Starring: John Candy, Rhea Perlman, Alan Alda

Director: Michael Moore Year: 1995
Runtime: 90 minutes Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Canadian Bacon is a goofball comedy satire starring the legendary John Candy in his final on-screen role as bumbling Niagara sheriff Bud Boomer.

It also stars Alan Alda as the weaselly US President and Cheers’ Rhea Perlman as Boomer’s unrequited love interest Honey.

The movie was directed by Michael Moore, best known for Bowling For Columbine and Fahrenheit 9/11.

It was Moore’s second full-length movie and his only feature movie to date. Despite going on to become a cult classic, the movie failed at the box office, no doubt prompting Moore to revert to the documentary-style movies he’s best known for.

What’s This All Aboot – Eh?

Following a fight at a US/Canadian ice hockey game, the President of the US starts a phoney cold war with Canada to try to boost his approval ratings – but he doesn’t count on the antics of bumbling Niagara sheriff, Bud Boomer, played with aplomb by John Candy.

If the premise sounds familiar perhaps you’ve forgotten seeing it. Then again it was a bomb so maybe you didn’t. Either way, it’s a perfect movie for today’s special “Freedom Day” edition of, Wait, Did I See That?

A Line In The Snow

So, Trump’s starting trade wars with everyone and even threatening an actual war with Canada, a ridiculous premise which prompted me to rewatch this movie.

I’m going to say this flat out – Canadian Bacon isn’t exactly a laugh-out-loud comedy, though you’re sure to get some chuckles.

Fair warning, unless you’re from North America or you’re familiar with Canada and Canadian stereotypes, most of the jokes are going to go over your head.

John Candy plays Bud Boomer, a local sheriff in the border town of Niagara.

He’s joined by Rhea Perlman, best known for playing the sassy barmaid Carla in Cheers, as his would-be squeeze, the gun-loving, all-American tomboy, Honey.

As with most of the town, Boomer and Honey once worked at a local weapons manufacturing plant called Hacker Dynamics.

But once the Cold War ended the plant shut, leaving most of the town out of work.

Eager to forget their troubles, Boomer, Honey, and their former co-workers from Hacker, cross the border to watch a US/Canada ice hockey game.

They whoop and jeer as the Canadian national anthem plays but are politely ignored.  

But when Bud Boomer wisecracks about Canadian beer the entire stadium freezes, turns and a riot ensues.

Meanwhile in Washington, the uncharismatic US president, played by a delightfully snivelling Alan Alda, despairs at his abysmal approval ratings. 

His cabinet believe that rebooting the Cold War would boost his popularity, but the Russians won’t play along.

The cabinet then views a slideshow of former US foes only to realise they’re all dead.

So, having exhausted their list of enemy candidates, they switch on the TV to find a newsflash about the Canadian hockey riot.  

The cabinet share knowing glances, they’ve found their phoney “enemy” – Canada.

While technically not a first-time director, this is Michael Moore’s first attempt at writing and directing a piece of pure fiction, and comedy at that, which is notoriously difficult.

And if you’re more familiar with Moore’s documentary-style (I can’t bring myself to call them actual documentaries) movies, you’ll know he’s not exactly known for his subtlety.

This turns out to be a boon for Canadian Bacon, however, which relishes in hitting you over the head with obvious gags, delivered earnestly by the cast.

Nobody encapsulates this lack of subtlety more than General Panzer, played by Rip Thorn.

The grumpy, gung-ho general who sulks when things don’t go boom is hardly original, but Thorn’s performance always brings a smile to my face.

Another perfect example of Michael Moore subtlety can be found in the main villain of the movie, industrialist RJ Hacker, played with plenty of good-ole-boy energy by veteran character actor G.D. Spradlin. 

Hacker’s angry because his nuclear missile control system contract got cancelled so he plans to blackmail the President and blame Canada.

These are just some of the plot threads, there are others still, but Moore weaves them together and resolves them all effortlessly.

That said, the third act is where this movie falters. And many of the gags don’t land, but those that do are elevated further by the ensemble cast.

Candy and Alda are the standouts here. Though we also get brief cameos from Dan Akroyd and Steven Wright, best known as the monotone DJ presenting K-Billy’s Super Sounds of the 70s in Reservoir Dogs.

The Good

Performances: Some hilarious performances here from Alan Alda, Rhea Perlman and Dan Akroyd, but without a doubt the MVP of this movie is John Candy.

The Walk Among Us: The Gulf War-inspired news segments are pitch perfect, as are the propaganda pieces outing various Canadian celebrities.

This is somewhat meta since John Candy and Dan Akroyd are both Canadians, as indeed, are many other comedy stars of the era including Rick Moranis, Mike Myers and Jim Carey.

Gags: Admittedly some gags land with a dull thud but others never fail to make me chuckle, from snow-drenched sight gags to the slapstick absurdity of Omega Force.

A Solid Debut: Although technically not his first movie, this remains Michael Moore’s only feature film and it’s a decent effort for a rookie, with competent direction, a coherent plot and (mostly) well-executed comedy.

The Bad

The Hospital Scene: This is by far the worst sequence in the movie and feels excessive which, given the movie’s premise, is saying something.

The clunky dialogue contrasting American and Canadian healthcare is exactly the kind of ham-fisted rhetoric we’ve come to expect from Michael Moore, and it marks the exact point where the movie begins to splutter and run out of gas.

The Ending: The final act is derivative and predictable. It’s reminiscent of Wargames, but lacks the dramatic stakes. It also lacks cinematic spectacle despite having Toronto’s iconic CN Tower as the backdrop.

The Hockey

The Beer Sucks: The best gag in the whole movie, everything you need to know about US/Canada relations packaged in one hilarious scene.

Omega Force: It’s worth mentioning that the Omega Force theme was stuck in my head for days after, playing on loop while walking from A to B.

Bacon Bits

• The round-the-clock news coverage selling Canada as the great Northern enemy is both hilarious and prescient – remember this is a movie from the pre-Fox News era.
• The nebbish pleas of Alan Alda in the White House when the nuclear shit hits the fan, “Get me intelligence, I need intelligence!”
• John Candy and crew defiantly belting out the chorus to Bruce Springsteen’s Born in the USA before realising they don’t know any of the verses.
• Dan Akroyd’s cameo as a motorcycle cop lambasting John Candy for his anti-Canadian graffiti, ignoring the content and instead insisting it be written in both English and French, Canada’s two official languages.
• Any moment John Candy’s on screen. He really is the heart and soul of this movie and it’s such a shame we lost him so young.

They Walk Among Us

Gung-ho, gun-toting Americans declaring war on the polite, neat and tidy Canadians.

Polite that is, until you criticise their beer.

It’s certainly an amusing premise. And whether it could have been executed any better is anyone’s guess.

Canadian Bacon assumes a deep familiarity with US/Canada stereotypes which don’t always translate abroad.

It’s also 30 years old and it shows – the post-Cold War stuff in particular seems positively quaint in today’s world.

Still, I’ve got to give props to Michael Moore for delivering a solid comedy script with competent direction throughout.

Despite a tight 90-minute runtime, the movie drags in the third act, which is a shame because it’s still a fun ride getting there.

I’ve always had a soft spot for this movie so it’s tough to be critical. Michael Moore didn’t quite crack it here, but there are flashes of genius nonetheless.

Had Canadian Bacon performed better at the box office he could have made a career as a comedy writer, rather than the sappy, faux-liberal strawman “documentarian” he became.

What makes this movie a standout are the performances. Every actor here is 100% on point and knows exactly what kind of movie they’re making.

But again, John Candy is the main draw here and, while not his best work, for fans of his movies, this is unmissable.

Bottom line, if you’re looking for some lazy braindead hungover Sunday chuckles this one’s a hoot – eh?

Similar Syrup

For John Candy Fans: My pick has to be John Hughes’ 1987 comedy classic Planes, Trains and Automobiles. This odd couple road movie pairs John Candy’s brash and loquacious Del Griffith with anally retentive advertising executive Neal Page, played to perfection by Steve Martin.

For Fans Of 90s Political Satire: Wag the Dog wins the award here, yet another story about Washington insiders manufacturing a war to distract the public from an incompetent president.

It stars Robert DeNiro as a Washington spin doctor and Dustin Hoffman as the Hollywood producer they hire to help stage a phoney war.

It also has cameos roles from Woody Harrelson, Willy Nelson and Dennis Leary. Hands down the funniest satire movie of the Clinton era.