Candy navigates some very tricky comic waters; he has to play a character with a hugely overinflated opinion of himself, and yet still make him lovable, grounded, and funny. He succeeds because Harry Crumb is indeed a good person; despite his deficient detective skills, he is a genuine human being surrounded by selfish cretins. And it doesn't hurt that the film puts together some hilarious scenes and some fantastically quotable lines. I won't spoil the joke here, but see the film and wait for the "fish hooks" moment; Candy's reaction is absolutely golden.
The third film I would include in the big three is The Great Outdoors. Here again Candy teams up with John Hughes, who wrote the screenplay. Candy is the all-American dad who tries to take his family on a camping trip, but his plans are foiled when his obnoxious brother-in-law (Dan Aykroyd) arrives with his family in tow. Again, the premise itself sounds like a lame attempt to remake Vacation. Instead, it's a film with many genuinely hilarious moments, and it is truly anchored by John Candy as Chet Ripley.
This film has been a family favorite since we went to see it in the theater when I was seven. I wondered, watching it now, if it would really hold up. For the most part, it does. The romantic sub-plot between the young teenagers jars the film out of its rhythm, but other than that it's another great comedy with memorable scenes and hilarious quotes. It's especially revealing to watch the last few scenes, where the film turns serious for a moment. Aykroyd is hilarious, but he strains to bring his overblown character down to a realistic level. Not so with Candy. Granted, his character isn't as broad as Aykroyd's, but he retains the basic sense of truth in his character throughout the film.
One could arguably add Uncle Buck as the fourth "big" film in Candy's career. It's a very funny film, again with John Hughes at the helm, but it's rooted in a much more serious foundation; the comedy is mainly incidental to the issues of family and relationships that arise. There's also the lack of a strong supporting cast, with the possible exception of a young Macaulay Culkin.
Article comments
1 - Walter Raab
Great and fitting tribute. Please give Only the Lonely another chance. Candy, Ally Sheedy and Jim Belushi are great and the movie has a fantastic supporting cast. One of my favorites!
2 - Matthew T. Sussman
Moose outside should've told you.
3 - Al Barger
Second on the thumbs up for Only the Lonely. There was more heart and real personality than in most romantic comedies. Ally Sheedy and John Candy made a fine pair rather than the usual cookie cutter characters, and a much more thoughtful and memorable film than, say, Sleepless in Seattle.
4 - Aaron Whitehead
Thanks, guys. I will give Only the Lonely another try. Not only was I very young when I saw it, but I was probably expecting another Uncle Buck and was completely thrown by the different tone. I'll see if I can't find a copy sometime soon and add a comment with my reaction.
Matt -- I can't believe I forgot to mention Candy in Vacation. Candy, Chevy Chase and Eddie Bracken are just too much to handle in that last scene.
I also forgot the film Hot to Trot, a Bobcat Goldthwait vehicle with Candy as the voice of a talking horse. Surprisingly enough, it holds up pretty well today, mainly because of Candy and a HILARIOUS preformance by Dabney Coleman.
5 - Lisa McKay
Nice piece, Aaron, I'm a fan of Candy's work too and you've done a good job of capturing the essential sweetness at the core of his personality. You've made some good choices here (I'll confess to liking Uncle Buck more than most critics did, though), and your comments about Plains, Trains and Automobiles are spot on, it's a really enjoyable and heartfelt film.