Uncle Buck/Stripes/Brewster's Millions

John Candy Triple Pack. In 'Uncle Buck' (1989) John Candy plays the jobless, happy-go-lucky slob of an uncle who is asked to babysit his niece and nephew (Gaby Hoffman and Macaulay Culkin) at short notice.

His hidden flair for childcare soon emerges, even as his relationship with long-suffering girlfriend Chanice (Amy Madigan) takes a turn for the worse.

John 'Home Alone' Hughes directs. In 'Stripes' (1981) John Winger (Bill Murray) is a loser; he literally loses everything that matters to him - his car, apartment and girlfriend - on the same day.

Along with his equally unsuccessful best friend, Russell Zitsky (Harold Ramis), John decides to enrol in the US Army, but discovers that his unit is little more than a refuge for drug-addled psychotic misfits.

Matters are not helped by the no-nonsense Sergeant Hulka (Warren Oates), who is determined to instil some discipline in his unruly recruits. 'Brewster's Millions (1985), the seventh screen version of this perennial tale, Richard Pryor plays a man who stands to inherit $300 million - if he can first spend $30 million in 30 days without letting anyone in on the reason.

This proves harder than he'd imagined, even with the assistance of teammate Spike (John Candy).