John Candy: I Like Me is a 2025 documentary directed by Colin Hanks and produced by Ryan Reynolds that explores the life and legacy of one of Canada’s most cherished comedians. The film delves deep into Candy’s journey from his comedic brilliance to the quiet struggles that shadowed his life behind the laughter. It premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 4, 2025, and became available for streaming globally on Prime Video on October 10, 2025, receiving wide acclaim for its tenderness and honesty.
At the heart of the film lies John Candy’s unresolved childhood trauma. When he was just five years old, Candy lost his father to a sudden heart attack at the age of 35. This event, though seldom discussed within the family, left a permanent mark on his psyche. The documentary reveals how the loss instilled in Candy an almost constant fear of dying young — a fear that shaped his outlook on life, relationships, and career. Those who knew him best recall that beneath the humor and warmth, Candy carried an undercurrent of anxiety and low self-esteem, driven by an urge to make everyone around him happy. His endless kindness and humility, while genuine, also became coping mechanisms to deal with that deep-seated insecurity.
The 1-hour-52-minute film peels back layers of Candy’s persona, showing that the same traits that made audiences love him — his sweetness, sincerity, and unassuming charm — were part of how he navigated pain. Director Colin Hanks, in a conversation with The Hollywood Reporter, said that he initially had reservations about taking on the project. He remembered John Candy vividly from his childhood, when they met on the set of Splash (1984), which starred Colin’s father, Tom Hanks. Colin recalled that even as a child, Candy had made him feel valued and seen — something few adults did. That memory of warmth stayed with him, but it also made him wonder how to tell a story that went beyond nostalgia.
The project began after Ryan Reynolds approached Hanks with the idea of making a documentary on Candy’s life. While intrigued, Hanks hesitated until he uncovered two central threads that could give the story depth: the trauma of losing his father and Candy’s lifelong battle with anxiety. Those discoveries became the foundation of the film. In interviews with Candy’s son, Christopher Candy, Hanks learned that the comedian had only just started therapy to deal with panic attacks and emotional struggles before his untimely death at the same age as his father — 35.
This tragic parallel became one of the film’s most moving elements. It paints Candy not just as a gifted comedian but as a man trying to heal while bringing joy to millions. His fear of “living on borrowed time,” as he once described it, became both his motivation and his burden. Through archival footage, family interviews, and rare behind-the-scenes clips, John Candy: I Like Me captures a portrait of a man whose laughter was a gift to the world — but whose heart carried more weight than most ever knew.