I am a Melissa McCarthy fan … to a point. She really burst into stardom with her scene-stealing role in Bridesmaids and her TV series Mike and Molly (she was also a bright spot on the under-appreciated Samantha Who?). She had an impressive first-time hosting gig on Saturday Night Live where she showed a real range of characters from her patented obnoxious slob to a Mae West style old-time movie star.

Then she made Identity Thief which was just awful. Then she hosted SNL for a second time and pretty much did the same character over and over again. McCarthy followed those performances up with The Heat, in which she again played the same character but at least she had some great comedic chemistry with Sandra Bullock and a great supporting cast to play off of. It seemed that she was falling into a rut.

When the previews for her new comedy Tammy first began to appear, showing McCarthy’s character once again unkempt and obnoxious, robbing a fast food restaurant, it seemed that we were again in for more of the same. But McCarthy and her husband, Ben Falcone, have managed to surprise by giving us what we expect but making Tammy a bit more human.

The story follows Tammy, a fast food worker who gets fired for being late (again) and then goes home to find her husband (Nat Faxon) having a romantic lunch with their next door neighbor (a bizarrely under-used Toni Collette). Tammy storms out and walks two doors down to her mother’s house and ends up taking off for Niagra Falls, with her boozy grandma (Susan Sarandon) in tow. Granny’s got the car and a wad of cash. Of course, things don’t go as planned, but Tammy manages to meet a nice guy along the way who may or may not turn out to be her Mr. Right. She and grandma also have to turn to help from a lesbian relative (Kathy Bates) after another robbery (for a good cause) sends them on the lam.

It took me a little time to warm up to Tammy, but once Sarandon joined the road trip and bonded with McCarthy, the film became warmer and funnier because it wasn’t just all about McCarthy mugging for the camera. Sarandon was very good in what is probably her first “character role,” but some of the film’s weaknesses is really on display with her character. Is she just a funny old lady who likes to drink and prove she’s still got it with the men? No! She’s an alcoholic (and a diabetic!) who needs help. The shift in tone was a bit strange to say the least. We’re laughing at her antics and then we feel bad for laughing because she’s actually ill.

Mark Duplass also gives a very nice, very real performance as Bobby, the son of the man (Gary Cole) grandma hooks up with. He, even more than Sarandon, grounds McCarthy and even brings some real heart to the character and the movie. Their first meeting is pretty realistic as far as how it ends, and even when he comes back into the picture, you don’t know how things will end for Tammy and Bobby. The film is chock-full of big names in thankless roles, however. Collette’s appearance is just mind-boggling because the role (as it is on screen) did not require a “name” actress. Cole fares a little better, but he’s just mostly playing a drunk old man. Allison Janney pops up a couple of times as Tammy’s mom, the voice of reason character, and Dan Aykroyd makes a single scene appearance as Tammy’s dad. It’s a shame he was barely in the film because he and McCarthy really worked well together. Sandra Oh also has what is basically a bit part as Bates’ partner. It probably would have served the film better to have had all of these big name bit players as unbilled cameos instead of listing them all in the opening credits.

The film is directed competently by Falcone, his directorial debut, and he also plays a small role as Tammy’s overbearing boss at the restaurant. The script by McCarthy and Falcone manages to bring a new dimension to McCarthy, but it could have used a bit more evenness in tone. Overall, though, the movie is much better than Identity Thief, but not quite as comically sharp as Bridesmaids or The Heat. Fans of McCarthy, though, should be happy enough and those tired of her schtick should be willing to give Tammy a chance to see her grow out of her usual character. Maybe this will be a turning point for McCarthy’s on-screen persona (unless The Heat 2 becomes reality).

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ALL PASSES FOR ALL SCREENINGS HAVE BEEN CLAIMED. COMMENTS ARE CLOSED. WINNERS WILL BE NOTIFIED BY EMAIL. FOLLOW CLIQUECLACK ON TWITTER, FACEBOOK, GOOGLE+ and TUMBLR FOR CONTEST ALERTS, REVIEWS and BREAKING NEWS.

CliqueClack has partnered with Warner Brothers Pictures to offer readers in Los Angeles, Boston, Hartford, Baltimore and DC an opportunity to attend an advance screening of the new comedy Tammy starring Melissa McCarthy, Susan Sarandon, Allison Janney, Gary Cole, Mark Duplass, Dan Aykroyd, and Kathy Bates. Rounding out the cast are Sandra Oh, Toni Collette, and Nat Faxon.

Tammy (McCarthy) is having a bad day. She’s totaled her clunker car, gotten fired from her thankless job at a greasy burger joint, and instead of finding comfort at home, finds her husband getting comfortable with the neighbor in her own house. It’s time to take her boom box and book it. The bad news is she’s broke and without wheels. The worse news is her grandma, Pearl (Sarandon), is her only option — with a car, cash, and an itch to see Niagara Falls. Not exactly the escape Tammy had in mind. But on the road, with Pearl riding shotgun, it may be just what Tammy needs. The film marks the directorial debut of McCarthy’s husband Ben Falcone.

PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION VERY CAREFULLY!

The screenings will take place on Monday, June 30th at the following locations and times:

• AMC Loews Boston Common 19, 175 Tremont St, Boston, MA, 7:00 PM ALL BOSTON PASSES HAVE BEEN CLAIMED
• AMC Loews Plainville 20, 220 New Britain Ave, Plainville, CT, 7:00 PM ALL BURBANK PASSES HAVE BEEN CLAIMED
• AMC Burbank 16, 125 E Palm Ave, Burbank, CA, 8:00 PM ALL BURBANK PASSES HAVE BEEN CLAIMED
• AMC Mazza Gallerie, 5300 Wisconsin Ave NW, Washington, DC, 7:00 PM ALL DC PASSES HAVE BEEN CLAIMED
• Cinemark Egyptian, 7000 Arundel Mills Cir, Hanover, MD, 7:00 PM ALL HANOVER PASSES HAVE BEEN CLAIMED

A limited number of passes are available for each location on a first come, first served basis. Simply comment on this post ONLY with one of the following locations (copy and paste for best results — anything other than the location in your comment may cause the entry to be rejected):

• BOSTON
• PLAINVILLE
• BURBANK
• HANOVER
• DC

Winners will receive a unique GoFoBo code good for up to two Admit One passes.

Fill out the comment form with your FULL NAME and email address. Your entry will not be accepted without your full name. Please make sure you have entered your email address correctly! Do not include personal information in the comment box! As passes are limited, we will accept one comment per person/per email address/per household. CliqueClack reserves the right to discard any duplicates or comments that appear to be duplicates. Multiple comments from a single person will result in complete disqualification. Please keep these offers fair for everyone.

This offer will be valid until all passes have been awarded or on the day of the screening, whichever comes first. Have a look at the trailer below and then let us know where you want to see the film. Tammy opens in theaters on July 2nd.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=eejJiKQe50k