My Top 11 John Candy Performances

I recently received an invitation to join a John Candy fan club on facebook & thus far I'm amazed at how beloved & missed the man is 26 years post his death. I know why I loved the man & why I tear up each time I think about the fact that he's no longer with us.  It's clear to me seeing the many members of the group that my feelings are shared. 

A lot of the discussion is centered around favorite performances of Candy .  It made me think what are my favorite performances of his & why are they my favorite.  I narrowed it down to my top eleven which was hard enough.  Then trying to put those eleven in some sort of numerical order was even harder.  What I do know is that in every performance Candy gave (at least all that I've seen) there was something genuine & sincere.  Something raw & something honest.  John had a thing called talent, but I think it was his authenticity that made him so special. 

Keep in mind these are my favorite Candy performances. Your's maybe different or maybe your's maybe the same.  Maybe you'd put them in a different order.  Maybe you love them for the same reasons I do, or maybe you love them for completely different reasons than I do.  Among our comparisons and our contrasts one variable always remains fixed.  We loved John Candy & we all wish he was still with us.

#11 - Freddie Bauer in SPLASH

I put Freddie Bauer as my #11 because as well as Candy played the part I think it was a challenge to play misogynistic yet good hearted guy.  In the film I really appreciated how complex the character was & despite his own inhibitions with commitment, he is the one that talks his brother Allen (Tom Hanks) into looking past Madison's flaws & realizing how happy she made him.  The part where he puts himself in danger, allowing himself to be arrested so that his brother can rescue his girl is the type of sacrifice you'd expect from a Candy character.  I've always wondered how Freddie would feel when he comes to the realization that he'll never see Allen again.  I can't help but feel that while he'd miss his brother dearly, that he'd be happy knowing his brother found love.

#10 - Russ Lasky in NATIONAL LAMPOON'S VACATION 

John Candy enjoyed making others laugh like the sun enjoys burning.  His performance as Russ Lasky the Barney Fife security officer at Wally World is one of his most fun.  Goofy, awkward & the way he talks has me in tears every time I watch the film.  When he gets into the argument with Clark (Chevy Chase) over whether the gun is real or simply a bb gun I about lose it.  Then when Clark shoots him in the butt, I do.  The part that always makes me smile the most is when Mr. Wally (the late Eddie Bracken) himself shows up & Lasky realizing that the Griswolds meant no harm, they just wanted to have a good time, goes to bat for them. 

"Well he kidnapped me, but I wanna tell you I had a great time on your rides. It's the most fantastic time I ever had in my life."

To see the best in people & to look into their true intentions is something that I believe a lot of Candy characters had in common.

#9 - Harry Crumb in WHO'S HARRY CRUMB? 

John had a natural ability to be able to relate to young people & get the most out of them within a scene. His chemistry with Macaulay Culkin & Gabby Hoffman in UNCLE BUCK is often referenced but I feel his chemistry with Shawnee Smith in this performance is often overlooked.  The character of Harry Crumb not only helped to show Candy's skill in doing a variety of characters but it also showcased his ability to give on screen.  He knew when it was his turn to be spotlighted & when it was time to step back & let others have their moment. 

#8 Irv Blitzer in COOL RUNNINGS 

Most of us have made mistakes in our lives that we hope through advice & encouragement we can help our youth avoid because we care about them. Irv Blitzer becomes the coach of the Jamaican bobsled team & before long it is clear that he cares about his athletes as much off the course as he does on the course.  Many of us have had such mentors or maybe we've been them.  Whether it be in sports or other activities, a coach, a teacher, a director, someone has been there for us, helping us along our journey.  We've all known an Irv Blitzer. 

I love the scene where Blitzer speaks with Derice & explains to him why he cheated.  That he made his whole life winning & how having that attitude can make you overlook things in life that are more important.  The best line in the entire film is, "Derice a gold medal is a wonderful thing, but if you're not enough without it, you'll never be enough with it."   Irv Blitzer wanted his team to succeed. He wanted them to win, but he reminded them that who they are will always outshine what they are.  Another trait I think all Candy characters had in common.

#7 Danny Muldoon in ONLY THE LONELY 

What I'm about to say may offend some but in order to make the point I want to make, I have to say it. John Candy was not an attractive man. He was severely overweight & was far from the handsome & sexy Brad Pitt type that Hollywood deems "good looking."  I think many others with similar physical features wouldn't have been able to pull this role off.  Theresa (Ally Sheedy) is a beautiful woman.  In many regards it's not realistic that a woman of her magnitude would go for a guy like Muldoon.  Yet Candy played the character with such elegance and with such charm that it's totally conceivable.  Not only does Theresa look past what he lacks physically, but so do we as an audience.  Candy's personality is so inviting & warm, that even the most shallow of women, those who often demand washboard abs find themselves in love with him.

#6 Gus Polinski - HOME ALONE 

We either know one or we wish we knew one.  The guy who is always looking out for others & makes it his mission to help out those in need whenever he can.  Candy often played these characters & I think much like Robin Williams was, the real life persona came through within them.  I can't help but imagine that Candy was a lot like Polinski.  The guy of guy that often went out of his way to help someone, even a total stranger.  With all of the ugliness in the world.  All of the swindlers & snakes that we deal with on a daily basis, we restore our faith in humanity because we know people like Gus Polinski exist. 

#5 - Wilbur in THE RESCUERS DOWN UNDER

I feel this is Candy's most underrated role that he ever played. The character of Wilbur is obnoxious yet lovable. Braggadocios yet caring.  Excitable & fun.  He's dead set against taking Bernard (Bob Newhart) & Miss Bianca (Eva Gabor) to Australia because of the weather, yet once he finds out it is to rescue a boy he's Hell bent on getting them there.  That's the John Candy we all know & love. The one that is overly protective of children & will do anything for those he cares about.

#4 - Jack Chester in SUMMER RENTAL 

You plan out the perfect vacation & suddenly you find yourself the example of Murphy's Law. Everything that can go wrong, goes wrong.  We've all been there.  We've all endured the Hell.  We've all been in Jack Chester's shoes.  You want nothing more than to show your family a good time & get a little time to relax & you get anything & every thing but.   Yet despite all of the bullshit that Jack has to go through, he finds himself still making the most out of it.  Realizing that he still has his family & that his wife & his kids still love him & that he loves them.  At the end of the day, I think sometimes we all get wrapped up in the rat race of life & like Jack we need to remind ourselves of the beauties we have. 

#3 Chet Ripley in THE GREAT OUTDOORS 

I love this character for so many reasons.  How he can't stand his brother-in-law Roman (Dan Ackroyd) & at times wants to kill him but in the end puts aside all bygones to help him out. I have to say Chet Ripley is a better man than me. I have family members that I can stand just about as well as he could Roman & I don't know if I'd let them come live with me if the chips were down. 

I laugh so many times throughout this film that I burn about as many calories as I do when I'm jogging.  The scene where Chet & Roman kill the bat. The scene where Roman drags Chet across the lake.  "Roman you Bastard!!"  "What's he saying?"  "He's saying go faster!"  It has me going as if its the first time I've ever seen it every time I watch it.  Then of course the scene with the bear attack.  I cry from laughing so hard every time I watch this movie.  A scene others may not find funny that I do, is when he & Buck are out on the boat & Buck says to him, "You're not gonna kiss me in the boat are you?"

I've seen this film about 100 times in my life. I never get sick of it.

#2 Del Griffith - PLANES, TRAINS & AUTOMOBILES 

Candy spent so much time making us laugh that I think sometimes we could forget just how genuinely good of an actor he really was.  Yes, he was second to no one when it came to making us smile, but he could make us feel too.  The character of Del Griffith was lonely & sad.  He longed for meaning and purpose. He yearned to belong, to know that he had worth. Because of Candy's outstanding performance, we felt those feelings right along with him. When he hurt, we hurt.  What he felt, we felt. 

The scene everyone remembers most is the "I like me" scene where he defends himself to Neal.  It is a powerful scene that deserves all of the praise & recognition that it receives.  Del Griffith is indeed "the real article" & "what you see is what you get" is indeed what we see & what we get.  We love Griffith for it because despite his many flaws, what makes us admire & respect him so is his ability to own them. 

For me the more powerful scene is where Candy is sitting out in the cold analyzing himself & coming to terms with the fact that his personality can be off putting. 

"Well Marie, once again my dear, you where as right as rain. I am, with out a doubt, the biggest pain in the butt that ever came down the pike. I meet someone who's company I really enjoy, and what do I do? I go overboard. I smother the poor soul. I cause him more trouble than he has a right to. God, I got a big mouth. When am I ever gonna wake up? I wish you were here with me right now. But... I guess that's not gonna happen. Not now, anyway."  

I love that monologue.  I just adore it because I think we can all relate to it.  We all have things about ourselves that we don't like & we wish were different.  It takes a great deal of fortitude to be able to look at yourself in the mirror & admit that. Another admirable trait that Candy characters share.

#1 - Buck Russell in UNCLE BUCK 

I love this character so much.  Not only is Buck Russell my favorite of all Candy performances, Buck Russell is one of my favorite characters in all films.  For me personally it's because I resonate with the character on so many levels.  The scene where he's looking through the photo albums & finds the picture folded back to hide that he was a part of the wedding.  The sick, gut punching feeling he gets knowing that his family is ashamed of him & see him as a disappointment.  A feeling I know all too well.  The scene where he speaks with the dog & says that they used to tell him he had it made & now they don't say that anymore.  I guess not all of us are black sheep, but to those of us who are, Buck is our hero.

He lives in a dump, he drives a shit car, he wears outdated clothes & from a materialistic point of view he has little to nothing to offer.  Yet we're able to look past all of that because the gold that he does possess is in his heart.  He cares a great deal for his nieces & his nephew & that resonates throughout every scene in the entire film. 

There are many scenes that I love.  One of which is of course the showdown he has with Vice Principal Anita Hoargarth.  While many remember the classic line of "Here's a quarter. Go downtown & have a rat gnaw that thing off your face" I think what he says right before that is the real kicker.

" I don't think I want to know a six-year-old who isn't a dreamer, or a sillyheart. And I sure don't want to know one who takes their student career seriously. I don't have a college degree. I don't even have a job. But I know a good kid when I see one. Because they're ALL good kids, until dried-out, brain-dead skags like you drag them down and convince them they're no good. You so much as scowl at my niece, or any other kid in this school, and I hear about it, and I'm coming looking for you!" 
Again Candy's love & protection over children. He won't ever allow them to be in danger. 

You know some of us believe in an afterlife.  Some of us don't.  I find myself uncomfortable in certainty & better suited for the realms of possibility.  If there is an afterlife, I can see Candy or perhaps at least some of the characters he's played (if they too live life after they are gone) being their guardian and protector. 

My very favorite scene in the whole film is when he finds Tia ( Jean Louisa Kelly) after Bug (Jay Underwood) has just dumped her because she refused to put out for him.  He lets her know that he's not there to judge her or to make her feel bad, but just to be there for her because he loves her.  Furthermore he knows that he has no place to judge her because he's made his own mistakes in life.  That he's not looking for anything more that to have a relationship with her again.  He doesn't tell her parents about all that's going on cause he knows he doesn't need to.  He creates a bond with her.  One that shows her, that despite his many flaws & the fact that her parents think he's a loser, he's one of the biggest champions of her life.  That if anything does, means something.

I cry every time I watch the ending of UNCLE BUCK.  When he waves goodbye to Tia and the screen freezes it's almost as if he's saying good-bye to all of us.   

My goal since I was about twelve years old has always been to write films.  If I could be anything in this life, it would be to be a screenplay writer.  If in this life I ever do get my opportunity & life grants me my wish, I can only hope that as did John Hughes, I am fortunate enough to find my John Candy. 

He's one of the all time best & one of my all time favorites.  May generations long after I'm gone, continue to discover & love his work.