Tammy * (2014, Melissa McCarthy, Susan Sarandon) – Movie Review

Tammy stars Melissa McCarthy, and it’s directed by actor Ben Falcone, her husband since 2005. Enterprisingly, together the couple write their own screenplay, in which Tammy (McCarthy) crashes her car, is fired from her crappy burger joint waitress job and goes home early to find her husband Greg (Nat Faxon) getting friendly with their neighbour Missi (Toni Collette).

Tammy’s only option to escape her terrible life is her alcoholic, diabetic grandma, Pearl (Susan Sarandon), who has a car, cash and a desire to see Niagara Falls. Along the road there they meet Gary Cole as ladies man Earl and Mark Duplass as his kindly son, Bobby, as well as Kathy Bates as Pearl’s lesbian cousin Lenore, who’s living in the lap of luxury with Sandra Oh‘s Susannne. Allison Janney and Dan Aykroyd play Tammy’s world-weary mom Deb and dad Don.

Well, it sounds kinda interesting and a bit unusual, doesn’t it? And it is. But, now what are the problems here?

(1). Number one problem is the casting, or miscasting that is. S Sarandon as M McCarthy’s grandma!!!!! A Janney and D Aykroyd as her mom and dad!!!! Please! Apart from being all wrong as McCarthy’s grandma, Sarandon may be an Oscar-winning dramatic actress, but she’s no good at all at this kind of comedy. She’s clumsy, award and obvious. There is only 24 years difference in age between McCarthy and Sarandon, and no Oscar can change that. Why didn’t they just have Sarandon play Tammy’s mom? Sarandon’s obviously cast to recall her Thelma and Louise moment of glory, but that just makes it worse here.

(2). McCarthy’s not right for this story either. McCarthy’s 43, and far too old to be playing a rootless young character who seems to be in her late twenties, which would make Janney (aged 54) a 50something and Sarandon (aged 67) a 70something, which feels about right.

(3). It’s not a good vehicle for McCarthy’s skills. McCarthy starts with her usual aggressive comedic act, which her fans like, but then horribly softens and becomes warm-hearted as the film starts to become soppy and sentimental. A lot of folks find McCarthy’s comedy act hard to take, but most people are going to dislike her soppy and sentimental side. It’s as though, having missed out on being properly hilarious, it wants to miss out on being truly poignant too.

(4). The film seems to ramble on for ever into nearly two hours (though apparently it’s only 96 minutes), via a comedic month in jail, getting nowhere, until it suddenly gets to Niagara Falls and goes for a ghastly feel-good ending, for heaven’s sake!

(5). Having assembled a likeable, appealing, even great cast, it’s got no idea what to do with any one them, and all the actors are wasted in undeveloped, unsatisfying parts, except for Sarandon, who you wish had a lot less to do.

(6). The subsidiary lesbian sub-plot is no doubt well meant, but it comes over really awkwardly and uncomfortably, with stereotypes and an air of liberal tolerance everywhere. Also, the script’s not got a good bunch of attitudes on seniors, fast-food workers, alcoholics and overweight folk. In a raucous, non-PC comedy that wouldn’t be nice or right but it wouldn’t be a problem for the film. Here, though it is.

(7). The romance with Gary Cole as ladies man Earl and Mark Duplass as his kindly son, Bobby is completely unbelievable and manipulative. Just fake.

(8). The screenplay is low on witty banter, lacking realism, bite and wit, though it shows signs of searching for all these magic ingredients and not finding them.

(9). Shirley MacLaine was originally cast as the grandmother but scheduling conflicts with the fourth season of Downton Abbey required her to be replaced by Sarandon. Debbie Reynolds, who starred in Tammy and the Bachelor (1957) in the role of Tammy, was also considered. Either would have been a good choice.

OK, enough. On the plus side, McCarthy’s energy and enthusiasm are commendable, and Falcone helms the project smoothly and professionally. Falcone also gives himself an amusing role as the burger joint boss Keith. If you like McCarthy, it’s worth a try.

© Derek Winnert 2014 Classic Movie Review 1360

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