Hadn't seen this in about 12 years till recently and had forgotten just how funny this was; the first time I've laughed my arse off at a movie in some time. I miss Chris Farley, he was a true funny man and it seems we're lacking those just now. I gave it a 9, a classic comedy.
shareTotally underrated film
shareMy uncle first introduced me to it when I was 11 or so, and I was immediately hooked.
As Tommy would say, "Gahh, I've seen it a hundred times..."
But seriously, it's my Marriage Movie: I watch it in sickness and in health, through poor and poorer, 'til death do we part.
It's one of those movies that I can quote word-for-word entire scenes at random lol
I named my dog Callahan after that movie. And I'm from Ohio originally, so that's just a bonus.
It really is underrated though. Whenever I meet someone who's never seen it, even now in 2021, I'm astounded.
Assuming one hadn't seen all the previous films that it copied. Not much that's original here. The relationship between the Farley and Spade characters is about it.
shareWhat movies did it copy?
shareI don't know what movies that poster was referring to, but 'Planes, Trains and Automobiles' is definitely a big one. In fact, when 'Tommy Boy' was first released on HBO back in the 90's, i remember they had a 30 minute "behind the scenes" featurette, where Farley and Spade were talking at great length about how much they borrowed from that movie. Their whole goal was to recreate the "goofy fat guy and uptight skinny guy trapped together on a roadtrip" dynamic that John Candy and Steve Martin created.
shareI haven't seen Planes Trains, but it seems like a vague comparison rather than a specific one to call it a "direct copy"
shareyou haven't seen "planes, trains and automobiles"? oh my..please do!
shareI like Steve Martin, and I like John Candy, but it doesn't seem like my cup of tea. Then again, I also like John Hughes so maybe I'm wrong
sharehmmm what is it about it that doesn't make you interested?
shareDumb as it may sound, my dad told me it wasn't very funny or worth watching, and ever since then I haven't had a desire to watch it. I know I don't have to listen to everything my parents tell me but it's hard not to feel an influence, and he's usually right about movies
shareYou are definitely missing out. It's a classic, and it's also the only classic Thanksgiving movie I can think of. At Christmas there are a thousand Christmas movies to put on with your family, but at Thanksgiving, PTA is the one to watch!
shareI concur. First time I saw this I couldn't stop laughing out loud (few movies do that). Still do. Not only hilarious and quotable moments, but a good story and great holiday movie. Top 5 comedies of all time. Also love Tommy boy.
Groundhog day is maybe a closer comparison.
I haven't seen Planes Trains, but it seems like a vague comparison rather than a specific one to call it a "direct copy"
Exactly. "Tommy Boy" isn't a direct rip-off. But it does have the two very different guys stuck together on a road trip theme that "P,T and A" has. "Tommy Boy" isn't nearly as funny, though. You should check out Planes - I think it was one of the funniest movies of the 1980s.
shareRoad trip theme is just a common trope that can be used for any genre. It's too vague to attach to something specifically
shareWell yeah, it's definitely not a "direct copy," which you put in quotes even though no one in this thread ever called it that. The poster you originally replied to just said that it copied several other unspecified movies. But if you do actually watch both, PTAs influence is ridiculously obvious. And again, Spade and Farley themselves openly talked about how much was borrowed from that film.
I'm aware no one called it that, I put direct copy in quotes because the reply said there were movies it copied from, so I was saying nothing was really directly copied from it in order to consider as copying. Even if the makers themselves say that it was copied, I'm not seeing the similarities (I may not have watched it but I've seen many clips)
shareI've seen both movies. In Tommy Boy, I couldn't control my laughter at many points. In PT&A, I was mildly amused in a few spots. So if it is considered a copy, it vastly improved on the original.
shareI guess it's just a matter of taste, and depends what you're looking for. I love 'Tommy Boy,' but at the end of the day, it's just a dumb slapstick comedy. 'Planes, Trains and Automobiles,' like pretty much all John Hughes films, is a pretty even mixture of hilarious comedy, and also very heartfelt drama. Its a waaaaaayyyy better movie.
shareI'll pass on the heartfelt drama in my comedies. I don't even care about the plot. My criteria for rating comedies is "How much and how hard did it make me laugh." That's all.
shareOkie doke.
shareLol okay, so I went back and watched PT&A since it was a long time ago when I saw it, and was thinking I must have missed something if someone was putting it up there with Tommy Boy. I even smoked a bit of weed to give it a fair chance. Now after watching it, I am convinced that you are either trolling hard core, or have the blandest and most lame sense of humor on the planet. There were maybe two places in the entire movie where I had a mild chuckle. In any case, we clearly don't have any common ground to have a discussion, so I say good day to you, sir!
shareHoly shit, lol. OK, sorry you think we are enemies... somehow. Yes, I must be a troll, with the blandest taste ever, for recommending one of the most classic films in the modern age of comedy, that hundreds of millions of people adore and watch anually. But you're clearly right. "Fat Guy Fall Down Over and Over" is clearly the superior film.
I guess history will judge who's right, dummy.
I don't care what the superior film is when watching comedies. I care which one makes me laugh. PT&A did not, while Tommy Boy did.
share"I don't even care about the plot."
Clearly. Good for you...
Classic comedy from the former SNL cast.
There were some scenes where David Spade fought so hard not to laugh while filming.
Great movie!
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