Tammy

Tammy

Starring Melissa McCarthy, Susan Sarandon, Kathy Bates, Allison Janney

Directed by Ben Falcone

Synopsis:
Tammy (Melissa McCarthy) is having a terrible day.  She hit a deer and her car broke down, she just got fired from a fast food restaurant, and she discovered her husband was cheating on her.

She wants to leave but without a car and money she's stranded, until her alcoholic grandmother Pearl (Susan Sarandon) agrees to take her car, if she goes with her.  So the two women embark on a journey of self-discovery for the both of them, and through several hilarious twists and turns they learn that, even though their lives aren't what they wanted, they have the ability to turn it for the good.

Review:
Melissa McCarthy has been on a role lately, with huge hits such as "Identity Thief" and "The Heat."  It's because of this that she and her husband Ben Falcone were able to bring "Tammy" to life, a film that began in the mind of her husband.  The two worked on the script and McCarthy took a pay cut in order to produce the film.

The result is a rare thing in Hollywood - a truly original idea that wasn't a sequel, didn't come from a book and wasn't inspired by actual events.  It was a true blue original.  And while it was funny, it wasn't laugh-out-loud funny.  McCarthy is good at playing the role of the underdog female - the one who doesn't necessarily get the good looking guy and who is often misunderstood due to her weight.  This is her strength, but it's also becoming a pigeon-holed trap that she's falling into, making her into a one-note character.  With "Tammy," you already knew her struggles, and you knew how she would react to them since you've seen her in previous films.  It's pretty much the same outcome here.

That's not saying the movie isn't hilarious, as even though McCarthy is become one-note, she plays it well.  It's just becoming monotonous and predictable, and I'm hoping that she'll branch out into different territory in the future.

Summary:
While not a gut-busting comedy, "Tammy" still has several humorous moments, even if the ending is predictable an typical of a Melissa McCarthy comedy.

My Rating: A-