The documentary John Candy: I Like Me didn’t just premiere at TIFF—it stole the night. As the opening selection of the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival on September 4, 2025, the film immediately connected with audiences, then exploded into the top spot on Amazon Prime Video upon its streaming debut on October 10, 2025. But behind the laughter, tears, and Oscar buzz, there’s a quiet hero: Taylor Black, a colorist at Apache Post, whose meticulous grading gave the film its soulful, filmic glow. Using the Genesis plugin in DaVinci Resolve, Black didn’t just correct tones—he resurrected the warmth of 1980s home videos and faded TV broadcasts, making Candy’s world feel alive again.
The Look Behind the Laughter
Color grading isn’t just about making things brighter or darker. It’s emotional architecture. For John Candy: I Like Me, Black faced a challenge: how to honor a man whose comedy was loud, physical, and larger-than-life, while also revealing the quiet, anxious man beneath. He avoided the sterile clarity of modern digital footage. Instead, he leaned into grain, softened highlights, and subtly desaturated certain scenes to mirror the texture of VHS tapes and old film reels. The result? A visual language that feels like flipping through a family album—fuzzy, tender, and deeply personal.
It’s no accident the film holds an 88% rating on Rotten Tomatoes as of October 31, 2025—the same day what would have been Candy’s 75th birthday. Critics didn’t just praise the interviews or the archival footage. They noticed the *feeling* of the film. As The Los Angeles Film School noted in their October 2025 alumni spotlight, Black’s work on this project builds on his legacy: he graded McCartney 3,2,1 (2021), Get Him to the Greek (2010), and even the NASCAR doc Earnhardt (2025). Each project demanded a different emotional palette. Here, he chose nostalgia with purpose.
A Life in Full Frame
The documentary, directed by Colin Hanks and produced by Ryan Reynolds through Maximum Effort in partnership with Amazon MGM Studios, pulls no punches. Through home movies, interviews with Catherine O’Hara, Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, Steve Martin, and Martin Short, we see a man who made millions laugh—but often felt unseen. His struggles with fatphobia, anxiety, and the industry’s shallow expectations are laid bare, especially in a gut-wrenching moment when actor Don Lake breaks down recounting Candy’s final hours in Durango, Mexico.
The title, taken from Candy’s iconic line as Del Griffith in Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987), isn’t ironic. It’s a declaration. The film traces his journey from SCTV to Splash, Home Alone, and Uncle Buck, showing how his physicality masked a profound emotional intelligence. Even in broad comedies, Candy had a way of pausing—just a second too long—that made you feel like you were in the room with him.
A Tour Built on Memory
After TIFF, Reynolds didn’t just sit back and wait for streaming numbers. He hit the road. With co-production by Mills Entertainment and sponsorship from Clearly Canadian, Reynolds launched a nationwide tour featuring special screenings followed by intimate Q&As. The guests? Candy’s widow, Rose Candy, and his children, Chris Candy and Jennifer Candy. These weren’t promotional events—they were memorials with laughter woven through.
One attendee in Chicago described the screening as “like a family reunion where everyone showed up with tissues and popcorn.” The emotional resonance was so strong that theaters reported audiences staying past the credits, sharing stories of their own encounters with Candy’s work. “He made you feel like you were his best friend,” said one woman in Toronto. “Even if you’d never met him.”
Oscar Buzz and the Documentary Dilemma
Despite the 88% Rotten Tomatoes score and Prime Video dominance, industry insiders are divided on whether the film will land an Oscar nomination. The Academy has historically overlooked celebrity profiles—even those as richly told as this one. John Candy: I Like Me doesn’t fit the mold of political exposés or humanitarian crises that often win. But here’s the twist: it doesn’t need to. It’s not asking for pity. It’s asking for recognition—of a man who made people feel seen through humor.
As Collider wrote in September, “Candy’s charm wasn’t only in the laughs he delivered, but in the way he made those around him feel.” That’s the kind of truth the Oscars *could* recognize—if they’re willing to look beyond the usual suspects. With eligibility for the 98th Academy Awards opening in December 2025 and voting concluding in February 2026, the film’s momentum is undeniable. If it’s nominated, it won’t be because it’s a biography. It’ll be because it’s a love letter.
Why This Matters
John Candy died at 43, a time when many still saw his weight as a punchline. This film doesn’t just correct that. It reclaims him. Taylor Black’s color grading—subtle, intentional, deeply human—mirrors that mission. He didn’t make Candy look better. He made him look *real*. And in a world that still reduces people to caricatures, that’s revolutionary.
Frequently Asked Questions
How did Taylor Black’s color grading impact the documentary’s emotional tone?
Taylor Black used the Genesis plugin in DaVinci Resolve to emulate the warmth and grain of 1980s home video and film stock, softening modern digital footage to match the texture of archival material. This created a nostalgic, intimate visual language that mirrored John Candy’s tender, vulnerable side—helping audiences connect emotionally with his private struggles, not just his public persona. The result was widely praised by critics as key to the film’s 88% Rotten Tomatoes score.
What role did Ryan Reynolds play beyond producing the film?
Beyond producing through Maximum Effort, Reynolds personally led a nationwide tour of special screenings co-produced by Mills Entertainment and sponsored by Clearly Canadian. He hosted Q&As featuring Candy’s widow Rose and children Chris and Jennifer, turning screenings into communal tributes. His involvement brought mainstream attention to the film, helping it reach #1 on Prime Video and amplifying its cultural impact beyond typical documentary audiences.
Why is the film’s title significant?
The title comes from John Candy’s character Del Griffith in Planes, Trains and Automobiles, where he says, “I like me.” It’s a line that sounds boastful but is, in context, a quiet act of self-acceptance—a rare moment of vulnerability from a man who spent his career making others laugh. The documentary uses this line as a thematic anchor, suggesting Candy’s greatest performance wasn’t on screen, but in his relentless, joyful effort to believe in himself despite the world’s judgment.
Did the documentary address Candy’s health struggles?
Yes. The film openly explores Candy’s battles with anxiety disorder and the pervasive fatphobia he faced in Hollywood, from casting decisions to media portrayals. Interviews with colleagues like Catherine O’Hara and Martin Short reveal how his weight became a barrier to serious roles, even as he delivered some of the most heartfelt performances of his era. The documentary doesn’t sensationalize—it contextualizes, showing how his humor was both armor and survival.
Is there a chance this documentary could win an Oscar?
While the Academy has historically favored hard-hitting documentaries over celebrity profiles, John Candy: I Like Me stands out for its emotional depth and technical artistry. With an 88% Rotten Tomatoes score and widespread critical acclaim, it’s a contender for Best Documentary Feature at the 98th Academy Awards in March 2026. Industry observers note that its success lies not in scandal or activism, but in humanity—something the Oscars may finally be ready to reward.
Where can I watch the documentary now?
The documentary is available exclusively on Amazon Prime Video, where it debuted on October 10, 2025, and immediately reached the #1 spot on the platform’s movie charts. It remains available globally in all regions where Prime Video operates, with no plans for theatrical re-releases as of late October 2025.
