Tockinit not horrible nor great

Lumsdal Good , But It Is Overrated By Some

PiraBit if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

FirstWitch A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

chasingthegolfmuse I recall finding this movie quite enjoyable the first time I saw it years ago, but having picked it up at the library today and rewatched it tonight, it is both underrated for its humorous appeal and ultimate sadness. The primary reason behind both statements was the performance of John Candy.Admittedly, I was a big fan of "SCTV" when I was in college, and there was a brilliance to the whole cast. But Candy had the rarest of abilities to be both outrageous and still maintain the veneer of believable humanity. Here he's nothing as over the top as Johnny LaRue or Dr. Tongue, and he's allowed more emotional depth than his big-screen credits as Del Griffith (Planes, Trains and Automobiles) and Uncle Buck. He's achingly human and vulnerable, while still funny and lovable. No other performance I ever saw him in makes the case that he could have been a comic-actor treasure better than his Danny Muldoon character in "Only the Lonely." This should have been the movie that made him a true top A-list star. There is heart in this movie performance that is undeniable, along with his gentle humor. He walks the emotional tightrope his character has to negotiate almost perfectly. And then pairing him with a number of other strong casting choices, none more so than an epic return to the screen from Maureen O'Hara as his caustic Irish mother, really gave this movie emotional power and range. Ally Sheedy shines, as well, in delivering the kind of nuanced performance that successfully completed the complex emotional triangle necessary for drawing you into believing in these characters and the conflicts they must overcome.On a broader scale, there are a few points of criticism that could be offered. With "Only the Lonely" coming after the wildly successful "Home Alone," it could be said that some decisions made by the creative team of John Hughes and Chris Columbus drew too easily from the framework of clichés they had already established with audiences from their previous Chicago films. "Only the Lonely" could have been the Chicago cousin of "Moonstruck" with a bit more thought put into storyline development.But perhaps it would have only gotten in the way. This is a movie where the actors shine -- no one more so than Candy -- and, as noted, was a joy to revisit, but also leaves me feeling sentimental. We can only wonder what other big screen work could have wowed us all if John had gotten just a few more cracks at creating the kind of character he showed us all he was capable of with this role. As it is, though, this is much more than a run-of-the-mill film that many reviewers have pegged it as 25 years down the line.

gavin6942 A Chicago cop (John Candy) must balance loyalty to his overbearing mother (Maureen O'Hara) and a relationship with a shy funeral home worker (Ally Sheedy).When it comes to "John Hughes movies", this one is rarely mentioned. The primary reason is because he was only the producer and not the writer. But also, it just falls short. Despite being helmed by Chris Columbus, starring John Candy and Ally Sheedy, and having a strong supporting cast... it just never hits home. We have that Chicago feel we have grown to love from Hughes and company, but there are just no laughs in this one.Other than a few jokes about it being good to be a cop, the humor is just not here. And there is so much potential when you're dealing with a funeral home. Sure, that might make some rather macabre humor, but it isn't like they were far off already.

SnoopyStyle Danny Muldoon (John Candy) is a good natured Chicago cop living with his racist mother Rose (Maureen O'Hara). He's always worried about his mom. She keeps rejecting the flirty Greek Nick Acropolis (Anthony Quinn). He and his partner Salvatore Buonarte (James Belushi) drive the prisoner wagon. His brother Patrick is happy to have Danny take care of mom and moving them to Florida. Danny falls for Theresa Luna (Ally Sheedy) who works at her father's funeral parlor. She's also lonely and extremely shy.It's a light rom-com with lovable John Candy. Ally Sheedy is pretty quiet. I really love both actors and they project simple nice people. O'Hara has the funniest jokes. Surprisingly she is hilarious and provides the majority of the laughs. It's a shame that she disappeared from the movies for such a long time. She's the true breakout star of this movie.

Robert D. Ruplenas Years ago when this flick first came out I was dubious, because of the presence of John Candy, whose great popularity I still am at a loss to explain. I recently read a reference somewhere to this flick as worth seeing, so I went for it, 23 years late. After seeing it, I am happy to know my original instincts were correct. "Marty" this ain't, and Candy is no Borgnine. And why, oh why, did Maureen O'Hara choose this as her farewell vehicle? The script makes her a domineering, racist, obnoxious, rude, and thoroughly nasty person, and any attempts with her acting to tone this down are in vain. This is not billed as an outright comedy, in which naturalness can be discarded, so we have some expectation that the characters will interact in someway at least half believable. O'Hara's character is so vile that it is impossible to believe that her son would not have left her long ago, preferably after burying her in the cellar. I like Jim Belushi, but as a previous viewer said, his contribution here is minimal. As far as character development, we are asked to believe that Candy's girl friend goes from docile and practically mute to a stand-up-for-me character just about overnight. It doesn't wash. The best thing here is Anthony Quinn, who, in his minor role, plays it perfectly. I should have gone with my instincts 23 years ago and let this dog lie.