Directed by Brent Hodge & Derik MurrayWritten by Steve Burgess
Starring: Chris Farley, Kevin Farley, David Spade, Bob Odenkirk, Adam Sandler
Let it be known that I LOVE Saturday Night Live.
My mom got me hooked on SNL at a young age. She sometimes blames my darker sense of humor and "language choices" on the fact that elementary school Samuel was watching the likes of Ferrell, Samberg, Hader, Wiig, Fey and Fallon making sex jokes, talking about drugs and things that probably shouldn't be told to a 3rd grader. We had many SNL "Best of..." DVD's from people like Steve Martin (never a cast member, but hosted SO many times), Will Ferrell, Phil Hartman and one Mr. Christopher Crosby Farley.
I Am Chris Farley is a documentary that follows the rise and fall of America's favorite "fatty fall down" comic, and boy this ride is insane.
It's no secret that Farley, who died at age 33 of a speedball overdose, struggled with drugs and addiction throughout his life. While that isn't specifically what the documentary is about, you can tell that Farley's friends and family are still messed up from those days about 20 years later. I Am Chris Farley does a good job of not glossing over the bad parts of Farley's life, although it is only used for the last 15-20 minutes of the film. There's something surprisingly haunting seeing so many comedians and friends of Farley tear up and get physically upset when they think of his death and the decisions that led to it. Moving.
The rise of Chris Farley is probably the strength of I Am Chris Farley. Interviews with Farley's siblings (woah Kevin looks like Chris!) give us just what we need to know about this naturally talented and hilarious performer. You also get to see others from his early days like a priest (named Matt Foley), some college friends and even teachers that let us know that he was basically just as kooky and crazy as we thought!
Farley's SNL cast-mates take over and most of the movie looms on his time on the show, since that is what most people know him from. It becomes one story after another about Chris behind the scenes, with the fans, onstage, on set, and even in the shower (scandalous). Yes, the stories are entertaining and fun to watch but some of them just seem to be placed to make you like Farley more. It might just be the editing, but that's the main problem with the film. Tone is consistently happy and lighthearted and then at the end becomes sad and depressing. There are hints of the sadness throughout, but it never really has an affect on you.
I know I addressed how that part was probably the best part of the film, but it does feel a little out of place when the entire film was so happy and funny up until then. It's a personal preference for me perhaps, but I wanted Bob Saget and his tears to expand on how show business can change you in the middle when we saw his sadness. Also, Tom Arnold has a moment like that and it isn't expanded upon. It would have made the movie more consistent. Oh well.
It's a simple interview style documentary that informs you on the life of a former comic icon while playing clips from his past. There isn't anything groundbreaking, but it still is good nonetheless. If you liked Chris Farley's work, I suggest watching it!
I Am Chris Farley gets a 7/10.
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