On the floor, sure, the concept of constructing a documentary on the lifetime of John Sweet looks as if a fairly nice concept — I imply, who doesn’t love John Sweet? — however as director Colin Hanks factors out, effectively, wait, not so quick.
Now, let’s shortly observe that Colin Hanks would know what he’s speaking about as a result of he, in reality, did make a documentary in regards to the lifetime of John Sweet. And the issue that offered itself was, sure, everybody does love John Sweet. As a lot as it is a man whose life ought to be celebrated, watching his family and friends discuss how nice he’s doesn’t essentially make a riveting narrative for a movie.
What Hanks deftly does together with his “John Sweet: I Like Me” is body his movie round Sweet’s nervousness about his personal mortality. John Sweet’s father died from a coronary heart assault when Sweet was solely 5, so he lived with the notion and mindset that he was probably dwelling on borrowed time — one thing that, sadly, got here to fruition in 1994. (It’s frankly stunning to suppose John Sweet has now been gone for over 30 years. Much more stunning, Sweet’s “Uncle Buck” costar Macaulay Culkin seems as a speaking head on this movie and reminds the viewer he’s now older than Sweet was when Sweet handed.)
Forward, Hanks takes us by means of the method of crafting a movie based mostly on a larger-than-life public determine who nonetheless means a lot to so many individuals. And why he nearly didn’t make the movie due to his personal private historical past with Sweet, who he had met on the set of his father Tom Hanks’ movie, “Splash.” It was a historical past that was so particular to Hanks that, possibly, it was greatest to only bear in mind him as he already did.
Clearly — and fortunately — Hanks determined in any other case, and his movie will open this yr’s Toronto Worldwide Movie Competition on Thursday night time.
The next interview has been edited and condensed for readability and size.
IndieWire: I had by no means seen “Yellowbelly.” It’s no less than tied with the toughest I’ve laughed watching a film this yr.
Colin Hanks: Proper? Conan O’Brien instructed me that story on the podcast, and I used to be like, “Oh, I’m going to should test that out.” After which it wasn’t till we spoke with him for the movie that we had been capable of observe the sketch down, and I laughed so exhausting. Conan says it, the truth that that’s such an Oppenheimer second for Conan, who’s somebody that I simply admire a lot. I’m so glad {that a} sketch from all the way in which again then that John was in is among the hardest instances you’ve laughed in a film this yr. That brings me a lot pleasure.
That is your third documentary. How lengthy have you ever needed to make this one particularly?
After your first one, you will have your listing of those that you just actually hope at some point that you just’re going to make, and then you definately discover out you don’t fairly have the foreign money but to make that one. The reality of the matter is everybody universally will say like, “insert particular person’s identify,” they usually’ll be like, “Oh, somebody ought to make a documentary about him.” And I all the time go, “OK, however what’s the movie? What’s the story that you just’re really actually attempting to inform? What’s it saying?” As a result of, in any other case, I don’t need to simply do a visible Wikipedia entry.
And also you deal with it with Invoice Murray in the beginning when he’s struggling to say something unfavorable about John Sweet.
Precisely. Finally, I received an e mail saying, “Hey, Ryan Reynolds desires to get in contact with you.” And so, he and I hopped on the telephone, and we began speaking. I already knew that Ryan was a large John Sweet fan, and he was similar to, “I feel there ought to be a documentary. I feel it is best to direct it.” And that was after I actually began to do the due diligence, and after I talked with Ryan, he had talked about that Chris and Jen Sweet had been concerned. So, I received in contact with them — and I’d identified them by means of social circles for fairly a while.
As soon as I found out that John handed from the very factor that his father had handed away from? I’m 47. My mother handed when she was 49. John’s dad handed at 35. And John handed at 43. I began actually taking a deep dive into my life in my late thirties, early forties. And actually sifting by means of, like, childhood trauma, as a result of everybody has it. That was the launching level for me.
It was actually a kind of silly, fundamental strategy, however whenever you consider obese actors who died younger, those you consider all died of drug overdoses. So, “Wait, John died of a coronary heart assault? His dad died of a coronary heart assault when he was 5?” It simply turned a lot extra private, simply because I’m coming to the age that my mother was when she handed away, and that basically places lots into focus. And so, to search out out, after a lot, way more digging, that John actually had that sense that he was dwelling on borrowed time, and that he wasn’t positive if he was going to reside previous 35.
That’s a extremely fascinating level. John Belushi and Chris Farley each died of drug overdoses at 33 and there’s this eternal legend about them. John Sweet doesn’t have that, regardless that he additionally died younger.
Properly, welcome to the artistic course of that I used to be going by means of. That was a part of the preliminary, “Properly, why is that? What’s that?” And one of many issues that I landed on was that John is so beloved by so many individuals, due to his everyman qualities. Everybody checked out him, and simply went, “That man. I like that man. I need to spend time with him.” And he had that very salt of the Earth, blue collar — you simply needed to be with him.
What was your first introduction to John Sweet as a child? And I do know the plain reply might be “Splash,” however I don’t need to assume.
Properly, technically, “Splash,” yeah, however John was somebody that my dad labored with. So, I didn’t essentially consider him as John Sweet.
Oh, I see.
I simply noticed him as like, that’s one among my dad’s associates. They work collectively. However, look, I’ve very, very vivid reminiscences of being on the set of “Splash.” And seeing John, and Eugene Levy, in reality, and all of them working collectively. So, that was my preliminary introduction. After which, clearly, “Volunteers” was additionally a part of John being round. I’ve some very fond reminiscences of John, a few dinner events, and being at my dad and Rita [Wilson]’s marriage ceremony.
John left an impression on me at the same time as a child. Macaulay Culkin speaks to it within the film when Mac says, “He made you’re feeling vital.” Whilst a child, he made you’re feeling like your opinion mattered, and your feelings mattered. And that’s 1,000 % correct, as a result of that was undoubtedly how John made me really feel. After which ultimately then it turns into, oh, yeah — seeing him in “Spaceballs,” or “The Nice Outside.” Like, “Yeah. That’s John. I do know that man.”
I really feel like a extremely fascinating perspective for you. Loads of filmmakers making this movie can get the identical interviews, can get the identical footage, however you’re in an fascinating place the place he was your dad’s co-worker and met him. You might have a reminiscence of how he handled you.
Yeah. Very, very true. The truth is, in an odd means, I feel that was one among my preliminary causes to not do it.
Why?
Simply because, effectively, I met him, I’ve these reminiscences of him, I don’t know if I need to dig into that. I’d a lot somewhat simply have these reminiscences versus spend nonetheless many months or years of my life now gathering different individuals’s reminiscences and going from there. However Chris and Jen [Candy] had been so adamant. I don’t need to put phrases of their mouth, however they let it’s identified that it was their opinion that they felt like I used to be one of many solely guys that may do it. Then that simply made me go like, OK, effectively, let’s set myself apart right here and do some digging.
You talked about a movie that I’ve seen one million instances, “The Nice Outside”…
Sure.
I feel you probably did one thing actually poignant whenever you put that scene of him on the boat, and he’s giving his household ring to his son [Chris Young], who says, “Oh, such as you spent together with your dad out right here, and he did this for you.” And the way in which John Sweet reacts to that, “Yeah.” And I can now inform he’s actually unhappy.
However you recognize that he didn’t do this together with his dad.
Truthfully, I even watched it three weeks in the past, as a result of it’s on cable nonetheless nonstop. It hit me so exhausting.
Look, I felt like that was one of many issues that we landed upon that ended up turning into, I feel, a little bit little bit of a accountability. You don’t need it to only be like, “After which he made this film.”
Proper.
And I do know this, as an actor: If I’m going to spend time away from my family, and if I’m going to spend time away from my life, and, mainly, put my life on maintain to go make this film? And the way in which that motion pictures are made, mainly, you don’t have a life. You get up within the morning, you go straight to work and then you definately go residence. And then you definately do the very same factor the following day. You’ve received to search out one thing in there to make that value it. ?
[Laughs] Typically you simply want the cash. However you need it to be worthwhile! And when Jen Sweet was chatting with that concept, that he actually did search for roles, and took roles that spoke to a particular slate that he needed to promote individuals, a sure mentality, a sure technique to be, that basically made a complete lot extra sense.
With “The Nice Outside”…
What’s ostensibly only a humorous movie, “The Nice Outside”…
Proper…
To have the ability to then discover a second the place I’m watching a scene I’ve seen numerous instances, however I’m seeing it in a totally completely different means? That’s the form of stuff that we actually needed to focus on. And I feel we had been capable of accomplish that with a handful of moments from his movies. However that one lands for me lots. I’m really actually, actually blissful that you just talked about that, that individual level. As a result of that all the time actually resonates with me.
He’s in quite a lot of motion pictures. How did you decide the movies to focus on? One I’m glad you probably did was “Summer season Rental.” I’m an enormous fan. It’s a Carl Reiner movie. And It’s his first starring function and I feel it actually reveals what he can do.
Properly, right here’s the bizarre factor, there are such a lot of of John’s movies that I’ve not seen, as a result of he was in a bunch.
True.
However “Summer season Rental,” I’ve all the time considered one of many quintessential John Sweet motion pictures. And the truth that that was his first main function, it felt prefer it was actually vital. And in addition it reveals that in his first main man function, he’s tapped by Carl Reiner.
Proper…
Who’s a legend and says, “I need to work with this man.” And loves it a lot that then he tells his buddy, Mel Brooks, one other comedy legend, “Oh, you’ve started working with this man. You’ve received to fulfill this man. Not solely is he nice, he’s an excellent human being.”
You’ve made two prior documentaries. Whenever you’re attempting to get individuals to speak to you for this one, does that assist? Do individuals say, “I do know who you might be however have you ever made a film?”
Properly, in the event that they do, they don’t actually inform me. However there are two bonuses right here. I bear in mind Marty Brief, whom I’ve identified for a really very long time, he’s one of many very first individuals I approached about, “Ought to I do that?” He was like, “Nobody goes to say no to you. They’re all going to need to do it.” And so, that was useful, however that doesn’t essentially imply everybody is accessible.
Within the movie you spent a while on his function in “Nationwide Lampoon’s Trip.” There’s all the time that story on the market the place they did reshoots for the ending, which is true, however gave John a million {dollars} to return in for his function. Is that this true? He didn’t appear to be a spot in his profession but the place that may occur.
I name this “the Invoice Simmons conspiracy,” as a result of that was the way it first got here to my consideration, listening to Invoice Simmons speaking about it in some unspecified time in the future. Not that he coined it. No, I don’t consider that’s true. The truth is, I talked about it with Chris, and I don’t suppose that’s true. I feel, logistically, that doesn’t make a lot sense.
It doesn’t.
In case you’re doing re-shoots on a film, you’re not spending one million {dollars} willy-nilly.
Proper, his greatest film on the time was “Stripes.” “Let’s get the fourth lead from ‘Stripes’ and simply pay him no matter he desires.”
[Laughs] No.
Now, 5 years later, that makes good sense.
Yeah. Precisely. Precisely.
Earlier you stated, “You say somebody’s identify, and, oh, we should always make a documentary about them.” Macaulay Culkin is superb on this. As an interviewer, I’m similar to, the stuff he’s saying to you is unimaginable. I might watch a Macaulay Culkin documentary, as a result of that man has to have some tales.
Yeah, he does. His life is extremely well-chronicled in that means. And it’s fascinating, Mac’s interview was an excellent reminder to me of simply try to seize as a lot as you probably can. As a result of it was late within the course of, we had been getting near the wire, and I used to be similar to, look, on the finish of the day, he was a little bit child. How a lot is he going to have the ability to specific to us that speaks to our vital themes?
And, after all, he really jogged my memory of what my expertise was assembly him. It was a extremely, actually nice reminder to only … You by no means know. To take a shot. Discover out. His perception was simply, truthfully, profound.
It was. I used to be riveted. The way in which he brazenly talks about his personal father, however then how John Sweet would come over and like, “Hey. Every part OK at residence?” That simply says a lot about John Sweet, that he might decide up on that, even on “Uncle Buck.”
Properly, it additionally says lots about Mac. what I imply?
I do.
The truth that he realizes that now. And, by the way in which, let’s additionally speak in regards to the two actually massive mind-blowing issues that he reveals is that. A, he’s now formally older than John was when he handed away
I used to be going to carry that up. And he’s now eight years older than he was when John Sweet was in “Uncle Buck.”
Wow. That’s loopy. However then his perception into John Hughes and John Sweet’s relationship. And the truth that that’s the connection it is best to really actually make. Everybody thinks it’s Molly Ringwald, or him, nevertheless it actually ought to be John.
However your intuition isn’t flawed. I’m positive in some unspecified time in the future he could make a documentary, however who is aware of. I’m all the time an enormous proponent of … and that is one thing that was very adamant early on, simply from day one, of the Tower Data documentary, I’m not within the enterprise of ruining anybody’s life. Or attempting to tug somebody by means of elements of their life that they don’t need to undergo.
That’s what I preferred about you speaking to Macaulay Culkin, as a result of he, clearly, simply desires to speak about this.
Yeah.
A few of the stuff I’m positive might be hurtful to him, nevertheless it appeared like a optimistic expertise? It didn’t really feel such as you had been going someplace with him that he didn’t need to go.
What’s fascinating was, with “All Issues Should Go,” I actually needed to make the film. It was a ardour for me, as a result of it was my first one. With “Nos Amis, the Eagles of Demise Metallic” doc, I didn’t need to make that documentary. The fellows within the band didn’t need to make the documentary, as a result of they didn’t need what was occurring. However we knew one another, and we agreed, collectively, that we possibly don’t need to do that, however that it is crucial, not only for our therapeutic, however then for everybody else that was concerned in that [Paris] incident.
With this one, once more, it was, effectively, I don’t know if I actually need to do it. It’s actually about Chris and Jen and Rose. Do they need to do that? They usually had been so adamant. They usually had been so like, “We actually need to do that, and we actually need to have a good time…” They actually needed to have a good time their father, and actually remind individuals of that. When you will have these agreements together with your topic, so that you just’re on the identical web page basically, and there’s no query as to what the motives are — that’s actually, actually vital.
“John Sweet: I Like Me” will premiere on the 2025 Toronto Worldwide Movie Competition because the official Opening Night time Gala. It can begin streaming on Prime Video on Friday, October 10.