The Best John Candy Movies, Ranked
55 credits from 1973 to 2026, ranked by the Movie Echo Score — a blend of critic reviews, audience ratings and lasting impact. The biggest box office hit is Cool Runnings (1993) with $155M worldwide. Below: the best films by genre and by decade, the most awarded and the newest releases.
Biggest John Candy Box Office Hits
John Candy's films have made $850M worldwide in total. Cool Runnings (1993) is the biggest hit at $155M, ahead of The Blues Brothers (1980) ($115M). Lifetime grosses, with each film's domestic share.
- 1
Cool Runnings 1993 · Adventure $155M $68.9M dom. - 2
The Blues Brothers 1980 · Action $115M $57.2M dom. - 3
Stripes 1981 · Comedy $85.3M $85.3M dom. - 4
Uncle Buck 1989 · Drama $79.3M $66.8M dom. - 5
Rookie of the Year 1993 · Family $56.5M $53.6M dom. - 6
Planes, Trains & Automobiles 1987 · Comedy $49.5M $49.5M dom. - 7
Brewster's Millions 1985 · Comedy $45.8M $40.8M dom. - 8
The Great Outdoors 1988 · Comedy $43.5M $41.5M dom. - 9
Spaceballs 1987 · Adventure $38.1M $38.1M dom. - 10
The Rescuers Down Under 1990 · Adventure $27.9M $27.9M dom.
The Best John Candy Movie in Every Genre
The best-rated film in each genre John Candy has worked in, the genres with the most films first. Comedy leads with 22 films, and Stripes (1981) is the pick of them.
- Comedy 22 films Stripes 1981
- Adventure 5 films Cool Runnings 1993
- Drama 3 films Uncle Buck 1989
- Action 3 films The Blues Brothers 1980 · as Burton Mercer
-
Mystery 2 films Who's Harry Crumb? 1989 -
Fantasy 2 films Hot to Trot 1988 - Family 1 film Rookie of the Year 1993 · as Cliff Murdoch - Announcer (uncredited)
The Best John Candy Movie of Each Decade
One pick per decade of John Candy's career, newest decade first: the best-rated film of each ten years, from 1970s to 1990s.
The Latest John Candy Movies
The most recent films John Candy is credited on, newest first — starting with Canadian Bacon (1995). Open any of them for the cast, ratings, box office and where to watch.
-
Canadian Bacon 1995 · Sheriff Bud B. Boomer -
Wagons East! 1994 · James Harlow -
Hostage for a Day 1994 · Yuri Petrovich (uncredited) - Cool Runnings 1993 · Adventure
- Rookie of the Year 1993 · Cliff Murdoch - Announcer (uncredited)
-
Boris and Natasha 1992 · Kalishak -
Once Upon a Crime... 1992 · Mystery -
Delirious 1991 · Jack Gable -
Only the Lonely 1991 · Comedy -
Nothing But Trouble 1991 · Comedy - The Rescuers Down Under 1990 · Adventure
-
Masters of Menace 1990 · Beer Truck Driver
The Best John Candy Movies: Questions & Answers
The best-rated, highest-grossing, most awarded and newest John Candy films, answered from the rankings on this page.
What is the highest-grossing John Candy movie?
Cool Runnings (1993) made the most at the box office, with $155M worldwide, followed by The Blues Brothers (1980) with $115M. Together, John Candy's films with box office figures have made $850M.
What is the best John Candy comedy movie?
Stripes (1981) is the best-rated of John Candy's comedy films. In other genres: Cool Runnings (adventure), Uncle Buck (drama) and The Blues Brothers (action).
What is the newest John Candy movie?
The newest film on John Candy's filmography is You Had to Be There: How the Toronto Godspell Ignited the Comedy Revolution, Spread Love & Overalls, and Created a Community That Changed the World (in a Canadian Kind of Way) (2026).
More Movie Rankings & Collections
Best-of lists by year, decade and genre, all-time box office records and the films on the trending list.
Best-Rated Movie Rankings
Best-rated, biggest and most-awarded
New Movies & Top Genres
New releases, popular films and the best of every genre