The Toronto International Film Festival is opening its 50th edition on Sept. 4 with a look back at one of the Great White North’s own: legendary SCTV comedic actor-turned-comedy superstar, John Candy in the Colin Hanks directed, Ryan Reynolds produced new documentary, John Candy: I Like Me.
That second part of the title, of course, is a nod to Candy’s famous line in John Hughes’ Planes, Trains and Automobiles, when his goofy character Del Griffith stands up to the cynical Neal Page and exclaims, “I like me.” One of Candy’s big breakout movies stateside was 1984’s Splash in which he co-starred with Hanks’ father, Tom Hanks.
The docu features candid stories and memories from Candy’s family, closest friends, and longtime collaborators, covering his on-and-off camera life. TIFF will run from Sept. 4-14.
“Comedy fans all over the world grew up on John Candy’s humor,” said Cameron Bailey, CEO of TIFF. “We love that John’s global career started in Toronto, and we can’t wait to share John Candy: I Like Me with everyone at this year’s Opening Night Gala premiere. Colin Hanks has made a hugely entertaining film packed with some of Hollywood’s biggest stars, but like John, this movie is all heart. For us, it’s the perfect way to kick off TIFF’s 50th edition.”
“When you hear the name John Candy, your face lights up. He wasn’t just a great actor; he was an even better person. People loved his everyman qualities, but they didn’t know how relatable John really was. He went through the same struggles we all do, except now we talk about them. We are incredibly honored to have gotten to know the man better through this process and to bring the real John Candy to audiences starting with his hometown of Toronto,” said Hanks and Reynolds in a statement.
John Candy: I Like Me, an Amazon MGM title, will debut on Prime Video this fall. Amazon MGM Studios also fired up SXSW with the Paul Feig directed movie, Another Simple Favor.
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