"Tammy" Review

Tammy

2 out of 5 stars

Family appropriateness rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Rated R
-Moderate amount of strong language including f-words in both sexual and non-sexual contexts
-Moderate amount of sexual content
-Some shots of a man and woman making out in a car. It is implied that they are either having sex or they are about to, but it is not very explicit and nothing is shown.







"Tammy" is an uninspired film that attempts to get laughs by being as loud as possible.

Melissa McCarthy plays Tammy, an uneducated, incompetent, obnoxious woman, who is at the low point of her life. In one day, her car dies after hitting a deer, she gets fired from her job, and she finds out that her husband has been cheating on her with a more attractive woman.

With nowhere to go in her life, she decides to run away from her troubles. She goes off on an adventure to find herself with her grandmother, Pearl (Susan Sarandon), who Tammy only agrees to go with because she has a functioning car.

Pearl is the best part of the film. There are some genuinely funny moments that involve her. She is an older woman who is young at heart. She is also an alcoholic who brings various beverages with her. She intends to live life to its fullest, and she does not want to die alone. That is the reason she goes with Tammy. She has been living with Tammy's mother, and she is tired of being in that house.

Susan Sarandon and Melissa McCarthy have good chemistry. The best moments between them are not necessarily funny, but they are sentimental and add depth to the characters. Tammy is annoying, but it is obvious that the writers cared about her.

Melissa McCarthy is notable for her role in "Bridesmaids." She is very funny in that film. This is the only other movie I have seen her in. Judging from these two productions, it seems the reason she was so good in the 2011 film is she has a supporting -- as opposed to a leading -- role. Her character is used sparingly, so her scenes are funny. Had she been the lead, she would probably get annoying.

In "Tammy," she is the lead, and her character is abrasive. She is funny at times, but for the most part, the comedy relies on her being incredibly loud and dumb. For the most part, this comes off as more annoying than comical.

There is an attempt at a character arc. She gets less annoying in the end, but it is difficult to pinpoint exactly why she changes. It is more than likely because her grandmother pays attention to her, and she finds meaning through this relationship. However, the story is not written well enough to make it as obvious as it needed to be.

There is also a romance between Tammy and a man named Bobby (Mark Duplass), but it is developed poorly. At first he does not seem interested in her, but then he is all of a sudden. The poor development is partly due to the fact that he is in a couple of scenes, disappears and then reappears again. He is also given no personality, and in the end there is no reason to care about this aspect of the film.

The most hilarious part is when Tammy robs a fast-food restaurant. That would be a spoiler had it not already been in the teaser trailer. This scene and a couple of others are the only reasons to see this film. However, I will spare you from having to spend money by putting the clip right here. There is a little more to this scene, but the trailer highlights most of what makes it funny.



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