Tommy Boy (1995)

Cinema Sweetheart's Rating: 9 out of 10

Director: Peter Segal

Starring: Chris Farley, David Spade, Brian Dennehy
Rated: PG-13

Genre: Comedy

Runtime: 97 minutes

Things are finally starting to look up for Tommy (Farley).  After seven years, he's finally graduated from college, plus his father (Dennehy) has given him a job in the family car parts manufacturing company, and to top it all off, his father's getting remarried--and that means that Tommy gets the brother he's always wanted!  Needless to say, life is good.  Well, that is, until Tommy's dad dies at his own wedding reception, and Tommy inherits the failing company.  Things couldn't possibly get worse.  And then, Tommy has an idea.  Offering up his shares of the company to the bank as collateral, he decides to raise the money to save the company himself, by making sales calls personally.  But, with his limited experience in the business, he can't do it alone, so he ropes his father's stuckup accountant Richard (Spade) to come with him.  The unlikely duo must do whatever possible to earn enough money to save the company.  But will they be able to do it in time?

Now, I'm not saying that this is the greatest movie ever, but it was terribly funny, and that certainly was enough for me.  I've seen Chris Farley before in other things, mostly SNL skits involving the character Matt Foley, the motivational speaker.  He's a master of physical comedy, as well as an actor who can just get so worked up, that you can't stop laughing, and you have no idea what he is going to do next.  There is something hilarious in watching him crash into doors, through tables, etc.  Or of course, my brother's favorite scene involves Farley's character Tommy setting a toy car in his eagerness to demonstrate how his company's brakes work in comparison to the competition's.

David Spade was wonderful.  I have never been a David Spade fan; in fact, I've never really liked him.  But, this film changed that.  The contrast of big, boisterous Farley and short, serious, mousy Spade was wonderful.  It was so funny watching the sorts of conflicts they got into.  My personal favorites involve an argument over whether or not to eat in the car, and another incident where Tommy teases Richard about watching a woman skinny dipping.

All in all, I would highly recommend this film to anyone who enjoys a good laugh (I personally laughed until I cried), or who appreciates physical comedy (people crashing into walls, glass doors, through tables, etc.), or for anyone who is a fan of Chris Farely or David Spade.  All in all, it's just a funny movie and I highly recommend it!