‘Only the Lonely’ At 30: A Forgotten John Candy Gem Loaded With Untapped Potential
At the risk of invoking a cliché, “Only the Lonely” feels like the kind of movie they just don’t make anymore: a modest, unassuming, character-driven comedy/drama but produced and released by a major studio (20th Century Fox, in this case), and featuring a major star (John Candy) playing somewhat against type. Yet even when it was released, 30 years ago this week, “Only the Lonely” was a long shot – a blank check project, as they say these days, written by Fox as a reward for the massive success of “Home Alone.” That film was written and produced by John Hughes and directed by Chris Columbus; this one was produced by Hughes, and written and directed by Columbus.