New John Candy documentary I Like Me debuts at TIFF, hits Prime Video

A new documentary tracing the life and career of comedian and actor John Candy premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and was released on Prime Video on Oct. 10. John Candy I Like Me, directed by Colin Hanks and produced by Ryan Reynolds in partnership with Candy’s family, uses archival footage, interviews and home videos to chronicle Candy’s rise from the Toronto comedy scene to Hollywood stardom, his private struggles and the sudden heart attack that ended his life in 1994 at age 43.

The film frames Candy’s career from his early work with SCTV through leading and supporting roles in films such as Stripes, Spaceballs, Uncle Buck and Planes, Trains and Automobiles. It features on-camera recollections from colleagues and friends including Eugene Levy, Catherine O’Hara, Dan Aykroyd, Steve Martin, Bill Murray, Martin Short, Tom Hanks, Mel Brooks and Macaulay Culkin. Candy’s widow, Rosemary, and his children, Jennifer and Christopher, served as coexecutive producers and appear throughout, offering family perspectives and personal archives.

Hanks said the documentary aims to capture the warmth Candy brought to others. “He just really made you feel unique. He made you...