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| David Spade and Chris Farley |
Dan –
Let’s be clear up front, I love this movie because it makes me laugh, not because of its clever plot or intelligent dialogue, which it clearly lacks. If I could only watch the same five movies over and over again for the rest of my life, this is the first movie that pops into my head. And I have no idea what the others would be. It is one of the most quoted and quotable movies among my group of friends. As I was watching it again I noticed just how many of the lines I still use in my regular vocabulary (“Holy Schnike!”, “Son of a!” etc.). My friends and I can quote almost the whole thing and laugh at every joke as if it was the first time we’d heard it. It just never gets old to me. My wife even got me a shirt with the Callahan Auto Parts logo.
Let’s be clear up front, I love this movie because it makes me laugh, not because of its clever plot or intelligent dialogue, which it clearly lacks. If I could only watch the same five movies over and over again for the rest of my life, this is the first movie that pops into my head. And I have no idea what the others would be. It is one of the most quoted and quotable movies among my group of friends. As I was watching it again I noticed just how many of the lines I still use in my regular vocabulary (“Holy Schnike!”, “Son of a!” etc.). My friends and I can quote almost the whole thing and laugh at every joke as if it was the first time we’d heard it. It just never gets old to me. My wife even got me a shirt with the Callahan Auto Parts logo.
I’d be lying if I told you that I don’t see a lot of similarities between myself and the character of Thomas R. Callahan, III, especially as he is embodied and brought to life by the late, great Chris Farley. Tommy went to college for seven years, I went to college for six. Tommy is a big guy, I’m a big guy. Tommy tells stories that go a little too far, I tell stories that go a little too far. He gets called Tommy Boy, I get called Danny Boy. The list could go on. If there was a movie made of my life and Chris Farley was still alive, I would choose him to play me. As Mark and I started watching this movie I mentioned that I have some similar character traits to him and, not surprisingly, he agreed he was thinking the same thing.
Some movies will always be funny no matter how many times you see them, making you laugh even when you know what’s coming almost as if the anticipation is as funny as the joke. This is a funny movie and the two stars play really well off each other. They both have great timing, and Chris Farley is a great physical comedian (I can't believe he does such a nice cartwheel) as well as a guy with an expressive face and manic energy. Just look at the stories he tells - the sales pitch in the picture above, the "why I suck as a salesman" story, and the guarantee fairy sales pitch.
This movie became funnier as I got older because I finally got some of the jokes. For example, I had no idea that Herbie Hancock was a band. I laughed initially because it looked so ridiculous as an answer. When Bo Derek comes out of the pool and Tommy says, “She’s like a ten!” I was unaware of the movie "10" starring Bo Derek that introduced her in the exact same way until my dad told me when I watched it with him. It got funnier once I saw the actual scene too.
I love this movie and give it 5 out of 5 stars. I’m going to make a bold statement that this is the comedy of my generation and one of, if not the, funniest movies I have ever seen. Just about everyone that I know that has seen this movie thinks it is hilarious. And the ones who didn’t had no sense of humor to begin with (no offense to those people).
Some movies will always be funny no matter how many times you see them, making you laugh even when you know what’s coming almost as if the anticipation is as funny as the joke. This is a funny movie and the two stars play really well off each other. They both have great timing, and Chris Farley is a great physical comedian (I can't believe he does such a nice cartwheel) as well as a guy with an expressive face and manic energy. Just look at the stories he tells - the sales pitch in the picture above, the "why I suck as a salesman" story, and the guarantee fairy sales pitch.
This movie became funnier as I got older because I finally got some of the jokes. For example, I had no idea that Herbie Hancock was a band. I laughed initially because it looked so ridiculous as an answer. When Bo Derek comes out of the pool and Tommy says, “She’s like a ten!” I was unaware of the movie "10" starring Bo Derek that introduced her in the exact same way until my dad told me when I watched it with him. It got funnier once I saw the actual scene too.
I love this movie and give it 5 out of 5 stars. I’m going to make a bold statement that this is the comedy of my generation and one of, if not the, funniest movies I have ever seen. Just about everyone that I know that has seen this movie thinks it is hilarious. And the ones who didn’t had no sense of humor to begin with (no offense to those people).
Mark -
It’s sad that it sometimes takes rewatching (I’m not sure it’s a word either) a film like this to truly remember and appreciate how funny someone like Chris Farley is/was. I don’t usually enjoy the over-the-top type of comic performances (i.e. Jim Carrey or Robin Williams), which Farley could be construed as, but the way everything seems so natural to Farley allows it to become realistic rather than reaching.
The film portrays the story of Tommy Callahan (Farley) who has just graduated from college after 7 years, and returns home to work at the family owned Callahan auto parts. When Tommy’s father Big Tom (Brian Dennehy) suddenly passes, its up to Tommy to try and save the company and keep the jobs of the current employees. The only problem is that to keep the company from having to be sold, Tommy must sell half a million orders using his father’s reputation. While Big Tom could "sell a ketchup popsicle to a woman in white gloves", Tommy unfortunately "ate a lot of paint chips as a kid." Joining Tommy on his journey to save the company is Richard (David Spade), who could best be described as the polar opposite of Tommy.It’s sad that it sometimes takes rewatching (I’m not sure it’s a word either) a film like this to truly remember and appreciate how funny someone like Chris Farley is/was. I don’t usually enjoy the over-the-top type of comic performances (i.e. Jim Carrey or Robin Williams), which Farley could be construed as, but the way everything seems so natural to Farley allows it to become realistic rather than reaching.
The duo of Farley and Spade truly make for a surprising and hilarious combination. Spade offers the obvious/sarcastic arrogance of a character who is very intelligent, yet feels spited for not being allowed the luxuries of someone like Farley. Farley has lost so many brain cells that he simply doesn’t know whether he is being complimented or criticized.
This movie has so many memorable parts about it, and I doubt that anyone who may have watched it as a teenager didn’t go around saying "Son of a" and "holy schnikes" for at least a month afterwards. I loved Saturday Night Live back in the early 90's when it had a great cast including Farley and Spade, and would invite anyone who hasn’t watched the best of Chris Farley to do so. This movie was actually funnier than I remembered it being, despite the fact that some of the supporting cast isn’t very good, and the plot is really just something to allow a reason for Farley to be seen. 3 ½ out of 5 *’s.
My Random Thought For Tommy Boy: Callahan auto parts is located in Sandusky, Ohio, and I’m just curious if 1) anyone actually reads this blog, and 2) if anyone knows what else Sandusky, Ohio is famous for.
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