited Documentary Feature Shane Reid and Darrin Roberts Nominated [17]
Astra TV Awards 2026 Best Documentary TV Movie John Candy: I Like Me Won [18]
[19]
Cinéfest Sudbury International Film Festival 2025 Audience Choice Award: Best Documentary Colin Hanks Won [20]
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 Nominated [21]
Critics' Choice Documentary Awards 2025 Best Biographical Documentary John Candy: I Like Me Nominated [22]
Heartland International Film Festival 2025 Audience Choice Award: Documentary Special Presentation Colin Hanks Won [23]
Hollywood Music in Media Awards 2025 Best Original Score – Documentary Tyler Strickland Nominated [24]
Las Vegas Film Critics Society 2025 Best Documentary John Candy: I Like Me Nominated [25]
Primetime Emmy Awards 2026 Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special Colin Hanks, Sean Stuart, Glen Zipper, Ryan Reynolds, George Dewey, Johnny Pariseau, and Shane Reid Pending [26]
Outstanding Music Composition for a Documentary/Nonfiction or Reality Program (Original Dramatic Score) Tyler Strickland Pending
Outstanding Picture Editing for a Nonfiction Program Shane Reid, Darrin Roberts, and Dominic Rolandelli Pending
Outstanding Sound Editing for a Nonfiction or Reality Program Jonathan Greber and Christopher Lafaye Pending
Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Nonfiction Program Gary A. Rizzo, Brad Dawe, Michael Kool, Mark Leone, Thomas Nino Orozco, and Donny Tam Pending
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 Won [27]
San Diego Film Critics Society 2025 Best Documentary John Candy: I Like Me Nominated [28]

References

  1. ↑ Izzo, Christina (February 1, 2024). "Colin Hanks Talks Knowing John Candy Growing Up Ahead of His Documentary with Ryan Reynolds: 'Sweet, Sweet Presence'". CinemaBlend. Retrieved February 1, 2024.
  2. ↑ Pond, Steve (September 4, 2025). "'John Candy: I Like Me' Review: Colin Hanks' Affectionate Documentary Opens Toronto Film Festival". TheWrap. Retrieved September 5, 2025.
  3. ↑ "Ryan Reynolds making John Candy documentary with Colin Hanks and says to 'expect tears'". Virgin Radio UK. October 11, 2022. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
  4. ↑ Schaefer, Sandy (February 16, 2023). "Amazon Prime Video Picks Up John Candy Documentary from Ryan Reynolds and Colin Hanks". SlashFilm. Retrieved February 16, 2023.
  5. ↑ Sharpe, Josh (October 3, 2025). "Listen: Cynthia Erivo Performs 'Everytime You Go Away' Cover from John Candy Documentary". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved October 3, 2025.
  6. ↑ "'John Candy: I Like Me' Soundtrack Album Released". Film Music Reporter. October 17, 2025. Retrieved October 18, 2025.
  7. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (September 4, 2025). "Ryan Reynolds Kicks Off TIFF 50th with Docu 'John Candy: I Like Me': 'The Greatest, Most Beautiful Man That I Never Met'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 5, 2025.
  8. ↑ "Prime Minister Mark Carney takes stage at TIFF's opening night, honours John Candy". CTV News. September 4, 2025. Archived from the original on September 5, 2025. Retrieved September 6, 2025.
  9. ↑ Vlessing, Etan (September 4, 2025). "'John Candy: I Like Me' Trailer Reveals Gentle, Vulnerable Comedy Genius". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 5, 2025.
  10. ↑ de Bono-Smith, Rianna (October 11, 2025). "'John Candy: I Like Me' Debuts at No. 1 on Prime Video". Screen Rant. Retrieved October 18, 2025.
  11. ↑ "John Candy: I Like Me". FlixPatrol. Retrieved October 18, 2025.
  12. ↑ "John Candy: I Like Me". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved July 22, 2026.
  13. ↑ "John Candy: I Like Me". Metacritic. Retrieved October 18, 2025.
  14. ↑ Rechtshaffen, Michael (September 4, 2025). "'John Candy: I Like Me' Review: Colin Hanks' Doc Portrait Pays Poignant Tribute to a Comic Icon's Life and Legacy". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 8, 2025.
  15. ↑ Grierson, Tim (September 5, 2025). "'John Candy: I Like Me' review: Colin Hanks doc pays warm tribute to Canadian comedy legend". Screen Daily. Retrieved September 5, 2025.
  16. ↑ Bailey, Jason (September 6, 2025). "John Candy: I Like Me". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved September 8, 2025.
  17. ↑ Pedersen, Erik (January 27, 2026). "ACE Eddie Awards Nominations: 'Sinners', 'One Battle', 'F1', 'Weapons', 'Wicked: For Good' & More". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 5, 2026.
  18. ↑ "The Nominees for the 2026 Astra TV Awards Have Been Revealed" (Press release). The Astras. May 27, 2026. Retrieved May 27, 2026.
  19. ↑ Garner, Glenn (August 15, 2026). "Astra TV Awards 2026 Winners Include 'Hacks', 'The Pitt' & 'Shrinking' — Full List". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 15, 2026.
  20. ↑ "'Out Standing' and John Candy doc take audience awards at Cinéfest". Sudbury. September 28, 2025. Retrieved May 5, 2026.
  21. ↑ Tangcay, Jazz (January 20, 2026). "'F1', 'Sinners', 'One Battle After Another', and 'Frankenstein' Among Cinema Audio Society Award Nominees". Variety. Retrieved May 5, 2026.
  22. ↑ "10th Annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards – List of Nominees and Winners (2025)". Critics Choice. November 9, 2025. Retrieved May 5, 2026.
  23. ↑ "34th Heartland International Film Festival Announces Winners & Presents $60,000 in Cash Prizes". Heartland Film. October 20, 2025. Retrieved May 5, 2026.
  24. ↑ Pedersen, Erik (November 5, 2025). "'Wicked: For Good', 'Sinners' & 'F1' Lead Hollywood Music in Media Awards Nominations". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 5, 2026.
  25. ↑ Anderson, Erik (December 15, 2025). "Las Vegas Film Critics Society (LVFCS) Nominations: 'Sinners' Leads with 14". AwardsWatch. Retrieved May 5, 2026.
  26. ↑ "John Candy: I Like Me". Television Academy. Retrieved July 8, 2026.
  27. ↑ "2026 PGA Awards – Winners". Producers Guild of America. March 1, 2026. Retrieved May 5, 2026.
  28. ↑ "2025 San Diego Film Critics Society Nominations". San Diego Film Critics Society. December 13, 2025. Retrieved May 5, 2026.
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