I'm with Iceman on this one. Whenever they mentioned doctor advice it was lose weight and stop drinking. I didn't hear mention of smoking. As you say, it's not tearing a person down to mention this and other habits/addictions in a biography. These aren't crimes or a reflection of his character. They are part of his struggle to succeed, deal with fame, deal with over-empathy for his fellow humans, or something. Revealing this is humanizing not character assassination.
If the filmmaker, C. Hanks, wanted hagiography, then don't just repeat the same stuff two hours. The whole thing was lazy.
The good part? I did like hearing the testimony as to his character, talent, and path. I'd seen Catherine O'Hara's brilliant eulogy before the film. I'm sort of indifferent to using his son for so much of the VO. Tom Hank's description of their work together in Splash was insightful. The way Candy's eyes changed in some of the rude interviews was enticing but not explored enough. The best exchange was when the interviewer tells him he's a funny guy. So much is conveyed in Candy's ironic tone.
Would have been better at 75 minutes if they are not going to expand further than they did.
I've been late coming to John Candy's work. He was brilliant in Splash. He grounds the movie even with his short amount of screentime. I didn't see Uncle Buck until 2002. Fuck. Great movie and unforgettable character.
I wish I knew more about him. And, closing down the 405 for his funeral procession was stunning. I was in LA one time when they did that for the president. It really hit home what he was to so many people. I actually didn't know that.
I ramble. Great subject for what's an ok documentary.