I Am Chris Farley- Movie Review

Rating: C

Tonight, Spike aired the limited released documentary, I Am Chris Farley. Being he was one of my favorite comedians ever, I immediately tuned in and basked in comedic glory. I thoroughly enjoyed this retelling of one of the funniest and saddest lives ever.
If I can call this documentary anything, I'd call it a celebration. This film celebrates the life and times of Chris Farley. Don't go into this thinking it's a total biography. Numerous sketches and clips from his hit films are shown. Along with the sketches, stories are told on how Chris came up with some of his most famous bits. Hilarious stories about Chris are told by friends and family. This film was meant to be a positive and happy look at a ultimately tragic life.

I really enjoyed hearing about Chris' days of growing up in Wisconsin. My favorite part of this movie was the beginning. I loved hearing about his childhood, his teenage shenanigans, and his college experience. All of these topics were unheard of to me so I really enjoyed learning and enjoying something new. Chris' brothers and friends all told hilarious tales of how he was before the fame. I found myself super interested in this particular part of the film.

The interviews in this film were awesome. Adam Sandler, Mike Myers, Lorne Michaels, David Spade, and many more all sat down and were interviewed for this film. Although they do talk about how great he was, many do speak about how hard adjusting to super stardom was for him. My only issue with this film is it didn't dive deep enough into Chris' issues. It's a sensitive topic, I know. Yet, it took something away from the movie. I'm sure friends and family were reluctant to speak about Chris' demise, yet it was part of his life. When making a documentary, filmmakers have to go to certain places to really tell the tale. It just didn't seem like the filmmakers (Brent Hodge, Derik Murray) really felt in their element talking about the dark side of Chris.

Besides that, I really had fun with this documentary. It will make you laugh. It will make you cry. Just like Chris did throughout his life. I Am Chris Farley is the ultimate celebration of one of comedy's greatest legends.