Canadian Bacon ** (1995, John Candy, Alan Alda, Rhea Perlman, Kevin Pollak, Rip Torn) – Classic Movie Review 8949

The good cast is mostly wasted in writer-director Michael Moore’s largely misfiring 1995 satire Canadian Bacon – but then it would have been much, much worse without them. Alan Alda is quite funny as the US President, persuaded by his advisers into starting a war on Canada to boost his falling popularity ratings at home. Niagara Falls Sheriff Bud B Boomer (John Candy) and his buddies decide to invade the too-courteous nation.

Among the eccentric, eclectic cast, Wallace Shawn plays the Canadian Prime Minister, Richard Council plays the Russian President and Rip Torn plays General Dick Panzer.

Canadian Bacon is a wasted opportunity, because it is all quite laid-back and likeable – and there is a funny premise as well as some amusing ideas here awaiting a better script. Plus, the cast are appealing and amusing, and the film’s heart is in the right place.

Also in the cast are Rhea Perlman, Kevin Pollak, Kevin J O’Connor, Bill Nunn, G D Spradlin, James Belushi, Steven Wright, Brad Sullivan, Michael Copeman and Stanley Anderson, as well as Michael Moore as Redneck Guy #2 and Dan Aykroyd as OPP Officer.

Canadian Bacon is directed by Michael Moore, runs 91 minutes, is made by Dog Eat Dog Films, Gramercy Pictures, Maverick Picture Company, Polygram Filmed Entertainment, and Propaganda Films, is released by Gramercy Pictures (1995) (US), Polygram (1995) (UK), and Cineplex Odeon Films (1995) (Canada), is written by Michael Moore, is shot by Haskell Wexler, is produced by Sigurjon Sighvatsson (executive producer), Freddy De Mann (executive producer), Michael Moore, Ron Rotholz and David Brown, and scored by Elmer Bernstein and Peter Bernstein, with Production Design by Carol Spier.

Michael Moore wrote the screenplay during the first Gulf War to comment on the US government’s manipulation of the media to support Operation Desert Storm.

It was far from popular. Costing $11,000,000, it grossed $163,971 in the US.

It was the last completed and released film of Canadian born John Candy, who died of a heart attack on 4 March 1994, aged only 43. After making Canadian Bacon, Candy was filming the Western spoof Wagons East in Mexico when he had his fatal heart attack. Wagons East was released on 26 August 1994. His few remaining scenes were not filmed or shot using a stand-in, or re-written not to involve him. Canadian Bacon was released on 22 September 1995.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 8949

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