Tammy * (R) How can a road comedy starring Melissa McCarthy and Susan Sarandon turn out so badly? How could a screenplay this lame attract the likes of Kathy Bates, Toni Collette, Allison Janney, Sandra Oh and Dan Aykroyd - many of whom wind up with uncommonly small roles? After appearing with McCarthy in the huge hit Bridesmaids, Ben Falcone apparently hit the Peter Principle ceiling (rising to his level of incompetence) by directing and co-writing this script with her. Another cast member, Mark Duplass has not only acted in better films, but actually written a few of them.
McCarthy plays another (eventually lovable) loser, whose delusional level of self-confidence greatly exceeds reality. She wrecks her car on the way to losing her fast-food restaurant job, sending her home early enough to find her hubby canoodling with their neighbor. That spurs a road trip with her drunken, one-time hippie granny (Sarandon), heading for Niagara Falls. What must have seemed like hilarious hijinks on paper wound up forced and unfunny on screen.
McCarthy can be a comedic dynamo with her singular flair for the physical side. She’s shown that in other roles, including brilliant slapstick sketches the first time she hosted Saturday Night Live. Sadly, this feels like one too many trips to the same well, after overly similar leading roles in The Heat and Identity Thief. Very disappointing. Her TV sitcom is a hit; she deserves better career guidance on the movie side. (7/2/14)