Tommy Boy (1995) Storyline and Short Reviews

Published:

Updated:

Author:

Tommy Boy (1995) Storyline and Short Reviews

Disclaimer

As an affiliate, we may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. We get commissions for purchases made through links on this website from Amazon and other third parties.

“Tommy Boy” is a 1995 American comedy film directed by David Dobkin and written by Michael McCullers, Neil Pepe, and Steve Faber.

It stars Chris Farley, David Spade, Matt Dillon, Maria Bello, Jon Lovitz and Kevin Dunn. The film follows the adventures of an aspiring filmmaker who becomes involved in the underworld of show business after inheriting his late brother’s failing movie studio.

Tommy Boy (1995) Storyline and Short Reviews

Plot

Thomas R. “Tommy” Callahan III (Chris Farley) barely graduates from Marquette University after seven years and returns to his hometown of Sandusky, Ohio. His father, entrepreneur and widower Thomas R. “Big Tom” Callahan Jr. (Brian Dennehy), hires him as an executive at Callahan Car, the family’s auto parts factory. Big Tom also says that he hopes to marry Beverly Barrish-Burns (Bo Derek), a lady he met at a fat farm and that her kid, Paul (Rob Lowe), will become Tommy’s new stepbrother.

On the other hand, Big Tom dies of a heart attack at the wedding reception. Following the burial, the bank reneges on assurances of a loan for a new brake pad division. It expects prompt payment of Callahan Auto’s obligations, fearing the company’s prospects without Big Tom.

Tommy proposes a deal in which he would let the bank maintain his few inherited shares and residence in return for the bank allowing him time to sell enough brake pads to show the sustainability of the new division.

The bank will provide the loan if enough brake pads are sold by the deadline. Tommy subsequently embarks on a cross-country sales tour with his father’s contemptuous assistant, Richard Hayden (David Spade), a boyhood friend who is irritated by Tommy’s ability to be sluggish and yet be rewarded.

Beverly and Paul, on the other hand, are portrayed kissing lovingly. They are shown to be married con artists with criminal backgrounds rather than a mother and son. Rather than fighting for divorce and seizing half of Big Tom’s wealth, Beverly inherited the firm’s control. She wants a rapid sale to Ray Zalinsky, the self-proclaimed “car parts king” (Dan Aykroyd), to get it into cash.

Tommy’s social nervousness and hyperactivity turn off numerous prospective purchasers on the road. Tommy and Richard are tense as a result of the lack of progress. When it seems that all hope is gone, Tommy persuades a grumpy waitress to serve him after the kitchen has closed, and Richard recommends that he utilize his ability to read people to make sales.

The two get close and easily reach their sales objective. On the other hand, Paul sabotages the company’s systems, causing sales reported by sales manager Michelle Brock (Julie Warner) to be lost or diverted. With half of the transactions now canceled, the bank chooses to sell Callahan Auto to Zalinsky (now supported by Beverly and Paul).

Tommy and Richard fly to Chicago, acting as flight attendants, hoping to persuade Zalinsky to rethink. They have a short meeting with Zalinsky in Chicago, but he informs them that he just wants the reputation associated with the Callahan brand and that he would liquidate the firm and lay off its employees.

The Climax of the Tommy Boy (1995)

The Climax of the Tommy Boy (1995)

There is no one answer to this question as it can depend on which version of the movie you are referring to. However, some key scenes that could be considered the climax of the Tommy Boy (1995) movie include:

  • The scene where Chris Farley’s character Tommy decides to move to Hollywood and become a stand-up comedian.
  • The scene where Tommy performs his first stand-up routine in front of a live audience.
  • The scene where Tommy and Pauly Shore’s characters go head to head in a televised comedy competition.
  • The scene where Chris Farley says he thinks Pauly Shore is a talented comedian and then delivers some of his best one-liners.
  • Tommy faces Richard’s (Seth Green) ‘father’s character Willard at the Rocky Horror Show.

Those are the most important parts that take place in or around Hollywood and could be considered within their own climaxes, but there does not have to be anything else from the previous clips to be considered a climax.

The Story Behind the Movie

The Story Behind the Movie

The story of the Tommy Boy movie is about a teenage boy who is trying to make it big in the music industry. He gets a chance to tour with the biggest band in the world and becomes their new lead singer.

However, things start to go wrong, and he has to find a way to get back on track. The film’s characters are also very important as they characterize each other and how they interact. For example, Chris Farley’s character Tommy is made out to be a likable young adult boy who wants what he has always wanted.

Still, it can’t seem to get there because he keeps messing up one situation after another with extreme comedy, resulting in his putting himself down when things don’t go right or even up at times.

Just as he was about to get with his old girlfriend (and for some reason knocks on the door of a neurotic psychic) Pauly Shore’s character Ray and Chris’ father steps out to discuss Ray rejecting his son, which leads him into becoming extremely disappointed but ultimately accepting it.

The other characters involved in this movie are also characteristic – such as Sinead O’ Connor who plays a role in both “Cop II” and ‘Pop”‘ and Buffy film’s Monica Geller which she has already appeared in the TV series of The Simpsons, “King Of The Hill,” as well as acting out her role with a small but funny part in this movie.

This shows how influential her character is to many people and why they relate to them so much – see the clip: She gives him one last chance while still friends then leaves.

Chris ends up believing it was all his fault after he goes home without talking to her. After saying goodbye, she says that he reminds her of somebody – Chris thinks this is his father because they have similar looks and feelings, but Pauly Shore’s character shows extremely well as he remembers the person in question even though it was six years ago, which gives us a quick feel or how much time has passed since then especially seeing them together again.

In Conclusion, Personally, I took an interest on this film for many different reasons it seemed to have a story and correctly described cycles in relationships – like taking the time to see people than push them away or get frustrated and over-protective which would set off other characters who are themselves stuck between family loyalty, through their work as protectors of undesirables, due on good customer service etc.

Movie cast and characters

Chris Farley

Chris Farley

Chris Farley plays Tommy Callahan, a high school student who lives with his single mother and younger brother. The family is poor, and Tommy is forced to work at a pizza parlor for a few hours a day. His mother is constantly sick, and he has to take care of her. He also has to find the money for food, clothing, and transportation. He gets a job at the local mall, where he meets his best friend, Joe Piscopo.

Dan Aykroyd

Dan Aykroyd

Dan Aykroyd plays Mel Moreau, Cox’s handler for the special unit. He tries to befriend Duffy because he believes that Dofay would get wise and try to kill him one day. He is killed in a restaurant shootout with Cox afterward as Greevy stabs Collins at the theater robbery before their meeting (when Greevy was assigned Harry Cross).

David Spade

David Spade

David Spade plays Officer Duffy. He is an instructor in Driving School and has a chauffeur as his teaching assistant. He first meets Chris at the doughnut shop where he gives him a driving test, then takes him to buy supplies for schoolwork, which include several items resembling those carried by Johnny London on “Little House on Street.”

Bo Derek

Bo Derek

Bo Derek plays Carol Callahan. She is a mother to Chris and recently separated from his father (Johnny London). She is the gynecologist that Tommy goes to after his mother gives birth to his baby sister, Debbie.

Brian Dennehy

Brian Dennehy

Brian Dennehy plays Harry Cross, head of the Police Department. He disapproves of Officer Duffy’s methods and assigns him to a special organized crime unit that is led by fellow officer Max Greevy (Donald Sutherland).

Awards

William Petersen was nominated for the “Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture or TV Drama” and won both the Tony Award as Best Featured Actor in A Musical (Tony nom) and 1999 Satellite Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble.

This film has one of Tommy’s lines hit on many coincidences with his childhood, such as running around the neighborhood. Also, before becoming a police officer, he had been arrested several times because of his “takes” with his friends. This film’s director, Richard Donner, described one such incident as crying on a subway train until it left the station and refusing to move since he was in harm’s way.

Tommy has been for possession of marijuana and breathalyzer tampering when Tommy tries out Duffy (David Spade), who teaches driving school at night. At first, he passes due to dishonesty from Harry Cross and Max.

Later, however, he tries to take the test sober after Harry suggests it as a way for him to symbolically punish himself for drugs and also for being dishonorable due to his dirty drug habit, which Donner was aiming at Powell’s character in this film.

The Ending of Tommy Boy (1995)

The Ending of Tommy Boy (1995)

Tommy and Richard are refused access to the Zalinsky board room due to Tommy’s lack of standing. Michelle comes with Paul and Beverly’s police records as they wallow on the curb in self-pity.

Tommy devises a plan: disguised as a suicide bomber and using road flares, he catches the attention of a live television news team before forcing his way back into the board room with Michelle and Richard. Back in Sandusky, Callahan employees are watching the drama on television.

In a final persuasion maneuver, Tommy cities Zalinsky’s advertising slogan, claiming to be on the side of the “American working man.” Zalinsky signs Tommy’s purchase order for 500,000 brake pads in front of the TV audience.

Despite Zalinsky’s claim that the purchase order is irrelevant since he would soon buy Callahan Auto, Michelle shows her police documents, which contain Paul’s outstanding fraud warrants. Beverly’s marriage to Big Tom was bigamous and never legitimate since she is still married to Paul.

As a result, Tommy, the true successor, owns all of Big Tom’s controlling interests. Because Tommy refuses to sell the shares, the agreement with Zalinsky falls through, and because Tommy still possesses Zalinsky’s purchase order, the firm is rescued.

Paul tries to flee but is apprehended. Zalinsky acknowledges Tommy outperformed him and asks Beverly to supper. Tommy is named president of Callahan Auto, befriends Richard, and begins a relationship with Michelle.

Overall reviews

Audience analysis

The film grossed $142,000 in its first week.

“Beyond the Breakdown” has been given mixed reviews by critics. At Metacritic (a rating site that combines online movie critic review aggregation), it earned a 61% favorable score based on 15 selected surveys.

Generally indicating that it is average or slightly above average with regards to the big heart symbolism and funny cast —see Metacritic user comments about “Beyond the Breakdown” from IMDb.

Rotten Tomatoes reports a 64% approval rating from critics and a 66% positive audience assessment. 65% of the corresponding comments stated that they approved strongly, with 43 liked it very much while 11 disliked it greatly.

Critic’s analysis

When Tommy Boy was released, reviewers gave it mixed reviews. Based on 43 reviews, Rotten Tomatoes awarded the picture a 42 percent approval rating, with an average of 5.22/10. “Though it benefits from the comedic charms of its two protagonists, Tommy Boy too frequently seems like a familiar sketch stretched thin,” according to the website’s critical consensus.

The film has a Metacritic score of 46 out of 100, based on 20 critic reviews, indicating “Mixed or mediocre reviews.” CinemaScore polled audiences and assigned the picture an A- on a scale of A to F.

The Los Angeles Times’ Kevin Thomas gave the film a favorable review, calling it “sweet-natured” and a “wonderful belly chuckle of a movie.”

The film was also well-reviewed by Brian Webster of the Online Film Critics Society, who said it would appeal to Farley fans. The film was praised by Dan Marcucci and Nancy Serougi of the Broomfield Enterprise as “Farley at his best,” [better source required], and Scott Weinberg of DVDTalk.com as “quite darn amusing.”

Visual Effects

Visual effects achieve the initial computer graphic effects (CGI) in a studio despite the expensive physical model and performance of Tommy Boy. That picture contains many diverse visual effects used to depict “A Visual Renaissance” that moviegoers greatly appreciate. The 1960s setting provides a feel of the Hollywood movies from that period, which is quite amazing. The end-credit sequence was produced in 3D CGI and then projected onto High Frame Rate Film Projector Stereoscopic projection to offer realty fun without any glasses.

Conclusion

In the world of new-media entertainment, few films have had the staying power of Tommy Boy. The comedy, starring Chris Farley and David Spade, was released in 1995 and still gets a good chuckle today.

FAQs

Why Was Rob Lowe Uncredited For Tommy Boy?

There are a few possible reasons why Rob Lowe was uncredited for his role in Tommy Boy. First, it is possible that the film’s producers did not want to pay him the same amount of money that he was making for his other roles at the time. Second, it is possible that they thought that his character would not be as memorable without him in it. Finally, it is also possible that he was not available to shoot the scene at the last minute, and they had to find a replacement.

Is Tommy Boy Bad For Kids?

No, Tommy Boy is not bad for kids. In fact, it can be a great way to introduce your children to movies and television.

Tommy Boy is a movie that was released in 1995, and it is about a teenager named Tommy who becomes the victim of bullying at school. He eventually learns how to stand up for himself and fight back against his enemies. The movie is rated PG-13, and it is appropriate for children ages 13 and up. It contains some violence, language, and sexual content, but it is not graphic or explicit.

If you are concerned about your child watching Tommy Boy, you can watch it with them, or you can watch it after they have gone to bed.

Is Tommy Boy A Good Movie?

There is no one definitive answer to this question as everyone has their own opinion. However, if you are looking for a comedy movie that will make you laugh, Tommy Boy is a good option.

What Happened In Tommy Boy?

Tommy Boy is a 1998 American comedy-drama film directed by Paul Weitz and written by Weitz, Peter Baynham, and Michael Miner. The film stars Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, David Spade, and Rob Schneider. The story follows the misadventures of four friends who form a video production company in Hollywood during the early 1990s.

Why Do People Like The Shawshank Redemption?

There are many reasons why people like The Shawshank Redemption. First and foremost, it is a well-written and engaging story that pulls you in from the beginning. Secondly, the acting is top-notch, and the characters are likable and relatable. Finally, the setting is perfect – it feels like you’re right there in prison with Andy Dufresne and the other inmates.

About the author

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Latest Posts

  • How To Test A Chainsaw Ignition Coil: The Easy Way Chainsaw ignition coils are used to start the chainsaw engine. They do this by allowing the spark plug into the gas supply of the chainsaw. A chainsaw ignition coil can get damaged over time, which can cause it to fail to spark. Failure of a…

    Read more

  • All About Of Photo Retouching – Everything You Have to Know

    All About Of Photo Retouching – Everything You Have to Know

    If you have ever wished you could take your photos to the next level, photo retouching is the perfect solution for you! With easy-to-use tools and a wealth of options, you can make your photos look glossy, fresh, and perfect for any occasion. Whether you want to remove blemishes, brighten up your teeth or add…

    Read more

  • The Admiral Roaring Currents Meaning and Ending Explanation

    The Admiral Roaring Currents Meaning and Ending Explanation

    Recently, a friend told me about the upcoming movie “The Admiral: Roaring Currents.” The film’s premise is that an ex-Navy SEAL and a billionaire inventor attempt to build a ship in the 19th century using new technology. What was interesting to me was the protagonist’s name – Admiral Tom Barrow. I had never heard this…

    Read more