Delightful Tammy

If there's one reason not to miss this heavenly comedy, poignant human drama and refreshing love story, it's for married duo Ben Falcone and Melissa McCarthy. Tammy not only marks the couple's first collaboration on the big screen as writers, but also Falcone's feature directorial debut and McCarthy's first foray into producing. They've been writing comedy material together since their early days at Groundlings, where they met. The couple also star as one of the most unlikely romantic couples in years, offering a romance that anyone who has a heartbeat can relate to.

Another reason to see the film is for other great performances by Susan Sarandon as Tammy's irrepressible grandma. "Pearl is smart but she's wild, definitely a product of the sex, drugs, and rock 'n roll generation," says Sarandon, whose teaming with McCarthy is electrifying and touching, one that you will remember for a long time. "I liked that all the absurd things they go through give Pearl and Tammy the opportunity to look at where they are in their lives and take it up a notch."

Losing her job, husband and car

The delightful story centres around Tammy who, after losing her job, husband and car in one day, wants out of her small town existence. With no money or transportation, her only way out is with her hard-partying grandmother, Pearl (Susan Sarandon).

Nothing says ridiculous like mouth-to-mouth with a deer. That's exactly how Tammy's epic bad day starts out after colliding with the unfortunate creature on a deserted highway on her way to work. The deer isn't the only impact on her day. Her creepy boss at Topper Jack's burger joint also blindsides Tammy by firing her.

If Tammy thought her crappy day couldn't get any worse, she's sadly mistaken. When she finally drags through the door of her house, she finds her husband, Greg, played by Nat Faxon, having a romantic interlude with her neighbour, played by Toni Collette.

Falcone observes, "This is already the worst day of her life. We wanted to slam Tammy with enough to make her have to physically leave. There's nowhere left for her to hide from her problems." So Tammy tries to get out of town, turning to her mum for comfort-and a borrowed car. Falcone notes: "We're immediately clued in to the fact that Tammy usually takes the easy road, does the minimum required to get by. And that ripples throughout the rest of her world."

Everything that can go wrong does

As the two women take to the highway, everything that can go wrong does, and then some, forcing them to face each other's flaws as well as their own - and put out a few fires along the way. Their misadventures and brushes with the law lead them on a funny and heartfelt road trip to remember and one you will never forget. Road trips are a tradition of comedy films, but in the hands of Falcone and McCarthy, it is anything but a traditional road trip.

"I guess you could say it was literally a dream come true," says Falcone, who reveals that the idea sprang from a dream he described to McCarthy about going on a crazy road trip with her grandmother.

Falcone and McCarthy mined their own Midwest backgrounds to create a string of colourful characters and situations. McCarthy says: "If you're having a terrible day and something ridiculous makes you laugh, that's the best. We wanted to capture that feeling." Falcone adds: "Tammy is not only having a terrible day, she's having one huge, epic bad day and a whole lot of ridiculousness ensues. We had a lot of fun with that."

A realistic makeover was important to McCarthy during Tammy. She comments: "Women are usually tamed down and brushed out and glossed up over a montage. But it's not about your hair. It's not about becoming a whole different person; it's about becoming a better version of your true self. People don't have to turn into secret agents or rocket scientists to be cool or have a really happy life. Learning to deal with your own BS and to be responsible is the real makeover."

The ride is crazy and full of laughs

In closing, Falcone says: "Everybody wants a do-over or a makeover at some point in their life. Everybody gets lost now and then. But there's no map, you just have to wing it. Tammy and Pearl do just that and the ride is crazy and full of laughs. We hope the audience will have a good time on the ride too."

Tammy is the kind of film you need to share with friends and loved ones. It's a rare gem that allows us to take a closer look at ourselves and the people in our lives, and re-evaluate our relationships.

You will laugh, but will also shed some tears. Tammy provides good old-fashioned entertainment that makes a trip to the movies so much more enjoyable.

Read more about Tammy and other new films opening this week at www.writingstudio.co.za