Tommy Boy (1995)

After his auto-parts tycoon father dies, the overweight, underachieving son teams up with a snide accountant to try and save the family business.

Director:

Peter Segal

Writers:

Bonnie Turner, Terry Turner

Stars:

Chris Farley, David Spade, Brian Dennehy

1 win & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Chris Farley	...	Tommy
David Spade	...	Richard
Brian Dennehy	...	Big Tom
Bo Derek	...	Beverly
Dan Aykroyd	...	Zalinsky
Julie Warner	...	Michelle
Sean McCann	...	Frank Rittenhauer
Zach Grenier	...	Ted Reilly
James Blendick	...	Ron Gilmore
Clinton Turnbull	...	Young Tommy
Ryder Britton	...	Young Richard
Paul Greenberg	...	Skittish Student
Graeme Millington	...	Frat Boy
Michael Cram	...	Frat Boy
Dean Marshall	...	Frat Boy

Storyline

Tommy Callahan Jr. is a slow-witted, clumsy guy who recently graduated college after attending for seven years. His father, Big Tom Callahan, owns an auto parts factory in Ohio. When Tommy arrives back home, he finds he has a position at the factory waiting for him. His dad also introduces Tommy to the new brake pad division of the factory and to Tommy's soon-to-be stepmother, Beverly, and her son Paul. But when Big Tom dies, the factory threatens to go under unless the new brake pads are to be sold. Therefore, Tommy must go on the road to sell them, along with the assistance of Richard, Big Tom's right-hand man. Will Tommy save the company, or will the factory, and the town, go under?

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Plot Keywords:

character name as title | nickname as title | reference to buddy hackett | on the road | con artist | 

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Taglines:

If at first you don't succeed, lower your standards.

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Genres:

Adventure | Comedy

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for sex-related humor, some drug content and nudity

Details

Official Sites:

Paramount Pictures [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

31 March 1995 (USA)

Also Known As:

Fat Chance

Filming Locations:

BCE Place, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Box Office

Gross USA:

$32,700,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Broadway Pictures, Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Rob Lowe played the supporting role of Tommy's stepbrother and is uncredited. The reason for this is because Rob was contractually obligated to Stephen King's The Stand (1994) at the time, so he took the part simply as a favor for friend Chris Farley.

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Goofs

When Tommy and Richard stop to pick up the hitchhiker you hear a car horn that trails off as if someone was beeping as they passed by, but there is no car.

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Quotes

Tommy: I l-left a message.
Richard Hayden: A message? What number did you call?
Tommy: Two, four, niner, five, six, seven...
Richard Hayden: I can't hear you, you're trailing off and did I catch a niner in there? Were you calling from a walkie-talkie?
Tommy: No, it was cordless.
Richard Hayden: You know what? Don't. Not here, not now.

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Crazy Credits

Rob Lowe is mentioned on video covers, but remains uncredited on-screen.

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Alternate Versions

The UK cinema version was cut by 9 secs for a PG certificate to edit shots of a woman pulling down her bikini and the sound of a man unzipping his flies. Later releases were uncut and upgraded to a 12 certificate.

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Connections

Featured in WatchMojo: Top 10 Career Defining Comedies (2016)

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Soundtracks

I Love It Loud (Injected Mix)
By Gene Simmons and Vinnie Vincent (as Vincent Cusano)
Performed by Phunk Junkeez
Produced by Phunk Junkeez and Angelo Moore
Phunk Junkeez perform courtesy of Trauma/Interscope Records
Contains sample from "I Know You Got Soul"
By Eric B. (as Eric Barrier), Rakim (as William Griffin), James Brown, Bobby Byrd, and Charles Bobbitt
Performed by Eric B. & Rakim
Courtesy of Island Records
And sample of "Turn It Up"
Courtesy of Music of Life Records

User Reviews

The second hardest I ever laughed at a theater.

I won't go into great details about this film, basically because there aren't many worth mentioning. It's just a funny little romp with Farley and Spade annoying each other and trying to sell some brake pads in their spare time.

I must however say that one scene almost had me on the sticky floor of the theater because I was laughing so hard. In the scene, the duo are driving down a highway in Spade's recently trashed GTX. An old Carpenters song is playing on the radio and the two are emotionally singing along with it. That alone is funny enough, then the hood of the car pops up and they skid wildly out of control. This produces a hilarious argument culminating in Spade smacking Farley in the head with a 2x4.

The only time I have ever laughed harder in public was during the snowman scene in Dumb and Dumber.

That's really all I have to say about this film. Farley was an adorable slug of a guy. I miss him, even though some of his films were real stinkers.

I'd give it 8 of 10 stars.

So sayeth the Hound.