Black Sheep (1996)

Director:

Penelope Spheeris

Writer (WGA):

Fred Wolf (written by)

Release Date:

2 February 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

There's one in every family.

Plot:

A gubernatorial candidate hires a wormy special assistant whose only job is to make sure the candidate's well-meaning but incompetent brother doesn't ruin the election.

Plot Keywords:

Marijuana | Critically Bashed | Alcoholism | Brother Brother Relationship | Candid Camera

Cast

Chris Farley	...	Mike Donnelly
David Spade	...	Steve Dodds
Tim Matheson	...	Al Donnelly
Christine Ebersole	...	Gov. Tracy
Gary Busey	...	Drake Sabitch
Grant Heslov	...	Robbie Mieghem
Timothy Carhart	...	Roger Kovary
Bruce McGill	...	Neuschwender
Michael Patrick Carter	...	Scott Colleary
Boyd Banks	...	Clyde Spinoza
David St. James	...	Motorcycle Cop
Skip O'Brien	...	State Trooper
Branden R. Morgan	...	Fan
'Gypsy' Spheeris	...	Pocket Pool Lady
John Ashker	...	Jim Blaine

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for crude language and humor, drug-related material and sexual innuendo.

Runtime:

87 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (DeLuxe)

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Singapore:PG | South Korea:15 | Australia:M | Denmark:16 | UK:12 | USA:PG-13 (certificate #33985) | Iceland:L

Filming Locations:

Buckley, Washington, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

Chris Farley uses the same football play with the kids at the youth center -- "32 belly option" -- as he did when he and 'Rob Lowe (I)' went cow-tipping in Tommy Boy (1995).

Goofs:

Plot holes: While it may be easy to prove that dead people are still on the voter rolls, there is no way to prove which candidate they voted for.

Quotes:

Governor Tracy: Now you'll have to tell me your name so I know who to make the check out to.
Clyde: My best friends call me Cash.

Movie Connections:

References Tommy Boy (1995)

Soundtrack:

Duellin' Banjos

Not quite as funny as "Tommy Boy"

The last film to team comedians Chris Farley and David Spade has its moments but ultimately pales in comparison to their previous film teaming, "Tommy Boy" and their many sketches together on the TV series, "Saturday Night Live." Farley's talent for physical comedy and Spade's trademark sarcasm generates some genuine amusement in this tale of Mike Donnelly (Farley), the well intentioned but generally clumsy younger brother of Al Donnelly (Tim Matheson), a man who really wants to win the race for Washington state governor. Mike comes along on Al's campaigns as an advertising assistant but always winds up making an embarrassing scene in front of potential voters. Under the recommendations of his campaign manager (Timothy Carhart), Al hires a campaign aide (Spade) to send Mike elsewhere on assisting with the campaign. Soon, Mike and Steve have some rather nightmarish experiences in a woodside cabin and run afoul of a war obsessed renegade (Gary Busey). Meanwhile, Al's opponent, Evelyn Tracy (Christine Ebersole) is corrupting the election so she can fool the voters and win a third term. Mike eventually finds out about this and hilariously sets out to expose her wrong doings. The humor here is a little raunchier and rowdier than in "Tommy Boy" but not necessarily funnier. At times, the film is very predictable and the comedic punchlines occasionally fail. Still, it's OK and much better than the hugely disappointing "Coneheads" where Farley and Spade were first seen together in a film.