Tammy

Melissa McCarthy has been making a pretty steady stream of films almost identical to this one, but where "Bridesmaids", "The Heat," and even "Identity Thief" succeeded, "Tammy" fell very short. "Tammy" is a movie about a middle-aged woman whose obnoxious personality has finally caught up to her. In the first five minutes of the film she has totaled her car, gotten fired from her job, and discovered her husband is having an affair. Her solution to this is to hit the road with her alcoholic grandmother and what follows is a cringe-worthy look at what happens when fictional crass and drunk people do whatever they want. A great idea right?

Wrong. I've always liked road-trip movies. I've always like road-trips. They bring out people's true characters, and what they're actually like when they've been alone in a car for a couple of hours. Yes, this can be pretty unpleasant when we're in the midst of it, but when we're allowed to sit back and watch, humanity becomes admirable when we can see what people are actually like with no boundaries, because the result is often good. If my opinion is asked for, that should be the goal of most films: to take a look at who we are.

So yes, I was looking forward to watching "Tammy" solely because of the fact that it's a road-trip movie. Unfortunately, this is not a road-trip movie. There are maybe three scenes in the entire film that take place in a car, and I'm pretty sure the only time we actually saw anyone driving on a highway was at the very start as Tammy was driving to work. It can be pretty hard to make a cross-country trip if you only drive through neighborhood streets, unless I'm reading the map upside- down.

"Tammy" had an outstanding cast, and it was largely wasted. Starring is of course Melissa McCarthy, playing the exact same character she always plays. That character has been very funny in the past, specifically large-screen debuting in "Bridesmaids", but here it just felt rehearsed. For what McCarthy called her passion project, I felt like she almost didn't even want to be there. Susan Sarandon co-stars as the grandmother, whose character must have been a grandmother at age thirty by the looks of it. In the outstanding (on paper) supporting cast we find Allison Janney, Kathy Bates, Sandra Oh, Mark Duplass, Nat Faxon, Sarah Baker, Toni Collette, and Dan Aykroyd. Bates and Baker specifically were very good, but were given way too little time on screen, and I was legitimately surprised Aykroyd and Colette even agreed to do this movie considering what they were given.

Director, supporting actor, co-writer, and husband to star Melissa McCarthy, Ben Falcone, attempted something different with his directorial debut, and that's where "Tammy" hurt more than anywhere else. What was advertised was an R-rated comedy, where you sit down to laugh at stupid people doing stupid things, and Falcone embraced that. Where he faulted was also trying to make this movie heartfelt with a good message behind it. What resulted was a 96 minute film where I didn't care for the characters or laugh a single time. I applaud Falcone for experimenting, but he should have realized that it didn't work and take advantage of the reshoot that they took to make some much needed changes.

I was very put off by "Tammy". I'm not a very big fan of the R- rated comedy genre in the first place, but I still laugh as the filmmakers blatantly attempt to elicit that reaction. Unfortunately, "Tammy" was not funny, and that can be a problem when that's the only reason somebody will go see this movie. So as I walked out of the theater I finally laughed as some bloopers began to play and my friend aptly stated: "Let's go. No need to watch the mistakes of the mistake."

I give "Tammy" a 5.2/10.

"You're at a crossroads. You could change your life." Tammy (McCarthy) has just lost her job and comes home to find her husband with another woman. She packs her things and decides to leave. Her grandmother (Sarandon) offers her money and her car if she takes her with her. The two set out on a road trip that doesn't always go smooth. This is a movie that I thought could go either way. The previews looked funny and I really like McCarthy but I was worried that the funniest parts were in the trailer. There were a lot of the best jokes in the trailer but there was still enough new stuff to make it funny. The movie also has a lot of heart and you end up feeling sorry for Tammy a lot throughout. As funny as McCarthy is Susan Sarandon almost steals the movie from her. I do think this was very funny and Melissa McCarthy was strong as always but I really think she is gonna have to diversify her roles or she will become too repetitive and lose a lot of her humor. Overall, funny and worth seeing. McCarthy is as funny as ever. I give this a B+.

I'm very surprised at all the negative reviews this film has received as I believe those who rated it negatively aren't accepting the movie for what it is. It is your typical Melissa McCarthy movie and for me that is a good thing. Her character in this film is almost identical to her character from "Identity Thief" but I don't have a problem with it like others do as I feel that is her comedic strong point. She isn't afraid to go that extra mile for a laugh. If you're on the fence on whether to rent or buy this movie just ask yourself if you liked her in Bradesmaids and Identity Thief and if your answer is yes, you will not be disappointed with her performance here.

Comedian Aisha Tyler once stated that comedians should take the first punch during their stand-up/hosting/entertaining performances. Making fun of oneself is more amicable and less controversial than reviling any group of people right off the bat. In my life today, someone cited Melissa McCarthy as a comedian. I originally concurred with the classification, but the more thought I infused into that labeling, the more I dissent it. McCarthy is not Tina Fey, Ellen Degeneres, or Amy Poehler; she began as an actress and continues her career as one. The "comedian" excuse does not apply.

In "Tammy", McCarthy does not only censure herself for the initial stages of the film, but tries to fly the entire film on string of self embarrassment. The saddest thought from my viewing of this film: McCarthy is not only selecting roles like Tammy, but she's creating them for herself. (McCarthy co-wrote the film's screenplay and is directly responsible for the material she has to act out.)

McCarthy and Academy Award winner Susan Sarandon are faced with the most screen time in "Tammy" and each contribute more as actors than the script does as a narrative. McCarthy's hysterically brazen screen presence is the film's true source of humor, but I can't help but wonder if McCarthy would be open to revisiting authentic characters like she used to portray in "Gilmore Girls", which would replace her gimmicky, stereotypical roles like Tammy. Susan Sarandon, a goddess of her generation, keeps putting herself out there in whatever script she can get her hands on and we still pity her. As Tammy's grandmother, she at least straps on her acting gear and succeeds with a few lovely moments, but frankly her talent is not justified nor is it utilized properly.

For a project of such a low caliber, "Tammy" attracted a surplus of remarkably talented actors for brief, unflattering roles. The roster includes Gary Cole, Dan Aykroyd, Toni Collette, Sandra Oh, Kathy Bates and Allison Janney (who took time out of her career best year on television shows "Girls" and "Masters of Sex" to make time for an extended cameo in "Tammy"). Maybe McCarthy charmed these award winners with friendship to convince them "Tammy" was a worthwhile project. At any rate, it looks like they all had fun.

At best, "Tammy" is a cute flick to see with silly friends looking to laugh at things that probably would not be as funny if everyone accessorized their theater-going wardrobe with their thinking caps. McCarthy owns her figure and the expected judgment, but what makes "Tammy" funny is the facial expressions and enunciation McCarthy uses when reciting witless lines of dialogue. Especially in the film's first act, "Tammy" did acquire some laughter on my behalf. (Now whether I was laughing with it or at it is another story...)

At worst, the film is nothing more than an hour and a half of McCarthy making an a$s out of herself. Unclear and unrealistic characterization, expedient character growth for the leading goon, erratic moments of failed poignancy, and poor writing that almost feels like comedic improvising are some of the many wretched qualities present in the film. McCarthy and her husband Ben Falcone, the co-writer and director of "Tammy" shoot blank after blank from their comedic firearm.

* / * * * *

After Tammy had a bad day combo of getting fired and caught her husband cheating, she goes to take a runaway trip. But since she lacks money and a car, she urges to borrow them from her grandma Pearl, who then insisted that she joins Tammy. The pair gets crazy on their trip, purchasing a broken jet ski in process, while from time to time Pearl reminisce about her past stories and tell them to Tammy. The catch of the trip for Tammy is that Pearl is secretly a heavy alcoholic, and lustful, despite her obvious danger from diabetes. One night at a bar the pair meet father and son Earl and Bobby. Pearl and Earl hooks right up, leaving Tammy alone outside for the night. The next morning Tammy gets infuriated and leaves Pearl while she gets drunk. When Tammy returns to her, they get arrested due to disturbing public peace. Pearl bails Tammy out.

That night, feeling guilty, Tammy resorts to robbing a branch of Topper Jack, a fast food brand where she was employed. It turns out that Pearl had contacted Earl to bail her out. So the next day Pearl and Tammy returns the robbed money. Pearl then contacts her friends Lenore and Susanne. Lenore then ditches the car Tammy and pearl uses to cover tracks of the robbery, but they bring the jet ski. Eventually they give a "Viking funeral" to the jet ski at a night party at Lenore's. The next day the police come due to the neighbors complaining about a burning jet ski. That's when they made it about Tammy. Afetr some time Tammy gets out of jail. When she gets home, her mother tells her that they put Pearl in a retirement home. Angered, Tammy rushes to the home trying to free Pearl. To Tammy's surprise Pearl is happy where she is. But they still go to Niagara Falls, the original destination of their trip.

The story is actually based on a quite uncommon premise of having a runaway trip after going through a low point in life. The movie doesn't really develop the entire story suitably. It feels like there are some things missing here and there. The pace is not well set, where, starting from the deer crash, we have the first twenty to thirty minutes in a rather fast pace. Yet it slows down, starting about the conversation in front of the eagle, and stays that way for a long duration. And after that, the pace doesn't really recover. It makes the mood of the movie feels rather awkward.

The jokes feels rather off because there are many great laughs from the dialog, but there is little to none of rather physical or practical joke. Well, compared to the last time I saw Melissa McCarthy in The Heat (2013), Tammy (2014) has way less of those crazy practical jokes. I bring this up because I do think there are many spots which are capable to be filled with some practical laughs here and there.

The acting is a so-so job in overall. McCarthy still did her loud, raunchy and wild character as she almost always do. Susan Sarandon provides some extra laughs, especially on the scenes of Pearl and Earl. Kathy Bates gives an adequate supporting cast acting as well as Gary Cole and Mark Duplass.

My final say that Tammy is only worth a 5 out of 10 score. Although it is a good laugh most of the time, and it can be a good entertainment, but it definitely can't be included in the family movie category due to the harsh language. Also the unstable pave building makes this movie loses it.