July 6, 2014

 

I love Melissa McCarthy, don’t get me wrong. But this film, written by her and her husband Ben Falcone, is not her best. I felt it was loosely thrown together with her as the main character – a character she’s been type-casted into. While the film has it’s funny moments, having it open July 4th weekend, might not have been the best idea. (Perhaps that honor should have gone to 22 Jump Street?)

 

McCarthy plays Tammy, a washed-up eclectic woman who loses her job and finds out her husband is cheating on her all in the same day. She runs to her mother (Allison Janney) down the block and tells her she’s running away. Her crazy grandmother Pearl (Susan Sarandon) packs her bag when she hears this and tells Tammy she’s coming with her. Despite her mother’s urging to stay home and deal with her problems, Tammy is enticed by Pearl’s cash and car and they head off to Niagara Falls. However, they end up in the complete opposite direction when she starts drinking behind the wheel.

 

When Tammy wants to run back home, Pearl convinces her to stay on their adventure. They end up in Louisville and go to a bar recommended by Pearl’s cousin Lenore (Kathy Bates). They meet father and son duo, Earl (Gary Cole) and Bobby (Mark Duplass), where Pearl immediately gets drunk and starts making out with Earl – completely inappropriate for a grandmother, but somewhat normal when Saradon is playing her. After Tammy makes a failed pass at Bobby, the two bond over their amorous father and grandmother.

 

Tammy and Pearl get into a fight when Pearl kicks Tammy out of the hotel room for the night so she can hook up with Earl. The next morning after breakfast, Tammy leaves Pearl to get drunk by herself. Feeling guilty, she goes back and finds her drunk at a store. The pair get arrested – but Pearl only has enough money to bail Tammy out. And besides, she had illegal prescription pills on her – so the bail is higher. No one will give Tammy the money, so she holds up a fast-food joint, the same chain she used to work for. When she gets to the police station, Pearl has been let out as Bobby and Earl posted bail.

 

After seeing a news reporter on the restaurant holdup, the pair return the money but then go on the lam and seek refuge with Pearl’s cousin and her lover. The two throw an epic July 4th party – but Pearl gets too drunk (again) and embarrasses Tammy in front of the crowd, as well as Earl and Bobby. The next morning, Tammy goes to smooth things over and finds Pearl passed out and not breathing. Turns out, she was just passed out, but takes an ambulance to get checked out, as she hasn’t been on her meds since the pair left on their road trip. Meanwhile, the cops arrest Tammy for the holdup and she lands in jail for 30 days.

 

When she gets out, she is a reformed woman and vows to fix her life. She finds out Pearl has been put in a home by Tammy’s mother, but Pearl is seeking help for her alcohol addiction and is content. The two take one more trip though – to Niagara falls with Lenore, her wife and a surprise guest of Bobby.

 

It was a cute story – that probably had more potential if the characters were more fleshed out. McCarthy has said that Falcone came home one day and said he wanted to write a film where she takes a trip with her grandmother. And that’s honestly where the plot ends. While I wasn’t surprised by the poor script and corny jokes, I was still a little disappointed. McCarthy is very talented and I’d like to see her expand her acting chops. She plays the same character in all her films – seeing as how she wrote this with her husband, you’d think they’d make something with more substance.

 

As far as summer comedies go, I’d say Tammy is better than Blended, but not as funny as Neighbors or 22 Jump Street.