Review: Tammy

by Trevor Kirkendall

★★

There's no denying that Melissa McCarthy's star power is enormously high at the point in her career. With her breakout role in "Bridesmaids" followed by commercially successful films such as "Identify Thief" and "The Heat," there's no question that audiences love seeing her even though she's never really developed her characters. "Tammy" marks her big screen writing debut, a screenplay she wrote with her husband - and the film's director - Ben Falcone. The problem here is that "Tammy" shows Melissa McCarthy doing what Melissa McCarthy has done before. She has yet to step out of her comfort zone and try a different character.

McCarthy stars as the title character Tammy. I’m not sure if her character is supposed to be stupid or if that’s just the way McCarthy is playing it. Either way, she doesn’t come across as very bright. She loses her job at a fast food restaurant and then learns that her husband Greg (Nat Faxon) has been carrying on with the neighbor Missi (Toni Collette). Tammy leaves and goes to her mom Deb’s (Allison Janney) home. There, she announces she getting out of town and needs to borrow her grandma’s car to do so.

Tammy’s grandmother is Pearl (Susan Sarandon), a profane woman with a very big drinking problem. Tammy isn’t thrilled about this, but Pearl has money so she goes along with it. They decide to go to Niagara Falls.  They must not know their geography too well because they end up in Louisville after starting out somewhere in Illinois. They end up at a bar where they meet Earl (Gary Cole), an old alcoholic farmer who falls all over Pearl, and his son Bobby (Mark Duplass) who Tammy likes. A lot of friction between Pearl and Tammy continues to build, mostly thanks to how she treats Tammy after she’s been drinking. There’s a lot of bad history between these two that is boiling beneath the surface and needs to be resolved.

The problem with “Tammy” is it never really tells you much about that history. A few think come to light, but are quickly cast aside in favor of more McCarthy slapstick humor. I never really understood whom I was supposed to be rooting for. Pearl isn’t all that unlikable until the plot demands her to be. She and Tammy seem to get along fine; they’re just an odd couple. Nothing ever really feels at risk. A definitive conflict is never fully developed.

The only reason for this film’s existence is for McCarthy to get onto movie theater screens and do her thing for the second summer in a row. I’m not saying she’s not funny, nor am I saying the movie isn’t either. The film itself lacks a compelling and fully developed story. McCarthy fans will find connection because she is a funny actress. But the best moments in this film don’t come from her at all. The scenes featuring Kathy Bates (with Sandra Oh playing her girlfriend) are the best in the movie.

Other good moments come between McCarthy and Mark Duplass. Duplass’s Bobby is probably the most developed of all the characters in this film. That doesn’t really surprise me since Duplass is already an accomplished actor/writer/director in his own right. I liked the interaction between him and McCarthy. This provides some rooting interest for Tammy. These are also the scenes where McCarthy leaves her shtick behind and shows a small amount of the acting range she’s capable of achieving.

But honestly, who is going to see “Tammy” looking for McCarthy’s dramatic acting ability? It’s one funny McCarthy moment after the next. The shaky plotline I cannot forgive though. “Bridesmaids” and “The Heat” worked well for her because the story was solid and the film was well written. I think they might also work because McCarthy was the supporting role in those films. We’ll see if audience flock to see “Tammy” like they did with her other films. It might be people don’t think of McCarthy as a leading role. Time will tell on that hypothesis.

For now, “Tammy” is a film for fans of Melissa McCarthy’s unique brand of comedy. Those looking for the next big R-rated summer comedy should probably look elsewhere. Nothing here but the same-old-same-old from a funny actress.