An 11-Slide presentation analysing Tammy (2014)

1. Film Trailer Analysis
 ‘Tammy’ (2014) - Comedy
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8d6Bpl2eAo

2. • Trailer opens with “Gangsta’s Paradise” by Coolio. Well
known song from the 90s, even if people don’t know the
title/artist they are likely to have heard the song in
some form of media beforehand.
• Credits for Warner Bros. Studios and New Line Cinema
flash by quickly to the scene of Melissa McCarthy getting
out of the car. This is possibly to use McCarthy as a
selling point of the film, rather than the production
companies involved, since a film starring her, Identity
Thief, was released in 2013.
• Facial expression, bag on her head, damaged car etc. all
link to her being less wealthy, not exactly intelligent and
to immediately make her look stupid.
• This contrast of the music and image (someone who is
obviously not a ‘gangsta’) are used in a humorous way to
indicate a possible comedy film.
• Shows McCarthy’s character (most likely Tammy, as she
seems to be a main character at this point) pointing her
fingers in the air, before cutting to footage of a news
report showing a robbery of a fast food restaurant.
Suggests that she was pretending her hands/fingers
were guns.
• The bag on her hand is a way that she would hide a
firearm (if she had one).

3. • Cuts to a shot of Tammy wearing Crocs, a notoriously
unfashionable type of shoes, and ankle-swinging trousers,
which again contrasts with the music and her idea of seeing
herself as a ‘gangsta’.
• Shows her walking with a slight swagger, which would prompt
the audience to find the ridiculousness of her funny.
• Shot shown in the bottom left picture is vaguely reminiscent of
the 8 Mile Album cover, from the neon sign, bin bag/paper
bags, damaged-looking car etc. – Another possible link to 90s
rap/hip-hop with Eminem and other artists featured.
• Her shirt reads ‘Mahalo’ which is a Hawaiian word meaning
‘thank you’ or a sign of gratitude and/or respect. Could be
seen as ironic as she is shown to then rob a fast food restaurant,
which is obviously not respectful and was “… Super bossy”.
• The sign is also ironic as it
reads “Everybody’s Smilin’!”
when the employees are
about to have a crime
committed against them and
be held at ‘gunpoint’.

4. • First dialogue shows her pointing both fingers at the
employee and shouting “Nobody move!” before attempting
(and failing) to vault the counter. Again showing that she is
not as cool/smooth as she believes she is.
• This is also supported in how she says “Shoot!” rather than
swearing, as a real criminal probably wouldn’t care if
somebody was offended by their language, especially in the
middle of a robbery.
• The music links with this scene as immediately before this
lyrics are “… ‘Cause I’ve been blastin’ and laughin’ so long
that even my momma thinks that my mind is gone…”
Before cutting to show Tammy standing with a paper bag
over her head and hand, pointing her fingers at the
employees in an attempt to rob a fast food restaurant.
• Also links to a later scene where an older woman (possibly
her mother) asks her sceptically if she “…Knocked over a
Topperjack’s?
• These both link to the idea that she is not the most
intelligent person in the world, to the point that even her
own mother wouldn’t give her the benefit of the doubt for
her stupid behaviour.
• The paper bags used by Tammy also have the Topperjack’s
logo on them which means that she has been here before on
some occasion – Again highlighting how stupid she is since
the employees probably served her at some time or she may
be on CCTV if the restaurant had it.

5. • Shows more news footage of the robbery to show the
contrast in the victim’s reaction despite Tammy’s
unprofessionalism.
• For example, Tammy pointing her finger at the employee,
rather than her ‘gun’ prompting the employee to say
“…That’s- That’s your finger, though” again, reinforcing the
idea that Tammy is not quite the career criminal she
believes she is.
• Also shows Tammy shouting “…Gimme some pies. Gimme
some of the good pies!” to reinforce the employee dialogue
of “…She was super bossy”.
• It then leads to Tammy eventually asking if they want some
of the pie and declaring that they’d be friends and “… Find
a hot tub or…” If they had met in a different situation.
• Scene ends with Tammy crossing her fingers and saying
“Fingers crossed we meet up again” When the female
employee reveals she has one in her apartment complex.
• Another scene to reinforce that she isn’t the typical
criminal, isn’t very smart and isn’t as intimidating as she
intends to be.
• Contrasts with the news report shown where the employee
seems very uneasy/shaken up, etc. suggesting the
employees are as ridiculous and over-dramatic as Tammy.

6. • Released on the weekend of the 4th of July (as
pictured), a large holiday for Americans, so
audience would have free time to go and watch it.
• Music switches from laid-back ‘cool’ rap to a
gradually quickening brass piece, suggesting that
now she’s facing the reality that she isn’t how she
sees herself when sat in a mostly-broken car with
her Grandma.
• Typical joke of ‘embarrassing/inappropriate
grandma’ with her grandma offering her alcohol as
she drives, then gasping and saying “You’re
pregnant!” when she refuses.
• This joke may also link to the fact that, because
Tammy is overweight, her grandma thought she
was pregnant.
• Shows scene of people at a bonfire with fireworks,
links to the themes of the 4th of July.
• Showing her Grandma in the car with her also
indicates the other woman shown earlier is likely
to be her mother (linking with the lyrics of
“Gangsta’s Paradise”)

7. • More scenes of Tammy dancing stupidly, similar
to how she was dancing in the opening scenes.
• Exaggerated facial expressions again.
• Also shows Tammy in a Topperjack’s uniform
which suggests she probably robbed the
restaurant that she works at. This means the
employees and the owners of the restaurant
probably know who she is and it also explains
where she got the Topperjack’s paper bags to
cover her head and hand.
• Scenes from the film are intersected with title
screens reading “Declare your independence”
which links with the 4th of July theme.
• Also links with the dialogue from Tammy’s
mother saying “…You’re a fugitive from Justice”
Suggesting that Tammy is going to go on the run
and live independently of the United States.

8. • Pretty quickly after this, it shows police
officers saying “…You’re gonna have to
come with us, let’s go” possibly
suggesting that she was caught fairly
quickly.
• Then shows Tammy attempting (and
failing) the run away, this references the
beginning when she tried and failed to
vault the counter of Toppinjack’s.
Reinforces the idea that she is not fully
aware of what she is and isn’t capable of
just as she is not as ‘cool’/’smooth’ as she
thinks she is.
• She then attempts to recover by claiming
“There was a bee!”

9. • Again shows Melissa McCarthy as a selling point.
I.e, people who enjoyed her character in films like
Identity Thief, Bridesmaids, The Heat, etc. would
assume she would be good in this.
• Quickly shows loads of different scenes where
Tammy and her grandma are involved in various
antics including:
- Drinking while driving
- Driving in circles in a muddy
field while Tammy hangs out the
car in various positions
- Her grandmother flashing her
breasts,
- Also shows Tammy in waterproof
coat similar to those you wear at
Niagara Falls, linking to her
Grandma saying she wanted to
go there earlier in the trailer.
• Tammy’s grandma is vaguely
reminiscent of Johnny
Knoxville’s “Bad Grandpa” which
was popular in the original
Jackass series/films and
received above average reviews
for it’s independent film.

10. • Links again with the opening scene as Tammy and
her grandma both end up outside Topperjack’s
with paper bags on their heads, attempting to
throw money through the window, to presumably
pay for the robbery she committed.
• Because nothing goes to plan for Tammy, the drive-
thru attendant, instead, closes the window and
shouts “…Oh my God there’s two of them” and
ignores the fact Tammy is trying to give money
back.
• The employee who was robbed originally then
replies “We’re gonna need more pies!” referencing
the initial robbery where Tammy demanded pies.
• Reinforces the comedy with a situation that is
completely misunderstood.
• Again shows that Tammy is not as ‘smooth’ as she
thinks she is because nothing will go to plan for
her.

11. • Further exaggerated facial expressions, dancing
badly, etc. links with the final scene of the trailer.
• Last scene shown is Tammy’s grandmother saying “…I
watched Neil Armstrong walk on the moon” to which,
Tammy replies “On his bike?” .
• Wraps up the general theme of the trailer showing
Tammy as not very intelligent because she confuses
Neil Armstrong, the astronaut, for Lance Armstrong,
the cyclist (and then not realise the difference when
her grandmother tries to tell her).
• Majority of the trailer is based on Melissa McCarthy
and her character, Tammy.
• Main features of her character are that she is
unintelligent, overweight, slightly deluded self-
image.
• These could all be seen as American stereotypes that
the American audience would realise and would
possibly find it funny to make fun of themselves with.
• For other audiences, they would also see the
stereotypes and would also find it funny to watch
because they would possibly want to poke fun at
American people/culture.