Quartile rating: 7/10 · 3 ratings
To save the family business, two ne’er-do-well traveling salesmen hit the road with disastrously funny consequences.
Tommy Boy is a beloved mid-90s Chris Farley comedy that delivers solid laughs largely on the strength of his chemistry with David Spade. The plot is a fairly standard road-trip buddy formula with predictable beats — lovable loser inherits a problem, goes on a journey, learns and grows. The acting earns its marks from Farley's physical comedy genius and Spade's dry wit, though the supporting cast is unremarkable. Cinematography is functional at best, typical of mid-budget studio comedies of the era. The ending resolves things warmly but without surprise. It's a crowd-pleasing, genuinely funny film that nonetheless doesn't break much new ground conceptually or visually.