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When Tommy Boy first graced our screens in 1995, critics were wildly unimpressed. While fans laughed hysterically at "Fat guy in a little coat" and kids everywhere started playing Darth Vader with fans, critics were apparently scoffing, rolling their eyes, and surmising that the movie would be a flop.
As it turns out, the joke was on them (or, in this case, lost on them, since they aren't like the rest of us who find Tommy Boy hilarious), since the flick skyrocketed in popularity and has even landed itself on IMDB's list of the greatest comedy films.
'Tommy Boy' Was Torn Apart By Critics and Beloved By Fans
With a painfully low 40% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, critics had some pretty harsh remarks in their reviews on the site, writing things like "Peter Segal's dismal Tommy Boy is the latest addition to Hollywood's cult of moron" and "Farley and his sidekick David Spade hail from Saturday Night Live, but this lowbrow vehicle has none of the goofy charm that made Wayne's World a viable spinoff."
Fans, however, passionately disagree, with a significantly higher 90% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Among more than 250,000 ratings, fans praised Tommy Boy for being "absolutely hilarious." The folks over at IMDB agreed, considering the movie earned a spot on its list of the best comedy movies.
'Tommy Boy' is Part of a Larger Chris Farley Trend
Chris Farley, who famously got his start on Saturday Night Live, was a comedy star whose light burned out too early in 1997 at the age of 33. The actor only appeared in 10 feature films during his career, but a peak at Rotten Tomatoes reveals that his audience ratings are always, 100% of the time, higher than critics scores.
For instance, Farley's highest-rated movie when it comes to critics is Wayne's World at 79%, but the audience rating comes in higher at 84%. Suffice it to say that just because the critics aren't laughing, doesn't mean the rest of the world isn't.
