"Tammy" Starring Melissa McCarthy Surprises Both Box Office and Audiences With Its Success

"Tammy" Starring Melissa McCarthy Surprises Both Box Office and Audiences With Its Success 

Although "Tammy," starring Melissa McCarthy from "Bridesmaids" and "Identity Thief," did not fare especially well in the hands of critics, its box office numbers still surpassed its fellow Fourth of July weekend film, "Transformers 4: Age of Extinction." "Tammy" ended up with about $21.2 million coming in just over the weekend, and it is undoubtedly due to McCarthy's well-established persona and the antics we have come to expect from her after her roles in comedies such as "The Heat," co=starring Sandra Bullock.

It's true, "Tammy" will never be called one of the great film masterpieces of our time, but that does not mean that it has not warranted a place in the heartwarming comedy genre. Melissa McCarthy as title character Tammy is a brassy, brazen woman with a tender, meek interior whose life falls apart all in the space of a day. As a result, Tammy hits the road, toting along her diabetic, wad-of-cash-carrying grandmother Pearl (played by Susan Sarandon) for what turns out to be more than just your average road trip comedy.

"Tammy" has all of the staples we have come to expect from both McCarthy and the typical road trip/mid-life crisis story: hilarious trash-talking, skanky motel rooms, something gets lit on fire (or multiple somethings), and a romance that feels a bit stilted and underdeveloped. Perhaps the film tries a bit too hard to give its title character everything: a love for herself, control of her life, an improved relationship with her grandma, and a relationship with a new guy that ends up feeling shallow. However, there are some moments of true poignancy, and the film depicts dysfunctional family relationships, dependency, and enabling with an emotional accuracy. "Tammy" will have you laughing one minute and wanting to cry the next, and that is a nod to the true talent of Melissa McCarthy and her ability to inspire a range of emotions in a film that depends on her for the majority of its charm and appeal. 

 

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