An Underrated John Candy Movie Is Trending
John Candy's Uncle Buck is in the top ten most streamed movies on Paramount+.
The late actor and comedian John Candy was one of the most sought-after talents in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. Prior to his untimely death in 1994, he appeared in knee-slapping classics like Stripes, Spaceballs, and Nothing But Trouble. One film that he became particularly renowned for was the 1989 comedy Uncle Buck, which is now being introduced to a brand-new generation of viewers thanks to Paramount+.
According to Flix Patrol, a website that tracks all film and television titles climbing the charts on several streaming platforms around the world, Uncle Buck has kept a spot in the top 10 movies on Paramount+ for 12 consecutive days. Directed by John Hughes, best known for helming a string of coming-of-age teen comedy flicks during the ‘80s, the movie earned John Candy heaps of praise for his performance as the titular character. When it was released on August 18, 1989, it earned nearly $9 million in its opening weekend and finished its theatrical run with around $80 million globally.
In the film, John Candy stars as Buck Russell, a bachelor who has a reputation for being unreliable and a bit of a house wrecker. It is therefore with reluctance that his brother, Bob (Garrett M. Brown), and sister-in-law, Cindy (Elaine Bromka), agree to leave the all-around slob to look after their three children so they can visit the latter’s sick father. With a little bit of luck and a whole lot of love, Buck manages to surprise everyone in the heartwarming family comedy.
When it was released, Uncle Buck opened to mix reviews. Currently, the movie has a score of 62% from critics and 77% from everyday viewers. Although critics appreciated John Candy and his willingness to go all-in for his role, some of them denounced the overall film for being too formulaic.
Uncle Buck teamed John Candy with up-and-coming child star Macaulay Culkin, and the pair reunited one year later for Home Alone, which was a genuine sleeper success and is considered to be one of the greatest Christmas movies of all time. That movie also saw Candy working once again with John Hughes, who wrote the script and served as producer. The filmmaker reportedly offered Candy a slice of the movie’s profit for his cameo role as Gus, but he turned down the generous offer opting to appear in the holiday classic as a favor to Hughes, who was a frequent collaborator of Candy’s and a dear friend.
In addition to Uncle Buck and Home Alone, John Candy and John Hughes worked together on several other hits including Planes, Trains and Automobiles, National Lampoon’s Vacation, The Great Outdoors, Career Opportunities, and Only the Lonely. Of course, Home Alone is the pair’s highest-grossing collaboration and the most financially successful picture of Candy’s career. The holiday hit opened with $17 million in its debut weekend and went on to gross over $476 million globally.
Home Alone aside, Uncle Buck features one of the most memorable performances from John Candy. If you’ve never witnessed the now-famous interrogation scene involving the late comedian and Macaulay Culkin, you’re undoubtedly missing out. Fortunately, the film is now streaming on Paramount+, which means you should drop everything you’re doing and go watch it immediately.
