Only the Lonely (1991)

I recall finding this movie quite enjoyable the first time I saw it years ago, but having picked it up at the library today and rewatched it tonight, it is both underrated for its humorous appeal and ultimate sadness. The primary reason behind both statements was the performance of John Candy.

Admittedly, I was a big fan of "SCTV" when I was in college, and there was a brilliance to the whole cast. But Candy had the rarest of abilities to be both outrageous and still maintain the veneer of believable humanity. Here he's nothing as over the top as Johnny LaRue or Dr. Tongue, and he's allowed more emotional depth than his big-screen credits as Del Griffith (Planes, Trains and Automobiles) and Uncle Buck. He's achingly human and vulnerable, while still funny and lovable. No other performance I ever saw him in makes the case that he could have been a comic-actor treasure better than his Danny Muldoon character in "Only the Lonely." This should have been the movie that made him a true top A-list star. There is heart in this movie performance that is undeniable, along with his gentle humor. He walks the emotional tightrope his character has to negotiate almost perfectly. And then pairing him with a number of other strong casting choices, none more so than an epic return to the screen from Maureen O'Hara as his caustic Irish mother, really gave this movie emotional power and range. Ally Sheedy shines, as well, in delivering the kind of nuanced performance that successfully completed the complex emotional triangle necessary for drawing you into believing in these characters and the conflicts they must overcome.

On a broader scale, there are a few points of criticism that could be offered. With "Only the Lonely" coming after the wildly successful "Home Alone," it could be said that some decisions made by the creative team of John Hughes and Chris Columbus drew too easily from the framework of clichés they had already established with audiences from their previous Chicago films. "Only the Lonely" could have been the Chicago cousin of "Moonstruck" with a bit more thought put into storyline development.

But perhaps it would have only gotten in the way. This is a movie where the actors shine -- no one more so than Candy -- and, as noted, was a joy to revisit, but also leaves me feeling sentimental. We can only wonder what other big screen work could have wowed us all if John had gotten just a few more cracks at creating the kind of character he showed us all he was capable of with this role. As it is, though, this is much more than a run-of-the-mill film that many reviewers have pegged it as 25 years down the line.

Fmovies: ONLY THE LONELY (2+ outta 5 stars)

Probably John Candy's best role on film... not an all-out comedy laugh-fest as most would expect... it's actually a kind of sweet, sentimental story (somewhat influenced by the classic film/play "Marty" starring Ernest Borgnine) about an aging bachelor cop (Candy), his overbearing mother (Maureen O'Hara, just as sassy on screen as in her heyday) and the plain, young mortician with whom he falls in love (Ally Sheedy). Yeah, right... Ally Sheedy is "a little plain"... just like she was in "Breakfast Club". Why, oh why so they always have to cast these drop-dead gorgeous movie stars as "plain" people. (Michelle Pfeiffer in "Frankie and Johnny"... anyone buy THAT one?) Anyway, Sheedy and Candy do have a sweet chemistry together... the movie is a very NICE movie... there is a little bit of a dramatic subtext that could have been explored a little deeper... but the film chooses to keep the tone light... maybe *too* light. Several scenes of Candy imagining terrible accidents happening to his mother due to his absence seem a little too "cute-sy"... but I guess they didn't want to freak audiences out by getting too realistic.

This film will always put a smile on my face as being a HUGE Maureen O'Hara fan, and having just seen the Quiet Man in 1991 for about the 3rd time that week, I thought to myself "Wouldn't it be great if Maureen O'Hara came out of retirement to make another movie." I no more made that wish whilst watching "Uncle Buck" on TV when it cut to commercial and the advertisement for "Only the Lonely' came on. Ecstatic (and in shock) , I hit the ceiling and had to peel myself off. The film itself when I saw it was not a disappointment. Ms. O'Hara was beautiful, as she has always been and still is after her recent television appearances, and her performance was easily worthy of an Academy Award nomination. Sadly, the Academy overlooked

her as they had always done and continue to do so with their lifetime achievement Oscar they hand out to Legendary figures in the movie industry every year. Maureen is deserving of this honor as she has appeared in at least 3 of the greatest films ever made and remains a shining ambassador for everything good about old time Hollywood and the film industry in general. Only the Lonely, thankfully, was just the first of three

films she made in her 1990's return to acting, the others being "The Christmas Box' and "Cab to Canada", both made for television. But seeing her again in "Only the Lonely, Irish and feisty with fellow veteran Anthony Quinn romancing her once more, and playing John Candy's mother in what is easily his best film makes this one stand out a little more than the others.

A charming and bittersweet romantic comedy that is a pleasure to watch each and every time you see it.

Only the Lonely fmovies. After Maureen O'Hara died last month, I suddenly got the urge to order this-her last theatrical movie-from Netflix for me and my mom to watch when she came back from visiting my sister in Seattle. I was wonderfully surprised to find out my mom hadn't previously seen this as that meant she would watch this with fresh eyes as I had seen this on VHS tape back in the day and remember enjoying this at the time. We both very much loved this just now. I mean, Ms. O'Hara is her lovable self-provided her character is a tad bigoted though she's simply "telling it like it is". Her son, John Candy-another performer who's been missed since he passed away only a few years after this movie-is a cop who lives with her and has been quite lonely as a result. Then one day, he meets Ally Sheedy as someone who does makeup on deceased bodies when they're both at a wake and he bravely asks her out which she accepts. I'll stop there and just mention that some complications ensue but things seem to work out at the end. Fine support from Jim Belushi as Candy's cop partner and Anthony Quinn as a neighbor who is crushing on Ms. O'Hara. Written and directed by Chris Columbus, he does a nice mixing of drama and comedy when the sequences call for it and also makes good use of the Chicago locations (a city I was born in and lived as a child for about 6 years as well as one I visited quite a bit during the '80s). Anyway, Only the Lonely is a fine tribute to the careers of both Candy and O'Hara before their untimely deaths. Oh, and Quinn as well before he passed several years later.

This unique movie deserves the maximum rating. It will be a true classic. I love the actors and their performance is superb. Mauren O'Hara deserves all the compliments because she is wonderful. John Candy has always been one of my favorite actors and he is truly missed. This movie is a delight, a true piece of art.

Roles like this helped make big John Candy somewhat of a beloved figure in his time. He was good at playing big, lovable oafs that usually messed up but had a good heart.

Many times, as in here, he might appear jovial on the outside but inside he was a very lonely guy, hence the title. I'll bet a number of viewers could identify with him. In this film he plays "Danny Muldoon."

Ally Sheedy's character, "Theresa Luna," is sweet in the beginning but then becomes unfairly-demanding and annoying by the end. Maureen O'Hara did a fine job playing "Danny's" domineering mother, "Rose." She came out of retirement to do this film and did herself proud. Anthony Quinn's role was stupid.

This movie is billed as a comedy but I didn't find a lot of laughs in it. It's really more of a sentimental drama, and it works on that level. I always enjoy seeing comedians do drama, because they are so good at doing it. I'm sorry Candy didn't make a few more dramatic roles.