Chris Farley was a talented comedian and performer who made a great name for himself when he became a part of the cast of Saturday Night Live. He was simply amazing to watch because whatever role he had he gave more than one hundred percent on stage and on camera. At times he would make these fast jerky moves that made me wonder how he did not injure himself. Farley was a professional, who frequently appeared in Adam Sandler films as well as SNL franchise feature films that included Wayne's World and The Coneheads. He also had an on screen duo chemistry with fellow SNL alumnus David Spade. Chris was a star. A natural talent and truly one of the funniest performers to come out of Second City and Saturday Night Live.
Yet there is much I think the public did not know about him. He came from a very loving family. He lived in a suburban home. He was well educated. His brothers and Chris all had a flair for comedy. Chris Farley was even a jock and his father owned a small local oil company too. The documentary features retrospective clips with rare video of Chris Farley performing at Second City and footage of some of his most beloved characters and skits that include the breathtaking Chippendales audition alongside Patrick Swayze, comically ill-fated salesman in Tommy Boy, to his diatribes as Matt Foley, the motivational speaker who "lives in a van down by the river!" My favorite was The Chris Farley Show where he would play a shy version of himself interviewing celebrities frequently asking them if they remember doing something they are well known for and then replying, "That was great."
Sharing insights into the beloved funnyman are such co-stars and colleagues as Christina Applegate, Tom Arnold, Dan Aykroyd, Bo Derek, Pat Finn, Jon Lovitz, Lorne Michaels, Jay Mohr, Mike Myers, Bob Odenkirk, Bob Saget, Adam Sandler, Will Sasso, Molly Shannon, David Spade, Brian Stack, and Fred Wolf. The filmmakers also speak to Farley's four siblings, including his brother Kevin, a comedian and actor, and his brother Tom Jr., who wrote the biography The Chris Farley Show: A Biography in Three Acts. Kevin Farley looks so much like Chris Farley it is uncanny.
The documentary presents a fair and balanced look at the late Chris Farley and without taking any of the seriousness away from his untimely passing, portrays a loving and quite moving portrait at Chris Farley that I think will leave viewers with greater admiration for him and learning a lot more about him than I think most people on the outside would imagine. This is a great documentary about a great talent. Whether you are a Chris Farley fan or not, you owe it to yourself to see this documentary.
I Am Chris Farley will open in Los Angeles and New York theatrically on Friday, July 31, 2015 and then will open widely on VOD and digital platforms on August 11, 2015.
(C) Copyright 2015 By Mark A. Rivera.
All Rights Reserved.
