Hey, remember when Chris Farley was born in Madison? That was awesome.
Chris Farley starred in four movies and then overdosed in his Chicago apartment. It’s easy to revere those who go out on top, however the fashion. We do it all the time. Kurt Cobain released three studio albums and then took his own life. Farley, despite an end by a cocaine-morphine exclamation point on a three-day bender in December, was by all means still in his prime, his death a flaming out of the “live fast, die young” recklessness all too common in prodigies.
Remembering the tragic end of the comic icon, however sour, is essential because I Am Chris Farley, which plays Sat, Aug 8 at the Orpheum, is so profusely enthusiastic. It helps to interview people who personally knew one of the most genuinely nice figures in comedy, and who better than Farley’s family? The middle child of four, Farley is introduced to us by his brother Kevin, who cruises around the Irish Catholic family’s home on Madison’s east side and talks over home video footage of the Farley clan. Farley’s other siblings all make appearances but as has been observed already, Kevin is the most prominent, occasionally to a troubling degree. Reminiscing over family picnics and summer camp trips, Kevin’s memories can stray into brotherly squabbles over who was actually the funnier child. Co-directors Brent Hodge and Derik Murray even cut to one of Kevin’s present-day sets at the Comedy Club on State. As we see and are repeatedly told, comedy runs in the Farley bloodline, with father Tom, Sr. receiving due credit for inspiring antics. But it’s impossible to ignore that I Am Chris Farley gets off on an awkward foot, a slight victim of sibling rivalry.
The other talking heads — including David Spade, Adam Sandler, Molly Shannon, Lorne Michaels, Bob Odenkirk, Bo Derek, former girlfriend Lorri Bagley, and oh just watch the trailer — are here to talk about Farley and in the best way possible. Mike Myers and Conan O’Brien cohort Brian Stack recall recognizing Farley’s talent early on as players of Chicago’s Second City. Their stories play like audiobook chapters from Live From New York, validated with scuzzy VHS recordings of vintage sketches of Farley mock stripping on stage or trying out pre-SNL Matt Foley gags.
Farley’s seven-season stint on Saturday Night Live and his short but memorable movie career take up the bulk of the material. Classic sketches like “Gap Girls,” and yes, “Down By the River” are picked apart and remarked upon to a surprisingly thorough degree by Farley’s co-stars. During one sketch, Bob Saget comments on a piece of his improvisation after Farley flubs a line and the film cuts to that specific moment. David Spade remembers his brotherly relationship with Farley as it’s interspersed with clips and behind-the-scenes footage from Tommy Boy, and the lengthy inspiration behind the Matt Foley character is heartwarmingly biographical. It’s easy to name a favorite Chris Farley moment; it’s far more valuable to have Tom Arnold or Will Sasso provide piecemeal illustrations of why it’s your favorite.
As far as the comedian’s drug problems go, the elephant in the room goes relatively unaddressed. When any substance abuse is mentioned, it’s often whitewashed under the guise of having too much fun or seeded inside Farley’s rugby-playing party days at Marquette. Everyone involved is quick to acknowledge his generosity and kindheartedness, but those looking for a nuanced portrait of the introverted, self-correcting genius won’t find much outside of Lorne Michaels admitting Black Sheep kind of sucks.
That isn’t the worst thing. I Am Chris Farley‘s optimism towards its subject plays right into the comedian’s own twitchy magnanimity. In his review at Tone Madison, Chris Lay anticipates that this will be well-received at the Orpheum theater, where a movie hasn’t been shown in years. I have a feeling he’s right, and not just because he knows a thing or two about performing comedy in front of an audience. Madison is the proud capitol of a proud state, and a 100-minute greatest hits collection of one of its finest exports is sure to go over like gangbusters. Montage of Heck, the Kurt Cobain documentary that played at the Wisconsin Film Festival, feels like a resurrection of its tragic subject. I Am Chris Farley is definitely less than that. It’s a feel-good clip show, a bonus feature off the SNL 40 Blu-ray that plays like a sincere recreation of the comedian’s own flummoxed persona on those Chris Farley Show segments. Hey, remember when Chris Farley was born in Madison? That was awesome.
- I Am Chris Farley gets its Madison premiere on Sat, Aug 8 at the Orpheum. Tickets are available at madisonorpheum.com