The legacy of John Candy blazes in the touching Prime Video documentary on John Candy ‘I Like Me’ with Bill Murray, Steve Martin and others. Premieres Oct 10, 2025.
What’s Making News
This documentary is called John Candy: I Like Me and it just debuted at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF)- the tribute to the beloved Canadian comedian could not be more appropriate. Under the guidance of Colin Hanks and the production of Ryan Reynolds, the movie tells the life story of Candy in the form of personal video footage, interviews, and emotional recollections of his loved ones and associates.
The documentary includes touching appearances of film icons like Bill Murray, Steve Martin, Catherine O Hara, Dan Aykroyd, Tom Hanks, Martin Short, and Mel Brooks. Bill Murray especially appeals to the heart- he weeps when he thinks about how kind and friendly Candy was.
Personal stories by children of John Candy, Jennifer and Chris Candy as well as his wife, Rosemary Margaret Hobor also describe the man behind the laughter.
The title of the documentary, I Like Me, is a reference to a very strong Planes, Trains and Automobiles quote. In addition to nostalgia, it means that Candy is a person who is human and has self-acceptance.
Heartbeat Reflections: Industry Honour.
Actor Macaulay Culkin, who played with Candy in Uncle Buck (1989) recalls how Candy was able to shine on the set, not only as a co-star, but as an adult who cares. Culkin remembers how Candy subconsciously saw trouble in his own life and quietly stood by, saying: He was one of the only people who cared when not many people cared.
Release Information
- Toronto international film festival world premiere, September 4, 2025.
- Streaming Release: will be available on Prime Video all over the world on October 10, 2025.
Highlights of the Doc and Doc participants.
- Production & Premiere
o Director: Colin Hanks
o Director: Ryan Reynolds (through Maximum Effort), Amazon MGM Studios and so on.
o Toronto International Film Festival September 4, 25.
- Streaming Details
o Will be released on Prime Video worldwide on October 10, 2025.
o JustWatch affirms: “On 10/10/25, coming to Amazon Prime Video.
- Participants Featured in the Film.
o Family: Rosemary Margaret Hobor (his wife), + their children Christopher and Jennifer Candy.
o Friends and Co-Starring: Bill Murray (cries in trailer), Steve Martin, Catherine O Hana, Dan Aykroyd, Tom Hanks, Martin Short, Mel Brooks, Eugene Levy and Macaulay Culkin.
o Other Producers: Johnny Pariseau, George Dewey, Shane Reid, Sean M. Stuart and Glen Zipper.
- Content & Tone
o A truly touching combination of previously unseen home video, archival recordings, personal photographs, and informal interviews that all help create a portrait of Candy as an everyman hero.
o The title is a reference to a Planes, Trains and Automobiles line that reminds us of the cordiality and non-judgmental nature of Johnny.
o Not only does it celebrate his own comedic legacy, but his own life, how he coped with loss, his life in the spotlight, and his own inner demons.
There are interesting lines in the trailer.
- Bill Murray (crying): John Candy was the one who could enter a room and make everyone feel much better. He carried so much love.”
- Steve Martin: He had this quality… he was not only funny. He was human. You saw the kindness first.”
- Dan Aykroyd: “He allowed us to laugh at ourselves but he never laughed at people cruelly.
- Macaulay Culkin (in retrospect, about Uncle Buck): He remembered how he came to see him at a time when he was not being observed by anyone. He cared. That meant the world.”
- John Candy (filmmaking clip): I like me. My wife likes me. My kids like me. And that’s what matters.”
Trailer Beats of the Heart.
- Opening Montage- Old film clips of Candy in Planes, Trains and Automobiles, Uncle Buck and SCTV, cut with home videos of him laughing with his kids.
- The Celebration of Comedy – Friends such as Steve Martin and Catherine O Hara reminisce about the improvisational genius of Candy and how he illuminated any set he was on.
- The Private Man – Wife Rosemary Hobor and children Jennifer and Chris remember how warm he was at home, but also learn how hard it was away.
- Emotional climax of the trailer with Bill Murray Tearful Tribute- We actually see Murray choke up and state that Candy had too big a heart to live in this world.
- Closing Line- The trailer finishes with Candy giving his famous Planes, Trains speech: I like me. This is the correlation of the title of the film, as well as the emotional base of the film.
Overall Feel
The trailer flows like a wave, happy, funny, nostalgic, then getting into the seriousness, revealing the price we pay because we want to be a larger-than-life comedian, then moving up again in honor of the man who helped us find the laugh, yet never forgot love and kindness.
Conclusion
John Candy: I Like Me is not a simple documentary: it is a love letter to one of the most popular people in the world of comedy. The movie is a touching tribute to the humour, humanity and the enduring legacy of Candy through the interviews, unprecedented footage and sensitive family recollections.
The documentary is a heartwarming tribute to a man whose warmness was far more than what was projected on the screen, as well as a heartwarming retrospection of his life alongside the contributions of his family (of which he was so unified): Bill Murray, Steve Martin, Catherine O’Hana, Dan Aykroyd, and others all commemorate his memory.
With its debut at TIFF and a worldwide release on Prime Video, it can finally offer people the opportunity to reconnect with John Candy, not only as a comedian, but as a caring and compassionate human being behind the jokes.
Also read- Wednesday Season 2 Finale