Top 5: John Candy Movies

5. Canadian Bacon
Still a John Candy film that sits under many people's radar. A fantastically dry satire based on America trying to make money by declaring war on Canada. Candy plays an American sheriff who takes things way to seriously and takes his own band of misfits across the border to invade. Its a rather more darker comedic role than what Candy usually deals in but as usual he pulls it off superbly.

4. Spaceballs
Ah Spaceballs. A spoof that works when it really shouldn't and right in the middle of everything is Candy as Barf the Mawg (half man, half dog). It's a role that should be way too ludicrous (see what I did there) for you to take seriously, even considering the madness that goes on in the film, but its a measure of the likeability of  the man that makes you root for him. Sure I see this through nostalgic eyes but I still think its a great comedy film.

3. Uncle Buck
Good old Uncle Buck. Soaked in John Hughes's nostalgia (I use this phrase alot, I know) its a fantastic story of the bad guy comes good. If you can even call Buck the bad guy, for me its the mother who's the evil one here. Anyway its a grandstand performance from the big man showing loyalty, protectiveness and some of the best dead-pan humour ever put on film. You know what a hatchet is, don't you, Bug?

2. The Great Outdoors
One of the quintessential Sunday afternoon comedy films. Candy plays Chet, your average joe (he should have a patent on that) up against snobbish Dan Ackroyd's Roman. I struggled to chose between this and Uncle Buck for position number two until I realised that I must have seen and quote The Great Outdoors a lot more than Buck. Subconsciously, for me, this is the better film.

1. Planes, Trains & Automobiles
It was always going to be number one wasn't it. I mean lets face it, you wont see a 'best of John Candy' list and not see Planes, Trains & Automobiles at the top spot. Candy has never been better as the loveable Del Griffith and bounces off Martin superbly. He eats up every scene he's in and convincingly switches between comedy and sentimentally in a heart beat. His speech to Martin in the Hotel room still remains one of my favourite of all time.


Special Mention .........

JFK
One of the few serious straight roles for the big man and you know what, he shows he got serious talent for not just comedy. He's only in the film for a few scenes but each time he turns up your amazed that its him, Candy doing seriousness, and doing it well? You better believe it. I truly believe that if he'd lived longer he would have taken more serious roles and really nailed them.

And The Worst ..........

Who's Harry Crumb?
It just doesn't work at all. When you cast John Candy as a smug, arrogant, albeit useless, private eye your onto a loser. I think I've seen this film twice and failed to laugh either time. When you have Candy starring in a comedy which doesn't raise any laughs at all then your film is doomed.