Tommy Boy

This is a comedy in which Thomas 'Tommy' Callahan III (Chris Farley) who is a slow-witted, clumsy guy who recently graduated college after attending for seven years. His father, Thomas 'Big Tom' Callahan II (Brian Dennehy), owns an auto parts factory in Ohio. When Tommy arrives back home, he finds he has a position at the factory waiting for him. His dad also introduces Tommy to the new brake pad division of the factory and to Tommy's soon-to-be stepmother, Beverly Barish-Burns (Bo Derek), and her supposed son Paul Barish (Rob Lowe). But when Big Tom dies, the factory threatens to go under unless the new brake pads are to be sold. Therefore, Tommy must go on the road to sell them, along with the assistance of Richard Hayden (David Spade), Big Tom's right-hand man. Beverly and Paul who are con artists and also husband and wife who try to con Tommy and his family out of the company's money. Tommy and Richard travel all over the Midwestern United States trying to sell a half a million brake pads. If they don't sell the half a million brake pads, the company will be sold to Ray Zalinsky (Dan Aykroyd). This movie is full of great laughs and everybody will enjoy it. If Chris Farley was alive today, I bet there would be many more great and funny movies like this one. There are plenty of great passages that I hear everyday from this movie. I have seen it so many times I have lost count. I pretty much know it by heart. It is that great of a movie. Everybody needs to see it.

This movie has everything! It has a good storyline, good acting, great scenery, adventure and some brilliant gags! Chris Farley plays Tommy Callaghanhe mega successful company 'Callaghan Auto Parts' has to go on the road to stop the company going under after Big Tom dies. The trouble is that Tommy knows nothing about break pads and needs the help of Callaghan Auto Parts worker Richard (David Spade). From the moment the two dorks hit the road, the movie is just so much fun. If you love slapstick with a great storyline you'll love this because the gags keep coming thick and fast and the movie will just make you laugh out loud! It was so sad about Farley's untimely death in 1997, but a credit to his genius is 'Tommy Boy'. Get it, chill out and enjoy this brilliant slapstick!

As it turns out, Chris Farley and David Spade only made three movies together ("Coneheads", "Tommy Boy" and "Black Sheep"), but this was truly the "Citizen Kane" of their pairings. Farley plays Thomas Callahan III, the dimwitted heir to an auto parts company. His father Big Tom (Brian Dennehy) hires mild-mannered Richard Hayden (David Spade) to look after him. Big Tom is getting married to a "ten" (Bo Derek), so everything has to be in order. After Big Tom suddenly dies, Tommy and Richard have to try to sell half a million auto parts to save the company from bankruptcy. From then on, the movie is pretty much an excuse for Chris Farley to do what he does best: make a mess of everything.

When this movie first came out in the theaters, I saw it with my grandfather. He figured out early on that the Bo Derek and Rob Lowe characters were hiding something. But you can completely ignore that and simply luxuriate in Chris Farley's antics. Nothing is safe around his stomach, and hell hath no fury like his happy-go-lucky attitude. The scene where he sets the cars on fire, and later the deer scene, make for a pure laugh riot. Chris Farley and David Spade were truly the John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd of their era. It's a pleasure to always be able to think about "Fat guy in a little coat" time and again.

I won't go into great details about this film, basically because there aren't many worth mentioning. It's just a funny little romp with Farley and Spade annoying each other and trying to sell some brake pads in their spare time.

I must however say that one scene almost had me on the sticky floor of the theater because I was laughing so hard. In the scene, the duo are driving down a highway in Spade's recently trashed GTX. An old Carpenters song is playing on the radio and the two are emotionally singing along with it. That alone is funny enough, then the hood of the car pops up and they skid wildly out of control. This produces a hilarious argument culminating in Spade smacking Farley in the head with a 2x4.

The only time I have ever laughed harder in public was during the snowman scene in Dumb and Dumber.

That's really all I have to say about this film. Farley was an adorable slug of a guy. I miss him, even though some of his films were real stinkers.

I'd give it 8 of 10 stars.

So sayeth the Hound.

What can you say about Tommy Boy, well its without a doubt stupid, over the top, and not a film with any real message to make you think about life in general. But its also a very, very funny film and most likely my favorite Chris Farley film (Black Sheep coming a close second).

I should point out that i am English so i haven't seen any Saturday Night Live shows and only know Farley and Spade from their films and Spades stand up comedy. I think that if you want a film to watch that kills an hour and a half and keeps you laughing from start to finish then this is for you.

It does have moments of slushy "i love you" in it but they are very few and far between and the slapstick comedy is well worth the wait. The story line is very basic, Farley must sell his late fathers brake pads to keep his business alive. But its the amount of situations that both Farley and Spade encounter along the way that make the film so funny and watchable.

I can't say enough about this film to really sell it to anyone but it simply is a very, very funny film and ironicly if it has a message to leave the viewer with its how sad the loss of Farley is and how much great comedy was lost once he died.

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