Tommy Boy (1995)

Tommy Boy (1995)

6/10

Starring

Chris Farley

David Spade

Bo Derek

Brian Dennehy

Directed by Peter Segal

Tommy Boy is one of those movies that grabs your attention from the start and holds it until the very end. The performances by Chris Farley and David Spade carry the film, making every minute worth watching.

I’m not usually a fan of road comedies, and I’ve never been a huge fan of David Spade—not back then and not now. As for the late Chris Farley, this is the only performance of his I’ve ever seen. Though he was a popular SNL performer, I’ve never been into Saturday Night Live. So, this movie was my first and last glimpse of him as an actor. That said, he did an excellent job, showing a range of acting abilities and making every scene he was in worthwhile.

The plot introduces us to Tommy (Chris Farley), an immature man who has been cared for by his father all his life and never had to grow up. His father (played by Brian Dennehy) loves Tommy just the way he is and never tries to change him. This isn’t one of those stories where the father is disappointed in his son’s lack of maturity. However, Tommy is forced to face reality when his father unexpectedly passes away.

Tommy’s father was an industrialist whose business relied heavily on his charm and knack for sealing impossible deals. With his death, the company faces significant challenges, and Tommy must step up to save it. To do so, he embarks on a road trip with Richard (David Spade), a childhood acquaintance who works for the company and despises Tommy.

Over time, Tommy Boy has become one of those movies that everyone has seen—whether on TV or through a home video collection. However, it wasn’t a box office success upon release and didn’t receive much critical acclaim, either.

The critics’ dismissal is understandable to some extent. Aside from the two leads, the rest of the cast feels out of place. Bo Derek, for instance, was miscast and delivered a poor performance. The story itself also needed work. The way everything fell apart in the end, and how Tommy managed to piece it back together, felt rushed and poorly written.

Despite its flaws, revisiting Tommy Boy wasn’t a bad idea. I found myself laughing and enjoying the ride all over again, I do think Chris Farley is an over-the-top actor, but for this movie it works, and I believe this movie will be funny anytime you see it.