Film

I Am Chris Farley

Name: I Am Chris Farley
Genre: Documentary
Released: 2015
Cast: Chris Farley, Christina Applegate, Tom Arnold, Dan Aykroyd, Lorri Bagley

Comedy

A warmhearted documentary about the life and legacy of Chris Farley, the manic SNL performer whose physical comedy and infectious energy made him a '90s icon before his death in 1997. Built from archive footage, interviews with collaborators, and family reflection, it captures what made him unforgettable and what ultimately broke him. Essential viewing for anyone who loved him; moving even if you didn't.

TMDb rating

3.5

If you liked this

Tommy Boy1995

Farley's first lead role, paired with David Spade. Pure '90s comedy chemistry: he's the lovable, desperate salesman bouncing off Spade's dry deadpan. It's the role that proved his manic energy could anchor a whole film.

But The humour is broad and dated. If you need subtlety or restraint in your comedy, this will feel exhausting rather than endearing.

Black Sheep1996

His second film with Spade, and arguably his best. A political comedy where Farley's earnestness plays beautifully against the absurdity. He gets more room to show vulnerability alongside the slapstick.

But By mid-'90s standards it looks dated, and the politics are tissue-thin. It's a vehicle for Farley's personality, not a tightly written script.

Living in Oblivion1995

A indie comedy about making an indie film, with Farley in a small but brilliantly understated role as a struggling actor. It's a chance to see his range—quieter, more grounded than his SNL persona.

But It's a low-budget film about low-budget filmmaking. If you want Farley at full volume, this will feel like a side dish, not the main course.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from I Am Chris Farley

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Scrooged1988

Both Farley and Murray built their comedy on emotional sincerity beneath the chaos. Scrooged shows the template Farley inherited and made his own—vulnerability wrapped in manic energy.

Bill Murray's raucous *Christmas Carol* remake where Farley appears in a brief but memorable role. It captures the same frenetic, sentimental energy that made him work—outrageous physical comedy serving a genuine emotional centre. You'll see where Farley's comedy ancestors were.

But He's a minor player in someone else's film, so don't expect him to carry it. The '80s production design is aggressively dated.

Wayne's World 21993

He's not the lead, but his Robert Goulet appearance is iconic and hilarious. A great entry point to early-'90s SNL-to-film comedy that still holds up because the affection is genuine.

But It's a sketch stretched into a feature, and the second half loses steam. If you're only here for Farley, his screen time is limited.

A Night at the Roxbury1998

Another SNL sketch expanded, but this time Farley gets the co-lead with Will Ferrell. It's a love letter to '80s excess and terrible taste, and Farley's desperation to impress is genuinely touching under the ridiculousness.

But The joke wears thin. It's 82 minutes of 'these guys aren't cool' repeated. Patience required.

Dirty Work1998

Written by and starring Norm MacDonald, with Farley in a supporting role. It's chaotic and weird in ways most comedies won't attempt. His performance has a sweetness that balances the film's off-kilter vibe.

But It's genuinely strange and disjointed. Some find it a cult treasure; others find it barely coherent. You need to be in the mood for unconventional comedy.

Coneheads1993

A silly SNL sketch feature with Farley in the ensemble. He's not carrying it, so he can just have fun with the absurdity. Nostalgic and oddly charming if you like the era.

But It's thin and forgettable. Even for Farley fans, this ranks low. You'll watch it once and probably forget you did.

The Beverly Hillbillies1993

A late-period SNL-adjacent comedy where Farley appears briefly. For completeness if you're deep-diving his filmography, though it's not a showcase for him.

But He's barely in it, and it's not particularly good even by '90s standards. This is only for the completist, not the casual fan.

Kids in the Hall: Brain Candy1996

Both are sketch comedy translated to film, both emerge from the same late-'80s/early-'90s sketch explosion, but they made fundamentally different choices about what comedy should be.

A sketch-troupe film from the same era and comedic DNA as Farley's work, but Canadian and surreal. Where Farley brought aggression and desperation, the Kids brought absurdism and weirdness. It's the alt-universe version of SNL comedy.

But It's aggressively weird and doesn't build to anything satisfying. If you prefer narrative over pure sketch chaos, it's maddening.

Gerry2002

Farley's comedy came from a place of real need—a hunger to connect, to impress, to not be left behind. Gerry is the mirror image: the silent, excruciating version of that same longing. Both are about men trying and failing to bridge distance.

A 103-minute film about two guys walking in the woods, directed by Gus Van Sant, with Matt Dillon and Casey Affleck. It has nothing to do with Farley, but it's an extreme meditation on male desperation, wandering, and the space between people—the emotional terrain Farley mined through comedy, rendered here in almost complete silence.

But It's forbiddingly slow, wordless, and deliberately un-entertaining in conventional ways. Many will find it punishing. But it shares something real with Farley's best work: the ache underneath the noise.