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Jul 31, 2015 By Austin Trunick Web Exclusive

This documentary gives funny man Chris Farley’s full life story, from student athlete to young, gifted performer. Of course, it dwells longest on his periods as a comedic actor, first as a member of Chicago’s hallowed Second City ensemble—with Bob Odenkirk, Mike Myers, and Tim Meadows—and then during his time in the national spotlight, as a film star and Saturday Night Live cast member. Farley’s brothers, childhood friends, mentors, and fellow celebrities gather to talk about his special gifts—his willingness to do anything for a laugh (even if he might hurt himself) and eagerness to help build on other writer’s jokes are mentioned frequently. However, they can all speak to his weaknesses, as well: acquaintances from his youth mention his heavy drinking, and friends and colleagues from later in life talk about his drug abuse and frequent trips to rehab. (It’s hard not to get a little emotional watching comedians such as Odenkirk and Adam Sandler get choked up while talking about their friend’s darker periods.) Although his death itself—of a cocaine and morphine overdose at the age of 33—is only treated as a footnote to this biographical documentary, it looms heavily over the entire feature.

I Am Chris Farley offers his fans a lot to see. Early performance clips are particularly fun—it’s neat to compare his Second City version of the Matt Foley, Motivational Speaker character to the one he famously performed on SNL—as are behind-the-scenes stories from SNL, Black Sheep, and Tommy Boy. By resisting the urge to dig about in the sordid details of his private troubles, I Am Chris Farley celebrates the life of a star who self-destructed too early.

www.iamchrisfarley.com

Author rating: 6.5/10