Laughing on the Outside

Funny and gentle, John Candy was loved by millions of movie fans for playing true-to-life characters. Whether as the irrepressible bon vivant in Splash , the misunderstood slob in Uncle Buck , or the generous lonely salesman in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles , John Candy struck a perfect balance between self-deprecating humor and irresistible, emotional warmth. But behind the scenes, beneath the booming laughter, award-winning journalist Martin Knelman in Laughing on the Outside paints a compassionate portrait of John Candy--a man blessed by comic genius and goodness of heart who was ultimately and sadly undermined by self-doubt and misguided ambition.