I Like Candy

The new documentary, I Like Me, chronicling the life and career of John Candy, is a loving testament to his legacy. JC emerged with a very talented Second City cast, each complementing the other. But JC stood out: he seemed larger than life, and he fully lived it, ending at the young age of 43.

Not everything he did was great. Such is the nature of comedy. But when he was on, he was the focus of attention. You see it in the tributes from his former cast mates, friends and family. It verges on the hagiographic, but that’s okay. Sometimes comic talents are decent people. JC certainly embodied this.

He entered that world almost accidentally, like Buster Keaton wandering onto a movie set and stealing the show. But he was a natural, and once he got going no one could stop him. John Candy was a sweet, loving force. Though he played horrible, narcissistic characters, his innate humanity came through. You felt those characters would find redemption.

This was especially true in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, perhaps his greatest performance. It’s rare that Steve Martin played the straight man, but he was the perfect foil for JC, who displayed a certain tenderness, someone who longed to be the life of the party yet desired emotional connection.

JC was often compared to John Belushi, but I don’t see the connection. Belushi had a harder edge, pushing the envelope, desiring to be a comedy outlaw. JC found softer areas to land, and he did.

Dave Thomas said that when Belushi died, JC told him that it was beginning. All the crazy, drug-fueled behavior was coming home to roost. That generation burned bright and fast, and several paid the ultimate price for it.

John Candy hung on longer than could be expected, but there’s only so much rope. He was a great performer and human being. Swing for the fences or don’t swing at all.