[Movie Review] 'Tammy' is Touching and Funny Tribute to Women
Filmed in Wilmington, North Carolina, Tammy is a fun and funny coming of age road trip movie that should put the hilarious Melissa McCarthy and her director/co-writer husband Ben Falcone on the A List for comedic talent in Hollywood.
Susan Sarandon and Melissa McCarthy hit the road in ‘Tammy’, filmed in Wilmington, North Carolina.
McCarthy is not as foulmouthed as she was in her breakthrough role in Bridesmaids, but she’s still just as lovably blunt in her admittedly often dimwitted role as the title character.
Tammy gets fired from her fast food job in the first few minutes and then comes home to find her husband cheating on her with a neighbor, leading her to run away from her miserable life with her Grandma, played by a soft-spoken but hard-drinking Susan Sarandon.
A ton of big names pop up along the way in a number of colorful supporting roles, including Alison Janney as Tammy’s mom, Dan Akroyd as her dad, and Kathy Bates and Sandra Oh as a wise party-throwing lesbian couple.
Melissa McCarthy is ‘Tammy’.
Sarah Baker makes the most of her small amount of screen time as a restaurant employee who gets robbed by Tammy, as the two bond and become friends, and Gary Cole is also great as a slimy cougar hunter who has the hots for Grandma.
As Cole’s son Bobby, Mark Duplass plays the ultimate nice guy, but he does a really nice and believable job of it.
Susan Sarandon and Melissa McCarthy star in ‘Tammy’, filmed in Wilmington, North Carolina.
Throughout the road trip that ensues, the soundtrack of classic rock hits had me singing along like any good driving playlist should, as Grandma teaches Tammy to live life while you can, but then lives it up a bit too much herself, and both women learn some predictable life lessons along the way.
Though McCarthy is in her 40s and Tammy is probably in her 30s, the film is still a classic coming-of-age story, for both the title character and her Grandma, as the ladies figure out how to settle into the next stage of their respective lives with humor and humility, ultimately embracing the women they are meant to be.
Tammy is a righteously confident and often very funny inspiration to women everywhere, with great taste in music and snack foods.
Official Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Stars
Reviewed by: Matt Artz
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Tammy (rated R) is now playing at R/C KDH Movies 10 in Kill Devil Hills.
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