Tammy

Melissa McCarthy is a hilarious actress, but her recent string of comedies wouldn’t necessarily show that. Since Bridesmaids, she’s had some excellent bit parts in underwhelming films like This Is 40 and The Hangover Part III, yet her leading films like Identity Thief fall completely flat. Unfortunately Tammy is about as unfunny as comedies get.

Tammy (McCarthy) is having a horrible day when she decides to get up and actually do something about her life. After hitting a deer, getting fired from her cashier’s job at a fast food restaurant, and finding out that her husband has been cheating on her with the neighbor she decides that enough is enough and plans to leave her small town city once and for all. Without a car or money, she partners with her grandmother Pearl (Susan Sarandon) as them embark on a cross-country trip to visit Niagara Falls.

Tammy isn’t as much a comedy as it is a depressing drama. Melissa McCarthy seems to always play the awkward idiot type of character, and it’s no different this time around, although I have to admire her commitment to the role. With Tammy, though, it’s difficult to find the humor when everything happening around her is so terrible. Besides losing her car, job, and marriage, she lands up in jail, wrecks a jetski, and ends up sleeping outside of a motel room while her grandmother and some guy have sex inside. It’s hard to laugh among the constant barrage of instants being thrown at Tammy.

The single shining moment of the film is the fast food robbery that no doubt audiences have already seen thanks to the trailers. It’s definitely the best part of the film and is good for a laugh or two as Tammy manages to successfully rob the cash register, and snag a few pies in the process, with nothing but a couple of greasy paper bags and an imaginary gun. The scene features some of the best dialogue in the film and plays to McCarthy’s strong points. It’s a shame that the rest of the film doesn’t stand up nearly as well.

Tammy is another lackluster effort that fails to gain momentum and tumbles along unnoticeably. It’s one depressing moment after another that’ll turn any smile you might have into a forlorn frown. I’m still waiting for the film that really showcases Melissa McCarthy’s ability. While it’s only a matter of time before that film comes, Tammy unfortunately isn’t it.