The late John Candy remains one of the most beloved comedians ever to grace the stage or the big screen. With that, it’s no surprise that a documentary now celebrates his life and career. John Candy: I Like Me is directed by Colin Hanks and co-produced by Ryan Reynolds, and the Deadpool actor has thoughts on which of the Uncle Buck star’s performances would snag an Oscar nomination today. I personally 100% agree with the choice, because it’s one of Candy’s best movies and my personal favorite of all time.
At a Toronto International Film Festival press conference for John Candy: I Like Me, ahead of its 2025 movie schedule premiere, Reynolds made his pick. As captured in a video provided to CinemaBlend, Reynolds chose a certain 1987 two-hander co-starring Candy and Steve Martin:
John had a way about him that really brought people together and still does to this day. I look at Planes, Trains and Automobiles and that performance of Del Griffith. I believe that that would be nominated for an Academy Award if that were to come out in this moment today, in this age.
Honestly, I could not have said it better myself. If you’ve revisited Planes, Trains and Automobiles lately, you know precisely why Reynolds planted the flag on Del Griffith.
Candy does the impossible of threading the needle between broad holiday movie chaos and gentle heartbreak. In the process, the actor turns a road trip film about everything going hilariously wrong into a vulnerable character piece with a fully dimensional human being at its center. It’s the kind of warm, vulnerable, quietly devastating work that plays even bigger now, in an era where voters have been increasingly open to performances that straddle comedy and drama.
(Also, show me another monologue that breaks you the way “I like me” does.) I choke up just thinking of it.
Part of the charm of Planes, Trains, and Automobiles comes from John Hughes’ hilarious writing, and a top-notch movie set in the Midwest. However, I’m not sure any other actor could possibly bring as much pathos to the part like the Canadian-born funny man did.
Reynolds’ comments came as John Candy: I Like Me opened TIFF, with director Colin Hanks, who promises the flick will hit you in the feels. Hanks’ doc assembles a portrait of the beloved Canadian that blends career highs with candid reflections from friends and family. The doc features voices like Steve Martin, Tom Hanks, Bill Murray and Catherine O’Hara, and it digs into the pride and vulnerability that made Candy so singular. It’s a big-hearted tribute—and debuting it in Canada feels like the only move.
Ryan Reynolds, for his part, has been a hands-on steward of Candy’s legacy throughout the rollout. He’s spoken about recognizing the anxiety behind Candy’s people-pleasing instincts and even revealed to People that he notices his own behavior and struggles in the late star. He told the outlet:
So mental health, the only way to kind of push back at it is to talk about it — is to sort of take the stage or take the space and own it and hold it and go, ‘Hey, I’m having a tough time and I need help’… And that’s tough for a people-pleaser to do. It’s really, really hard, actually. So I feel for that guy struggling through that for so long at a period where it was just starting to be acceptable to talk about it a little bit more.
The Buried actor didn’t stop at Oscar chatter but also linked Candy’s magic to the vulnerability underneath Del Griffith, and to the man himself. That empathy set up a larger point about how hard it was, especially then, to speak openly about mental health.
Would Del Griffith actually land a nomination today? Ryan Reynolds surely makes a strong case in my opinion. Whether you slot it as lead or supporting, Candy’s work in Planes, Trains and Automobiles has the hallmarks of a modern contender. It’s the rare comedy performance that makes you laugh harder the more you understand the character, and makes you understand him more each time you laugh. If that’s not Oscar DNA, I don’t know what is.
John Candy: I Like Me has had its premiere at TIFF and is set to stream for anyone with a Prime Video subscription beginning on October 10. Also, be sure to rent or buy Planes, Trains and Automobiles, as it remains an excellent film.