I'm always on the lookout for mythmaking in the rush of biographical documentaries we've had of Hollywood stars lately, from Sly likening Sylvester Stallone's rise to fame as being like something he had to physically fight to make happen, bloodied and sweating like Rocky Balboa himself, or Steve! (Martin) : A Documentary in 2 Pieces, where Martin's success is portrayed partly as a continual search for the acknowledgement his father never gave him.

Sometimes people just fall into careers as artists, actors, etc without any real fanfare or struggle, and their rise to fame is something very public that we can all see simply through the projects they appear in and the way we know how casting, agencies etc work, and as much drama as the film tries to wring out of John Candy's rise to fame, it seemed that way for him.

The film latches somewhat onto Candy's father dying suddenly of a heart attack at a young age, painting it as a bit of a driving force behind his seemingly perfect balance of work and family, wanting to be present for his kids and (at least when he became a big star) selecting roles partly based on the availability to do so.

Photos and some video footage depict an upbringing in suburban Canada somewhere between idyllic and benign, and after flirting with football, Candy fell in love with performing, his star gradually rising on any number of personas he crafted, most of which had a lovable, 'aw shucks' shlub at their core.

It's a testament to his career how many A list actors appear to talk about him for director Colin Hanks, including dad Tom, Steve Martin, Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, Martin Short, Catherine O'Hara, Eugene Levy, Mel Brooks, Macauley Culkin and his friends and family.

Because he leaned into it so much on screen, it's easy to believe he wasn't bothered by his weight, but one interesting thing the film raises is how Candy was more human than you imagine, hurt by the constant interview questions about it but trying to stay cheerful and kind to his interviewers, answering-but-deflecting gently.

It's a particular surprise (and sad) to learn how uncomfortable he was as Dewey Oxburger in the mud wrestling scene in Stripes, a role which already had him cast as a puerile slob.

History remembers what ultimately became of Candy as he wrestled with whatever demons caused him to smoke, drink and eat his feelings, and overall there's not a lot of insight you don't know (or hadn't imagined) about his life and career. It's more a tribute and an appreciation of what he left behind, and it's a thoroughly lovely one at that. If nothing else, the clips from his classic on screen moments are great fun to revisit.