Tammy

3 out of 5 Stars

Melissa McCarthy has become very popular in the last few years.  I think she is very funny and have enjoyed movies she was in, so I have wanted to see Tammy, her new movie.

The day is already going bad - car issues and being fired - when Tammy arrives home and discovers that her husband is romancing another woman.  Tammy packs up a few things and heads two houses down to her parents’ home.  When her mom won’t turn over a car, Tammy decides she can take her grandmother’s car.  Pearl is willing, but only if she goes with Tammy.  The two head off on what ends up being a wild road trip, complete with drinking and a robbery.

A few short things are shown during the first few minutes of the credits, including one blooper.  There are no additional scenes at the end of the credits.  There isn’t a 3D option for this one.

Things start happening within the first few minutes of Tammy, setting up that this is just the most recent bad day that Tammy has had.  It quickly becomes clear that her life isn’t the greatest.  Some of that is her own fault and other things aren’t.  There are times when I felt really bad for her.  Pearl has her own issues that come to light during the trip.  That does sort of add a few complications to what is going on, but the plot is fairly straightforward, though it isn’t completely predictable since there are a few small surprises here and there.  Some people could be disappointed by the fairly simple plot. 

Not everyone is going to like or appreciate the humor in Tammy.  Some of it is rather crude or rude, involving obscene gestures or language.  The word that rhymes with luck, along with some variations are used repeatedly throughout the movie by just about every character.  All the foul language may offend some people.  I don’t mind if that sort of thing is done a few times, but it does get old after a certain point.  Bad language by itself isn’t funny.  I do think that Tammy is funny overall, though it could have been funnier.  There are funny things that weren’t in the trailers, but there is also something that has been in trailers that wasn’t in the movie for some reason.  A few references are used at times as well, mostly to things that a younger person will not get.  The only one I can remember now is when Tammy mentions the old tv show Falcon Crest. 

Tammy is not a family friendly movie, though when I saw it, someone decided to bring a herd of children, who ended up sitting just one seat away from me.  The movie is rated R for a reason, and young children really should not be seeing it.  The movie is probably all right for teenagers.  Parents should check the movie out first.  In addition to all the swearing, there are some sexual remarks and a few borderline sexual situations as well.  At one point, Pearl is picked up by Earl while Tammy and Earl’s son Bobby watch.  Pearl and Earle end up in the backseat of the car before locking Tammy out of the hotel room.  Pearl demonstrates more bad behavior by offering Tammy beer when Tammy is driving and spending a lot time drunk.  The two women share a few things, some of which are a bit disturbing. 

Pearl and Tammy serve as the main characters and each of them have some issues.  Pearl spends a lot of time drunk, and at least once, she is shown starting to drink really early in the day.  Pearl is a bit wild at times, especially where Earl is concerned.  Susan Sarandon is all right in the part, though she doesn’t seem old enough to have a granddaughter Tammy’s age - or daughter the age of Deb for that matter.  It is a little odd to see Sarandon in this type of part, but I think she handles the comedy well.  I do think she was funnier in the few episodes of Mike & Molly she was in last year.  Deb and Don are Tammy’s parents.  Deb is not happy about the road trip at all and she doesn’t come across as that supportive at times.  Alison Janney is fine in the part even though she isn’t old enough to have a daughter the age of McCarthy.  Don only shows up very briefly late in the movie, so Dan Aykroyd don’t get much to do.

Lenore is Pearl’s cousin who ends up helping Pearl and Tammy at one point.  Kathy Bates is fine in the part even though she doesn’t have much to do.  Sandra Oh has even less to do as Susanne, Lenore’s partner.  Earl is a drunken mess and a mostly flat character.  Gary Cole really just has to stumble around and make out with Sarandon.  Bobby is Earl’s sort of responsible son - Bobby did take Earl out drinking after all.  Bobby doesn’t get much attention either, but he seems nice enough.  Missi is the woman that Tammy’s husband Greg is seeing.  They are only in a few short scenes, so Toni Collette is wasted in the part.  Ben Falcone is good as Keith, Tammy’s jerk boss. 
Tammy, as the main character that the movie is named after, ends up with the most to do.  She has a fairly crappy life.  She tends to complain about things without doing much to try to change things.  She isn’t the brightest crayon in the box and she clearly has issues.  She usually makes bad decisions, though at one point, she does that with good intentions.  She still manages to be mostly likable even though she has some moments when it is difficult to like her.  Melissa McCarthy is fine in the part.  She, along with her husband Ben Falcone, wrote the movie and he directed it.  I do think it could have been better.  Tammy really isn’t that different from the parts she has played in Identity Thief and The Heat, so I can see why some people say they are getting tired of her doing the same thing over and over. 

Tammy has problems and could have been a lot better, but it isn't as bad as some have said.  It does manage to be funny and entertaining, but it isn’t as good as The Heat.  Fans of McCarthy will probably want to check out of the movie.