Only the Lonely (1991) Reviews

• John Candy - We miss you.

  Bing-181999-04-29

  A wonderfully light RomCom that stands as one of the best tributes to John Candy (alongside Uncle Buck). Though, this is a comedy, it still allows Candy to show his true acting skills, and many of the choicest comedy moments go to Maureen O'Hara as Candy's mother, who almost steals the film. It is a sad trait in Hollywood theory which appears to dictate that comediens can't do serious acting and so should never be given serious roles, yet many have proved this to be wrong. John Candy himself proved it in JKF, Dan Aykroyd did in Driving Miss Daisy, and Robin Williams has done it on numerous occasions. This film reminds us of the John Candy we will always love, as the big guy with a big heart to match. Farewell John, you are sadly missed.

• Fabulous Movie, One of John Candy's BEST

  Lateboomer_0592006-05-16

  This has to be one of my all time favourite movies! I loved seeing the late, great John Candy in a romantic comedy lead role. Casting was superb with Ally Sheedy as his shy love interest, and Maureen O'Hara as his domineering Irish battleaxe mother. Watch for Jim Belushi as Danny's (John's) cop partner and Macaulay & Kieran Culkin as John's nephews. Anthony Quinn turns in a charming performance as Nick Acropolis, the Greek neighbour who fancies Rose (Maureen O'Hara). John Candy was such a superb actor and passed away suddenly at the age of 43 - this movie was one of his unsung gems and one could only wonder at what he might have given us. A MUST SEE!!

• One of John Candy's best roles

  SweetTooth4MnMs2003-04-10

  "Only The Lonely" was a great romantic comedy. I absolutely love it and John Candy never disappointed. I loved the storyline and all the actors did great jobs. Ally Sheedy was sweet and Maureen O'Hara was great although her character made me mad sometimes. I felt sorry for Danny (Candy) at times because he loved Theresa (Sheedy) so much but yet his mother didn't want him to be with her because of her religion. And his brother didn't like her because she was too plain. I was a little upset when he didn't show up for the wedding and he and Theresa went their separate ways for a while. But the ending was great and I was happy for them. Jim Belushi and Anthony Quinn were great and I really love this movie. But thanks for reading my review. Rest in peace John Candy. We miss you!!! :(

• Candy Shows His Human Side

  ccthemovieman-12006-06-29

  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.

• "What if it's a rapist dressed like Elmer Fudd?"

  sadie_thompson2005-06-29

  I AM A HUGE MAUREEN O'HARA FAN. There--I've said it, and now you'll know why this review will be biased. It was a few years back, late '90s, and I had just seen "McLintock!" over at my grandparents house. My grandfather was a huge John Wayne fan, and he watched the movie constantly. I love the Duke too, but I was amazed at Ms. O'Hara, who played his bitch of a wife. Not only was she gorgeous, but she could also beat the snot out of just about anybody (even the Duke himself) and look good doing it. That's a quality I wish I had, so I was quite taken with her. At any rate, I also managed to see "The Christmas Box" on TV, and I was a bona fide fan. While larking through Wal-Mart, I saw this movie--"Only the Lonely." It was a bargain video, only about $7, so I was all over it. The plot has been discussed at length--John Candy (Danny) falls in love with Ally Sheedy, only mom Maureen doesn't think it's an appropriate match. One of the jarring highlights of this movie comes when Mom From Hell meets Girlfriend From Funeral Home--she sees her, turns to John Candy and says, very matter-of-factly, "Where are her breasts?" What a Mom thing to say--it even manages to make YOU feel uncomfortable. Like it's YOUR mother and you're anticipating how the evening will turn out. Makes me squirm just thinking about it. Not surprisingly, the dinner doesn't go so well--how could it when you're dining with Medusa? Seriously though, Maureen O'Hara's character quite frequently seems to be a HORRIBLE person with no regards for the feelings of others. She's callous, arrogant, and impatient, yet I would love to meet her. An example of her temperament comes early in the movie. She's having coffee with Danny, and she's telling him how healthy she is and how well she can see. All the while she's pouring orange juice into her coffee. When this is pointed out to her, she exclaims, "Damned cartons! They're all decorated the same." Total, prompt, upfront denial of her inadequacy. It isn't her fault, it's the carton maker's lack of imagination that is the problem. The summary quote is my favorite line from the movie, and I've learned to mimic Maureen O'Hara's delivery of it quite well. When Danny tells her he can't help with the trick-or-treaters because he has a date, this is her retort. It just sounds hilarious when you hear it. The Halloween conversation between John Candy and Maureen O'Hara is, I think, the best in the movie. She paints herself as a poor helpless old lady, only we know better. John Candy's character, Danny, has a tendency to imagine his mother stuck in fatal situations (can ya blame him?), and his overactive imagination causes the friction in his relationship with Ally Sheedy. It also provides some amusingly goofy sequences where accidents that wouldn't happen to anyone happen to Maureen. (POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD.) She falls through a manhole AND gets murdered by a trick-or-treating homicidal maniac. Each time her dying words illustrate her selflessness (which of course she doesn't have)--after the manhole incident, she says "I hope you enjoyed your baseball game, Danny." Who can guilt you into submission better than your mother? This is a great movie to watch with your family, because it just might make everyone feel better about their mothers. After all, you could have Danny's.