I am only giving this movie a 1 for the great cast, though I can't imagine what any of them were thinking. This movie was horrible

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

The big surprise here is the sweet performance of the normally gregarious John Candy playing someone quite different than he had ever played before. Having been playing the overly jolly fat man or sometimes a rather obnoxious Chris Christie fat man, he is now playing a very sweet bachelor, reaching his late forties and still living with his overbearing mother, Maureen O'Hara. She controls pretty much every move that he makes inside the house that they have lived in Chicago for years, and the only freedom he has his when he is on the street with his police partner Jim Belushi. When he falls in love with the extremely shy Ally Sheedy, all of O'Hara's prejudices come out especially when she finds out that Sheedy is Sicilian. Be prepared for some racial slurs against every race other than Irish as O'Hara's overly honest character makes verbal stereotype remarks against every nationality and religion other than her own. Obviously in real life, O'Hara wasn't anything like this character, bravely playing someone that at first glance you are physically attracted to, but personally until you get to really see what is inside her, despise. Maureen O'Hara always played feisty tough women who were still feminine, and it is difficult not to fall in love with that gorgeous red hair and those glorious green eyes. After an 18 year absence off screen, she is back in a role that many predicted would give her an Oscar nomination. Unfortunately that did not happen, but her performance is one that is certainly come on her best, although I never saw her give a bad performance.John Candy is so sweet and lovable here, devoted to his mother and having hysterical fantasies anytime he is away from her, showing his devotion to her even though secretly, he is annoyed by her controlling ways towards him. He has a wealthy older brother who doesn't get past the treatment that he gets, so when the brother announces that he's bought a home for them to move to in Florida, Candy is naturally upset. He's determined to find a way to rebel against his mother's will and continue to see his new girlfriend, and when the two women first meet, the battle lines are immediately drawn.But Sheedy, who works putting makeup on recently deceased in a mortuary, gets the moxie to stand up to his mother, and this gives Candy after much reluctant to propose. O'Hara, to her credit, does make an effort to try to accept Sheedy and a surprising announcement at the wedding rehearsal dinner shows her in a softer light. But old habits die hard, and Candy makes a mistake which threatens to call off the wedding altogether. Will he grow a backbone and stand up to his mother? Or will he continue to fall prey to her manipulation, move to Florida with her and deny himself the true love he has been searching for over many years.The wonderful Anthony Quinn has a great romantic supporting role as their Greek neighbor who is very much attracted to O'Hara but can't seem to make a dent with her. She makes racial remarks against his nationality, which he immediately disproves, but in spite of her obvious flattery towards his attention, can spend your stubborn ways. So there are two romantic story line here surrounding the title, as both Candy and Quinn are both really lonely, and O'Hara too also shows that in spite of her supposedly tough independent ways, her character is also very lonely. She has one tirade against Candy which becomes heartbreaking to watch, but a twist in the script brings all the heart out that this film is filled with. Of course, there is the type of comedy included which Candy has become known for, particularly a scene where Belushi and Candy have to remove a corpse from a building with no elevator, and the somewhat tasteless but ultimately harmless humor way in which this is dealt with.While it has been some time since we have seen Ally Sheedy in a mainstream movie role, at this time she was a very dependable leading lady and it is nice to see the multiple dimensions that she gives her insecure young woman who has little interaction with living beings, and how she falls in love with Candy, overlooking his girth and still looking further into his heart. She helps him see the truth about his mother and his own need for independence that makes her almost the fairy godmother of this movie, changing his life and making him see the truth about a mother he can't help but love but truly shouldn't be living with. Supporting performances by such actors as Milo O'Shea and Bert Remsen add a true humanity and powerful love of human nature into what is genuinely a story that will very much touch your heartstrings.

'Only the Lonely' is an okay film, that rides on the late/great John Candy's undeniable talent. The talented actor, pitches in a likable performance, that dominates the film. 'Only the Lonely' Synopsis: A Chicago cop must balance loyalty to his overbearing mother and a relationship with a shy funeral home worker.Besides Candy's likable performance, 'Only the Lonely' also manages to get in some cute/funny moments. The characters are nicely written & the Screenplay overall, has some niceness to it. But, the slow-pace as well as the length, needed some serious persuasion. The pace is slow & the film is lengthy by at least 15-minutes. Chris Columbus's Direction is fair. Cinematography is standard. Editing isn't crisp.Performance-Wise: Candy is the life of 'Only the Lonely'. Maureen O'Hara is theatrical. Ally Sheedy is cute. Anthony Quinn & James Belushi appear in brief roles.On the whole, 'Only the Lonely' is a yet another example of how great an actor John Candy was.

John Candy's "brother" states that Theresa is "plain." Is he freaking' BLIND!? She is BEAUTIFUL!! And SO sweet! I would marry Theresa in a heartbeat! I melt every time I see her! And she looks SO beautiful in that blue dress when Candy and O'Hara meet her for dinner! Gorgeous!! Small breasts? Who cares?, the size of a woman's breasts does not matter to me in the least. she is BEAUTIFUL! Great movie. I watch it over and over again. Here we go again with the "ten line" requirement! This is so ridiculous! I have already said everything that I need to say. Why does this site REQUIRE unnecessary wordiness? If I can say what is necessary in one to four lines why is more than that required? Doesn't make sense to me, does anyone else agree?

It was a grand and inspired move from writer-director Chris Columbus to bring Maureen O'Hara back to the screen in a modern-day romantic comedy, playing the feisty, hen-pecking mother of an unmarried Chicago cop--but that's where Columbus' good ideas run aground. O'Hara's steely looks and angry outbursts are wonderful, and she's quite comfortable acting alongside John Candy as her son, yet this script is so thin it has to rely on mean-spirited fantasy and dumb, time-worn slapstick and insults to pad its running-time. The Chicago sites and neighborhoods aren't really captured with any flavor (the city never comes to life), and James Belushi just gets in the way as the proverbial best friend. Candy does some nice work, and Ally Sheedy (as Candy's new girlfriend from the local funeral parlor) works hard to give the love story a quirky bounce, but the results are a near-miss. ** from ****