Originally by Ranker FilmList RulesVote for your favorite John Candy movies, regardless of critic reviews or how big the role was.
When you're watching the best John Candy movies, you can't help but love the big guy. Though he died more than 20 years ago in 1994, his roles and characters are still remembered to this day. For example, Planes, Trains and Automobiles just wouldn't be the same without him. But narrowing down the best John Candy movies into a list is tough, mainly because he hit it out of the ballpark in many of his roles. But fans such as yourself have taken on the task of voting on their favorite John Candy movies below.
Candy honed his comedy skills at Second City before starring in such films as The Great Outdoors and Uncle Buck, and his highest grossing movies have received plenty of accolades over the years, earning millions upon millions around the world. But the greatest John Candy performances didn't necessarily come from the best movies, as he was also a great in Camp Candy, which aired from 1989 to 1992.
If you've ever wondered what are the best John Candy movies are or what the greatest John Candy roles of all time are, this list provides a great crowd-sourced answer. Some people are more interested in comedies starring a young John Candy, while others want to know about the films he made in the final years of his life. If you think the funniest John Candy role isn't at the top, then vote it up so it has the chance to become number one.
You might also enjoy our list of best Steve Martin movies and best Dan Aykroyd movies. After all, they often costarred in the best John Candy movies.
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1
1,114112Uncle Buck
Macaulay Culkin, John CandyReleased: 1989
Directed by: John Hughes
Character: Buck Russell
Uncle Buck is a 1989 American comedy film directed by John Hughes and starring John Candy and Amy Madigan, with Jean Louisa Kelly, Gaby Hoffmann, Macaulay Culkin, Jay Underwood, and Laurie Metcalf in... more
2
1,032137Planes, Trains and Automobiles
Steve Martin, Kevin BaconReleased: 1987
Directed by: John Hughes
Character: Del Griffith
Planes, Trains and Automobiles is a 1987 American comedy film written, produced and directed by John Hughes. The film stars Steve Martin as Neal Page, a high-strung marketing executive, who meets Del... more- 390499
The Great Outdoors
Annette Bening, Dan AykroydReleased: 1988
Directed by: Howard Deutch
Character: Chester "Chet" Ripley
The Great Outdoors is a 1988 American comedy film starring Dan Aykroyd and John Candy. Annette Bening and Stephanie Faracy co-star. Robert Prosky, Lucy Deakins and Lewis Arquette have supporting... more - 4583104
Stripes
Bill Murray, John CandyReleased: 1981
Directed by: Ivan Reitman
Character: Dewey "Ox" Oxberger
Stripes is a 1981 American comedy film directed by Ivan Reitman, starring Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, Warren Oates, P. J. Soles, and John Candy. It also featured several actors in their first... more - 556691
Summer Rental
John Candy, Joey LawrenceReleased: 1985
Directed by: Carl Reiner
Character: Jack Chester
Summer Rental is a 1985 comedy film, directed by Carl Reiner and starring John Candy. The film's screenplay was written by Mark Reisman and Jeremy Stevens. An original music score was composed for... more - 6557119
Cool Runnings
John Candy, Malik YobaReleased: 1993
Directed by: Jon Turteltaub
Character: Irving "Irv" Blitzer
Cool Runnings is a 1993 American sports film directed by Jon Turteltaub, and starring Leon, Doug E. Doug, Rawle D. Lewis, Malik Yoba and John Candy. The film was released in the United States on... more - 7537113
Spaceballs
Joan Rivers, John HurtReleased: 1987
Directed by: Mel Brooks
Character: Barf
Spaceballs is a 1987 American parody film co-written and directed by Mel Brooks and starring Brooks, Bill Pullman, John Candy and Rick Moranis. It also features Daphne Zuniga, Dick Van Patten, and... more - 844780
The Blues Brothers
Carrie Fisher, Aretha FranklinReleased: 1980
Directed by: John Landis
Character: Parole Officer Burton Mercer
The Blues Brothers is a 1980 American musical comedy film directed by John Landis and starring John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd as "Joliet" Jake and Elwood Blues, characters developed from "The Blues... more - 9457119
Vacation
Chevy Chase, Christie BrinkleyReleased: 1983
Directed by: Harold Ramis
Character: Russ Lasky
National Lampoon's Vacation, sometimes referred to as Vacation, is a 1983 Technicolor comedy film directed by Harold Ramis and starring Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Randy Quaid, Dana Barron, and... more - 1034172
Brewster's Millions
Richard Pryor, John CandyReleased: 1985
Directed by: Walter Hill
Character: Spike Nolan
Brewster's Millions is a 1985 comedy film starring Richard Pryor and John Candy based on the 1902 novel of the same name by George Barr McCutcheon. It is the seventh film based on the story, with a... more - 1132174
Splash
Tom Hanks, John CandyReleased: 1984
Directed by: Ron Howard
Character: Freddie Bauer
Splash is a 1984 American fantasy romantic comedy film directed by Ron Howard, written by Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel, and starring Tom Hanks, Daryl Hannah, John Candy, Eugene Levy, and Dody... more - 1237091
Who's Harry Crumb?
John Candy, Jeffrey JonesReleased: 1989
Directed by: Paul Flaherty
Character: Harry Crumb
Who's Harry Crumb? is a comedy-mystery film featuring John Candy as the title character. Paul Flaherty directed the film, which co-stars Annie Potts, Jeffrey Jones and Shawnee Smith. An uncredited... more - 13464145
Home Alone
Macaulay Culkin, Joe PesciReleased: 1990
Directed by: Chris Columbus
Character: Gus Polinski - Polka King of the Midwest
Home Alone is a 1990 American Christmas family comedy film written and produced by John Hughes and directed by Chris Columbus. The film stars Macaulay Culkin as Kevin McCallister, a boy who is... more - 1428977
Armed and Dangerous
Meg Ryan, John CandyReleased: 1986
Directed by: Mark L. Lester
Character: Frank Dooley
Armed and Dangerous is a 1986 American action-crime comedy film starring John Candy, Eugene Levy, Robert Loggia and Meg Ryan. It was directed by Mark L. Lester and filmed on location in and around... more - 1516864
JFK
Kevin Costner, Gary OldmanReleased: 1991
Directed by: Oliver Stone
Character: Dean Andrews Jr.
JFK is a 1991 American historical legal-conspiracy thriller film directed by Oliver Stone. It examines the events leading to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and subsequent cover-up... more - 1627881
Only the Lonely
Macaulay Culkin, John CandyReleased: 1991
Directed by: Chris Columbus
Character: Danny Muldoon
Only the Lonely is a 1991 American romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Chris Columbus and starring John Candy, Maureen O'Hara, Ally Sheedy and Anthony Quinn. The plot is similar to the... more - 1719859
Delirious
John Candy, Robert WagnerReleased: 1991
Directed by: Tom Mankiewicz
Character: Jack Gable
Delirious is a 1991 fantasy comedy film starring John Candy, Mariel Hemingway, Emma Samms and Raymond Burr with a title theme by Prince. It was a commercial failure after its release. Despite this,... more - 1819686
Nothing but Trouble
Chevy Chase, Dan AykroydReleased: 1991
Directed by: Dan Aykroyd
Character: Deputy Dennis / Eldona
Nothing but Trouble is a 1991 American horror comedy film directed by Dan Aykroyd. A businessman (Chevy Chase) and his friends are captured by a sadistic judge (Dan Aykroyd) and his equally odd... more - 1918879
Canadian Bacon
Dan Aykroyd, John CandyReleased: 1995
Directed by: Michael Moore
Character: Sheriff Bud Boomer
Canadian Bacon is a 1995 comedy film which satirizes Canada–United States relations along the Canada–United States border written, directed, and produced by Michael Moore. It was screened in the Un... more - 2016574
Volunteers
Tom Hanks, John CandyReleased: 1985
Directed by: Nicholas Meyer
Character: Tom Tuttle
Volunteers is a 1985 American comedy film directed by Nicholas Meyer and starring Tom Hanks and John Candy in their second film together after Splash.... more - 2114862
Rookie of the Year
Gary Busey, John CandyReleased: 1993
Directed by: Daniel Stern
Character: Cliff Murdoch (announcer)
Rookie of the Year is a 1993 American sports comedy film starring Thomas Ian Nicholas and Gary Busey as players for the Chicago Cubs baseball team. The cast also includes Albert Hall, Dan Hedaya,... more - 2217488
Little Shop of Horrors
Bill Murray, Steve MartinReleased: 1986
Directed by: Frank Oz
Character: Wink Wil
Little Shop of Horrors is a 1986 American rock musical horror comedy film directed by Frank Oz. It is a film adaptation of the off-Broadway musical comedy of the same name by composer Alan Menken and... more - 2313865
1941
Mickey Rourke, Christopher LeeReleased: 1979
Directed by: Steven Spielberg
Character: Pvt. Foley
1941 is a 1979 period comedy film directed by Steven Spielberg, written by Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale, and featuring an ensemble cast including Dan Aykroyd, Ned Beatty, John Belushi, John Candy,... more - 2411638
Hostage for a Day
John CandyReleased: 1994
Directed by: John Candy
Character: Yuri Petrovich
Hostage for a Day is a 1994 comedic film starring and directed by Canadian comedian and actor John Candy. Though the film is billed as "starring" Candy, it in fact only features him as a minor... more - 2510138
Lost and Found
John Candy, Martin ShortReleased: 1979
Directed by: Melvin Frank
Character: Carpentier
Lost and Found is a 1979 film co-written and directed by Melvin Frank and starring George Segal and Glenda Jackson. Featuring much of the same cast and crew as Frank's 1973 film A Touch of Class,... more
