Tommy Boy: A Unique Masterpiece | Teen Ink

Tommy Boy: A Unique Masterpiece

February 26, 2024
By Caelanh SILVER, Cannon Falls, Minnesota
Caelanh SILVER, Cannon Falls, Minnesota
5 articles 0 photos 0 comments


In “Tommy Boy”, a 1995 comedy classic, Tommy Callahan III is the son of a rich businessman who runs a brake company. When his dad can no longer carry out business, Tommy has to continue his dad's business so that the company stays in his bloodline. In one scene, when Tommy is trying to sell to a company, he hilariously does a scene with toy cars about how much better his brakes are than “The other guy's brakes.” Tommy (Chris Farley) sells this scene about a dumb kid who took 7 years to graduate, trying to show how good his brakes are. I used to replay this scene over and over because I was laughing so hard. I couldn’t stop because of the hilarious chaos of Tommy’s over-the-top personality portrayed by the late great Chris Farley. “Tommy Boy” is an amazing, unique, and truly hilarious movie, because of the amazing and talented actors involved, the heartfelt acting and story, and the fact that it can never be recreated or forgotten.

First, the cast. Chris Farley especially brings out this movie. He has lots of movies that show his hilarious physical and prop comedy skills, but none like this one. The way he portrays Tommy: stupid, clumsy, and naive is the perfect performance. That car crash scene may be one of the best if not the best comedy sketches or scenes I’ve ever seen. David Spade is another reason this movie is so memorable. His wittiness towards Tommy in the scenes in which they are fighting about something is just so admirable and hilarious. He is also nonchalant which contrasts perfectly with Tommy always yelling and screaming. In this movie, Chris Farley also shows his acting side as well as his comedy. He never did this in any movies because he was scared it would ruin the comedy. This shows how committed he was to making a laugh. He never let anyone down with the laughs while also providing an interesting and feel-good story. 


Another reason is the story and acting. Tommy is a character that never feels like he's not a real person because while he is hilarious, there is an amazing story and acting behind him that shows that he actually has feelings and isn’t just a dumb funny kid. We see this in the scenes with the love interest of the movie. He shows his soft side in a way he never had in his acting career. He definitely feels like a real, funny guy. There's another plot line that shows this in his relationship with his father. He has a solid relationship with his father and is truly devastated when his dad can no longer continue being with him and doing business. When he has to start working with Richard (David Spade) to continue his dad’s business, they have to road trip everywhere. This is where the acting chemistry of David and Chris really comes together. They riff on each other constantly while David tries to do business, while Tommy is “trying” but is failing miserably as he is not the greatest salesman.

 

Finally, the reason why this movie is an absolute classic is the fact that it will never, and can never be recreated. Since the tragic passing of Chris Farley at age 33 in 1997, there has never been a single person who can recreate the hilarious physical comedy skills he had. Chris Farley is needed to make a movie like this, and since he passed, there will never be another quite as memorable or as funny. David Spade’s age is another reason this movie cannot be recreated. David Spade is now 59, and as such he is 30 years older than he was in “Tommy Boy”, obviously this is just a fact of aging, but he’s just not as funny or as witty as he used to be. Richard in the movie was a smart, young man and as such he was the perfect companion to Tommy. David Spade has sort of rebranded in his recent performances as to what Chris was, although he’s obviously not as good. So David can’t do this role anymore, because that sharp wittiness and dislike for Tommy built the movie, and even though David can’t do the role anymore, neither can anyone else. David was just as unique, while not being the star, as Chris. No one can recreate either of their performances because they are such unique actors with great and interesting skills and personalities.


In summary, because of the cast, story, and uniqueness of it all, we have never seen a movie that lives up to the comedic genius and chemistry of Chris Farley and David Spade in “Tommy Boy”, and we will never again because of their unique personalities and portrayals. With the hilarious throughlines in the movie, the many plot developments and twists, and the amazing comedic scenes in the movie, “Tommy Boy” really is a must-watch classic that I believe anyone who likes comedy should watch.



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