Only the Lonely
Tags: romantic

Plot synopsis:
Danny Muldoon (John Candy), a 38-year-old Chicago policeman, still lives with his overbearing Irish mother, Rose Muldoon (Maureen O'Hara). A lonely bachelor, Danny falls in love with Theresa Luna (Ally Sheedy), an introverted, lonely girl who works in her father's funeral home as a cosmetician. On their first date, he takes her to Comiskey Park and has a picnic on the field. Their courtship eventually becomes very difficult because Rose begins to feel threatened that Theresa is trying to steal her son away; the fact that Theresa is not Irish (she is Sicilian and Polish) only exacerbates the situation.
Danny's brother Patrick (Kevin Dunn) tries to convince Danny to remain unmarried so that Danny and Rose can move down to Florida, where Danny can take care of her; Salvatore "Sal" Buonarte (James Belushi), one of Danny's married friends and fellow police officers, tries to tell Danny that he can do better and not to settle down just yet, as he did. Because of this, Danny begins to feel guilty about his relationship with Theresa, especially towards his mother. This leads to his interrupting dates with Theresa to check on his mother.
When Theresa is finally introduced to Rose at a fancy dinner, Rose immediately begins to put her down. Theresa stands up to Rose, and complains to Danny as to why he didn't stand up for her. After Theresa leaves, Danny scolds his mother for being so cruel to Theresa, saying that her way of "telling it like it is" is really her attempt to hurt people. He then reminds her that she lost a $450,000 account for his late father's company by making racist remarks. Danny then tells Rose that he will propose to Theresa, whether she approves or not.
That night, Danny apologizes to Theresa and proposes to her from the bucket of a Chicago fire truck. She says yes and the two are set to be married. However, even though Rose finally does approve of Theresa, on the night before the wedding, Danny calls to check on his mother in front of Theresa. Angered at the fact that they might never be alone, Theresa walks off. At the wedding, both Danny and Theresa fail to show up, thus, the two don't marry. A few weeks later, Danny's friends question what happened to make them not get married, but Danny avoids an answer. Then, when a friend of the family, Doyle (Milo O'Shea) passes away, alone with no wife or children, Danny realizes that he doesn't want to end up that way, and realizes that he can't let Theresa go.
Finally, the day Danny and Rose are scheduled to move to Florida, Danny tells Rose that he can't let Theresa go and by leaving her behind, he'd be leaving behind the best thing that ever happened to him. Reluctant at first, Rose finally agrees to Danny's plan and goes to Florida without him, instructing her son to get married, have a family and be happy. Danny then goes to Luna's Funeral Home to look for Theresa. However, her father tells him that she left for New York City by train. Danny contacts the railroad station manager, who agrees to stop the train at a suburban station outside the city. There, Danny apologizes to Theresa and proclaims his love for her. He tells her that he will move to New York with her and join the New York City Police Department. Having no more guilt about his mother, the two re-board the train for New York to live the rest of their lives together.
Throughout the film, the Muldoons' Greek neighbor, Nick Acropolis (Anthony Quinn), who encourages Danny to pursue Theresa, attempts to woo Rose. Rose is salty towards him in the beginning, but as she gradually softens her stance regarding Danny's relationship with Theresa, she ultimately warms to Nick.

Review: A wonderfully light RomCom that stands as one of the best tributes to John Candy (alongside Uncle Buck).Though, this is a comedy, it still allows Candy to show his true acting skills, and many of the choicest comedy moments go to Maureen O'Hara as Candy's mother, who almost steals the film.It is a sad trait in Hollywood theory which appears to dictate that comediens can't do serious acting and so should never be given serious roles, yet many have proved this to be wrong.
I loved seeing the late, great John Candy in a romantic comedy lead role.
Casting was superb with Ally Sheedy as his shy love interest, and Maureen O'Hara as his domineering Irish battleaxe mother.Watch for Jim Belushi as Danny's (John's) cop partner and Macaulay & Kieran Culkin as John's nephews.Anthony Quinn turns in a charming performance as Nick Acropolis, the Greek neighbour who fancies Rose (Maureen O'Hara).
I felt sorry for Danny (Candy) at times because he loved Theresa (Sheedy) so much but yet his mother didn't want him to be with her because of her religion.
In this film he plays "Danny Muldoon." Ally Sheedy's character, "Theresa Luna," is sweet in the beginning but then becomes unfairly-demanding and annoying by the end.
Maureen O'Hara did a fine job playing "Danny's" domineering mother, "Rose." She came out of retirement to do this film and did herself proud.
This film will always put a smile on my face as being a HUGE Maureen O'Hara fan, and having just seen the Quiet Man in 1991 for about the 3rd time that week, I thought to myself "Wouldn't it be great if Maureen O'Hara came out of retirement to make another movie."  I no more made that wish whilst watching "Uncle Buck" on TV when it cut to commercial and the advertisement for "Only the Lonely' came on.
But seeing her again in "Only the Lonely, Irish and feisty with fellow veteran Anthony Quinn romancing her once more, and playing John Candy's mother in what is easily his best film makes this one stand out a little more than the others.A charming and bittersweet romantic comedy that is a pleasure to watch each and every time you see it..
I know it takes place in Chicago, but because of Maureen O'Hara, Ireland's all-time best female actress, this movie has to be Irish.
The interaction between her and John Candy, who plays an Irish-American cop, whose mother is from the old country, and has a hard time controlling her mouth or her actions."It pays to be a cop," is a favourite saying of Candy, who uses his position to great advantage.
The mean part comes when Maureen tries to break up John and his new girlfriend, because, as most Irish mothers do, she thinks the woman is not good enough for him.Why do I think this way?
it's actually a kind of sweet, sentimental story (somewhat influenced by the classic film/play "Marty" starring Ernest Borgnine) about an aging bachelor cop (Candy), his overbearing mother (Maureen O'Hara, just as sassy on screen as in her heyday) and the plain, young mortician with whom he falls in love (Ally Sheedy).
ONLY THE LONELY gives such rich roles to JOHN CANDY and MAUREEN O'HARA as an Irish mother and son enduring a love/hate relationship while his outspoken mother "tells it like it is" to anyone who stands between her and her son.
JOHN CANDY creates a really sympathetic character as the man hopelessly in love with the quiet girl his mother despises.
ANTHONY QUINN gives a gentle, finely shaded performance of the man next door who loves Maureen from afar and JOHN BELUSHI is excellent as Candy's worker friend.It's a good mixture of comedy and drama that never becomes too mawkish or sentimental and exposes some of the hypocrisies of human nature that are not often shown on screen.Well worth watching for the performances alone..
Only the Lonely is a fine tribute to the talents of John Candy and Maureen O'Hara late in their careers.
Her son, John Candy-another performer who's been missed since he passed away only a few years after this movie-is a cop who lives with her and has been quite lonely as a result.
Written and directed by Chris Columbus, he does a nice mixing of drama and comedy when the sequences call for it and also makes good use of the Chicago locations (a city I was born in and lived as a child for about 6 years as well as one I visited quite a bit during the '80s).
Only the Lonely is a funny little gem that also features the great acting of Maureen O'Hara, Jim Belushi & Ally Sheedy.The story is simple a lonely Chicago cop in his late 30's finds romance with the daughter of a funeral parlour owner he must also deal with his mother who disapproves of the relationship.
Maureen O'Hara portrayed the role of Rose Muldoon to perfection, she comes across as a tight fisted iron willed Irish woman who tells it like it is without any regard of who gets hurt.Danny Muldoon (Candy) is a 38 year old police officer who still lives with with his mother in Chicago he is always worried about her to the point of having nightmares in which something bad happens.
The funniest scene is when they are on the date and he tells an amusing story about his brother Patrick's (Dunn) bachelor party.Another plot of the film sees Nick Acropolis (Quinn) Danny's neighbour trying to win the affections of his mother he's been asking her out for years she keeps turning him down.
However by the end of the film after accepting her son's choice to be with the love of his life she warms up to Nick's charms.Funny & filled with many dramatic moments Only The Lonely is a good gem of a movie for anyone out there.
Throughout the film we are shown how this relationship between Candy's and Sheedy's character progresses and how hard the mother tries to get in the way and stop her son from marrying an Italian girl instead of a nice Irish girl.
'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.
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..
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.
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.
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.
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.
All the lonely people, where do they all belong?" Through Candy's terrific performance (by far, the best of his all-too-short career), we find out that Danny is actually a very good guy - a hard worker who himself sacrificed so his younger brother could go to law school, a dutiful son who, even 25 years later, still feels regrets over his father's inabilities to make it big in business.
Later, we learn a little more about her dreams and aspirations and of course we realize she and Danny are perfect for each other, if only they can figure it out and find their way around Rose.The story is pleasant and worth your money, Candy & O'Hara work well together (who would have thought she would outlive him!) but the real power of the film is her interaction with Anthony Quinn.
Danny Muldoon (John Candy) is a good natured Chicago cop living with his racist mother Rose (Maureen O'Hara).
In one of his less know roles as Danny Muldoon in Only the Lonely, Candy plays a cop who discovers love in an unassuming funeral home make up artist in Theresa Luna (Ally Sheedy).
John Candy stars as a Chicago cop who lives with his mother (Maureen O'Hara) in "Only the Lonely," also starring Ally Sheedy, Jim Belushi, Anthony Quinn and Milo O'Shea.
The late John Candy does a beautiful job as Danny, a man struggling with the tremendous responsibility he's had since childhood, his true love and desire to live his own life.
Ally Sheedy, as Theresa, is lovely as a woman discovering who she is and what she wants for the first time.The star, of course, is Maureen O'Hara, who is complete perfection as Danny's mother - feisty, tart-tongued, made of steel - who most of the time doesn't realize the hurt she's causing by "telling it like it is." She called one relative's German bride a Nazi and insinuated that she slept with Hitler.
Maureen O Hara one of the great beauties of the American screen was lured out of retirement by Chris Columbus for the role of the matriarch in John Candy's hilarious and poignant Only The Lonely.
Ms. O Hara takes the role and runs with it and scores a great hit, and one wonders why the great Star was not nominated for her brilliant performance of a tough loving Mom. The film uses wonderful Chicago-land settings and the late great Mr. Candy is touching as a man who finally finds love.
The lyrics themselves spell out the characters of John Candy and Ally Sheedy two people looking like they're not fated to find mates.
Danny Muldoon (John Candy), is a happy-go-lucky, overweight police officer who has never really had a girlfriend, mostly because his mother Rose (Maureen O'Hara) doesn't want him to.His younger brother Patrick (Kevin Dunn) is married with three children something which Danny (on some level) has always wanted but has never admitted that he wants.And so, he lives his life out in the company of his mother (who won't admit she's going blind even as she's pouring orange juice into her coffee), his partner Salvatore Bounarte (James Belushi), whom his mother tolerates but doesn't approve of, and his two old pub friends Doyle (Milo O'Shea) and Spats (Bert Remsen), both lifelong bachelors who have nothing left but each other.Shy, and diffident with women, Danny has resigned himself to his ordinary existence.The only excitement in his life being the advances Nick Acropolis (Anthony Quinn) makes on his mother, which she stubbornly resists.Then he meets Teresa Luna (Ally Sheedy), a lonely mortitian's daughter who spends her days applying makeup on corpses, and a heartwarming romance ensues.
Fancy schmantzy."It's not long before Danny (fighting his hysterical bouts of guilt), alienates Theresa by being too attached to Rose.Rose, of course, does nothing to improve the situation but instead makes it worse, so that finally, Theresa leaves altogether, and Danny is force to make a choice.This is a great little movie.Hysterical, true to life, and exceptionally well done.John Candy was always one of my favorite actors, and this was definitely one of his best movies.Maureen O'Hara is great, and the subplot with Anthony Quinn really adds a lot to the story.The rest of the supporting cast is excellent, and the theme song by Roy Orbison really caps it.Originally, Review #35Posted On:
As the tagline perfectly states, Only the Lonely is "a comedy for anyone who's ever had a mother." In this very charming romantic comedy, John Candy is a bachelor who lives with his overbearing Irish mother, Maureen O'Hara.
Catholic and parental guilt prevents him from moving forward with his life, even when he finally meets a girl, Ally Sheedy, he thinks might be "the one".What I love about Only the Lonely is that it's so much more than a comedy.
When other characters in the film tell him they think he can do better, I can't help but agree with them.What I absolutely love about Only the Lonely is the sunset romance between Maureen O'Hara and Anthony Quinn.
John Candy turns in a wonderful performance as Chicago police officer Danny Muldoon, in his late-30s and still living with his mother.
John Candy gave the most tender performance of his career in this lovely film from Chris Columbus.
Here, he finds the gentle side to gruff Maureen O'Hara (who makes a smashing return to film) and the cuddly side to John Candy.
Thoroughly entertaining, endearing romantic comedy with John Candy opposite Ally Sheedy and Maureen O'Hara, especially lured out of retirement.
It's a lively cast, with unsuspecting action-oriented scenes (stunts) for screen siren Maureen O'Hara, coming out of retirement for this endearing 'rom-com'.Watching John Candy playing the romantic leading man, Danny, is absolute fun - catch those phrasing and selective wording he delivers with such ease.
Danny Muldoon(Candy),is a Chicago cop.When he falls in love with Theresa(Sheedy),a local morgue cosmetician,he finds that he must break some "rules";Classic actress Maureen O'Hara(Rose)plays Momma, a headstrong Irish with her own views.She does not like her son's new belle,and has her biased opinion on Love and Marriage.We meet Nick(Quinn),the amorous neighbor;He tries to win Rose's heart over,but Rose doesn't take kindly to his romantic wooing.In Rose's overprotection,she tries to make her son guilty and sorry.
ONLY THE LONELY (1991) *** John Candy, Ally Sheedy, Maureen O' Hara, Anthony Quinn, Jim Belushi, Kevin Dunn, Macaulay Culkin.
Tenderhearted romantic comedy with lovable lug Candy as a mama's boy Chicago cop who falls in love for a younger woman (winsome Sheedy) much to the chagrin of his meddling proudly Irish mother O' Hara.
But it's an excellent comedy-drama of a single late 30s police officer (John Candy), still living with his widowed mother (Maureen O'Hara), who meets a shy mortician (Ally Sheedy).
The best thing: they got Hollywood legend Maureen O'Hara to come out of retirement for her first screen appearance in over 20 years, to portray Candy's mother.
The story is about 38-year old Chicago cop Candy who still lives with his mother, a set-in-her-ways Irish woman.
Candy meets Ally Sheedy (in a role fairly similar to the one she played in "The Breakfast Club") who works in her father's funeral home as a cosmetologist, making up dead bodies.
This is a pleasant romantic comedy-drama that has a lot of really good character development, and the relationship between Candy and Sheedy is sweet and touching at the same time.
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.
Despite being helmed by Chris Columbus, starring John Candy and Ally Sheedy, and having a strong supporting cast...
As one of the many innocuous comedies starring John Candy, "Only the Lonely" may not seem like much.
Candy plays a Chicago cop who still lives with his Irish immigrant mother (Maureen O'Hara).
Largely a modern retelling of MARTY, this funny and tender film is easily one of the best John Candy vehicles and also marks the glorious return of the silver screen's Maureen O'Hara, back for an encore after she decided to retire from movies.
His best was Planes Trains and Automobiles, but one more of John Candy's more memorable performances was in this 1991 romantic comedy, 'Only the Lonely' Candy plays a cop who falls for a girl.
We can expect what would happen in a film like this, seeing it's pretty predictable, but the directing style of Chris Columbus and the great cast (that also includes Jim Belushi as Candy's cop partner) that the film boasts, who couldn't love this film but only the lonely?3.5/5 starsJOHN ULMER.
While larking through Wal-Mart, I saw this movie--"Only the Lonely." It was a bargain video, only about $7, so I was all over it.The plot has been discussed at length--John Candy (Danny) falls in love with Ally Sheedy, only mom Maureen doesn't think it's an appropriate match.
The Halloween conversation between John Candy and Maureen O'Hara is, I think, the best in the movie.
John Candy's character, Danny, has a tendency to imagine his mother stuck in fatal situations (can ya blame him?), and his overactive imagination causes the friction in his relationship with Ally Sheedy.
Danny (John Candy) is a Chicago police officer who, at 38, still lives with his strong-willed, Irish mother, Rose (Maureen O'Hara).
This one, stars John Candy, Maureen O'Hara, and Ally Sheedy.
This is one of John Candy's best films, and with the beautiful Ally Sheedy playing his romantic interest, we have a story that is more about romance than comedy.
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.
John Candy, Maureen O'Hara, Ally Sheedy, James Belushi and Anthony Quinn star in Chris Columbus' 1991 romantic comedy-drama.
Danny (Candy) is an Irish Chicago cop who lives with his widow mother, Rose (O'Hara) and is always worried about her.
When I first started seeing this excellent 1991 film, I was reminded of Ernest Borgnine's "Marty," of 1955 fame.John Candy plays an over-sized Chicago police officer who is really dominated by an excellent Maureen O'Hara.
Basically shy cop Danny Muldoon (the lovable John Candy) meets and falls in love with equally bashful mortician Theresa Luna (The Breakfast Club's Ally Sheedy).