Quartile rating: 7/10 · 1 rating
I am Chris Farley tells his hilarious, touching and wildly entertaining story - from his early days in Madison, Wisconsin, to his time at Second City and Saturday Night Live, then finally his film career (which included hits like Tommy Boy and Black Sheep). The film showcases his most memorable characters and skits from film and television and also includes interviews and insights from his co-stars, family and friends - including the likes of Christina Applegate, Dan Aykroyd, Mike Myers, Bob Odenkirk, Bob Saget and Adam Sandler.
A warmly received but fairly conventional celebrity documentary that follows the standard talking-heads-plus-archival-footage template. The subject himself is undeniably compelling and the interviews with Sandler, Myers, and family members carry genuine emotional weight, but the film offers little formal innovation. Cinematography is standard documentary fare. The ending, covering Farley's tragic death, lands with appropriate solemnity. Novelty is low because the biographical documentary format is well-worn, and this film doesn't subvert or reinvent it in any meaningful way despite the richness of its subject.