#96: Uncle Buck

Release Date: August 18th, 1989

Format: Cable (TBS)

Written by: John Hughes

Directed by: John Hughes

3 Stars

Uncle Buck makes you miss John Candy. That’s the legacy of this movie, I think. The movie itself is funny, even with its uneven tone and a few editing touches that I didn’t really like. But when John Candy is on screen, you feel right at home. 

It’s one of the bigger tragedies in the history of cinema that John Candy wasn’t able to get his one great leading role before he died. Uncle Buck is probably the closest he got, maybe Planes, Trains, and Automobiles (which is the better movie). I just feel that he had another gear as a performer that was never utilized. There is something so sad and warm in his eyes. I somehow miss the guy, even though I was young when he died. 

Watch Uncle Buck to warm your heart and break it at the same time.