It’s clear from all the work that went into the new documentary, John Candy: I Like Me, currently available with a Prime Video subscription, that the iconic comedian was a major influence on producer Ryan Reynolds. He and director Colin Hanks have received a great deal of praise for the film, which has revealed a lot of interesting information about the late actor. However, there’s something else Ryan Reynolds recently received that may mean even more. A business card.
Reynolds took to Instagram to reveal that during a recent Q&A appearance to promote the movie, he met James Hughes, the son of director John Hughes. Hughes wrote three of John Candy’s best movies, including The Great Outdoors, Uncle Buck, and the great Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. Reynolds revealed a gift he was handed from the latter film, one of he last original business cards of Candy’s character, Del Griffith. Check It Out.
Every movie needs the right props, and some of them become iconic. John Candy’s character, a salesman who specializes in shower curtain rings, would certainly need business cards, so some were made for the film. However many were actually created for the film, there can’t be that many still in existence, but Ryan Reynolds has one, which has to be cool for the guy who is such a big fan that he put John Candy references in the Deadpool movies.
While there were likely more than a few business cards made for the film, with the movie being nearly 40 years old it’s unlikely that most of them are still around. A lot of people who are fans likely also have some. Even if there was a full box of them to start, one imagines James Hughes can’t have that many left.
Considering that, being a business card, the prop has to be fairly fragile, I have to imagine Ryan Reynolds is going to find a place of honor for this card where it will also remain protected. Reynolds has some young kids who will not understand the value of this for years, and as somebody with small children of own, I can only imagine the damage that could be done to this piece of film history. Maybe don’t even keep it at home, Ryan.
While John Candy played some great characters in his career, his role in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles has to be his most famous. It’s the film where Candy has the iconic line that became the subtitle for the documentary film. It will likely be watched by a lot of people next month, as its Thanksgiving setting makes it a seasonal watch for many. For the record, the movie will be available with a Paramount+ subscription starting November 1.