John Candy is being remembered in the most spectacular way in his hometown of Toronto with the TIFF premiere of Colin Hanks's documentary, I Like Me

Dear Gossips,

What is your favourite John Candy movie? For me, like probably most people, it’s Planes, Trains and Automobiles. I can’t get through the final scene without sobbing. John’s subtle expression changes at the end… it’s too much, it’s too good, he was SO good.

It was in Planes, Trains and Automobiles where John Candy delivers the line “I like me” and that also happens to be in the title of the documentary John Candy: I Like Me, directed by Colin Hanks, streaming on Prime Video starting October 10, with appearances from his PT&A co-star Steve Martin, plus Bill Murray, Conan O’Brien, Catherine O’Hara, Eugene Levy, Tom Hanks, Macaulay Culkin, and so many more.

How fitting that a film about “Johnny Toronto” would kick off the 50th anniversary of the Toronto International Film Festival. A trailer was released yesterday just in time for the premiere and if you know John Candy’s work, if you love his movies, from PT&A to Uncle Buck to Splash and more, you’ll probably be crying by the end of this.

“I like me” is especially gut-wrenching knowing that John struggled with anxiety and self-doubt even as his performances gave people so much lasting joy and warmth. He was only 43 years old when he died. And now, all these years later, here he is being remembered in the most spectacular way in his hometown for the enduring delight that is his legacy.

John’s wife, Rosemary, and their two children, Chris and Jennifer, were at the TIFF50 opening gala last night with Colin Hanks and Ryan Reynolds, who produced the film. Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney was also there and spoke at the premiere.

Sarah is screening John Candy: I Like Me today and we’ll have a review of the film published soon. For now, this is Ryan’s tribute to John from in 2019, which tells you that he did not join this project late, his reverence for John Candy goes back a long time.