I'm going to admit something potentially, comedically sacrilegious: outside of Home Alone, I've never watched a John Candy film. I know. The Canadian gent—who died 30 years ago this March, at the age of 43—is a comedic legend with downright classics on his filmography, from Planes, Trains and Automobiles to Spaceballs to Cool Runnings. And tonight, I'm going to settle in for a double feature of two of the comedy greats' most beloved films: The Great Outdoors and Uncle Buck.
The latter film, which stars Candy as a bachelor tasked with babysitting his brother's rebellious teenage daughter (played by Jean Louisa Kelly) and her younger siblings (Gaby Hoffmann and Macaulay Culkin) while the parents are away, is actually celebrating its 35th anniversary today, August 16, so it's the perfect time to introduce yourself—or revisit—the much-loved, John Hughes-directed dramedy. Joining Candy and the young actors are fellow castmates Amy Madigan, Elaine Bromka, Garrett M. Brown and Laurie Metcalf. (You can also spot a cameo from a very young, future Veep star Anna Chlumsky.)
As for The Great Outdoors, that funny 1988 flick by Howard Deutch (with Hughes on as writer and producer) pairs Candy with another Canadian icon, Dan Aykroyd, as the feuding patriarchs of two families spending a vacation at a resort town in northern Wisconsin. The cast also includes Annette Bening, Stephanie Faracy, Chris Young, Lucy Deakins and Robert Prosky.
