Book Review – The Chris Farley Show
A Biography in Three Acts by Tom Farley, Jr. & Tanner Colby
May 31, 2009
He was known as the sweaty motivational speaker Matt Foley, the "slightly" overweight Chippendale dancer, and the less-than-hygienic finger-quoting commentator Bennett Brauer, all Saturday Night Live characters he portrayed with hilarious intensity. Chris Farley was one of SNL's all-time great cast members, and like too many of them, died a tragically young and unnecessary death.
Published in 2008, The Chris Farley Show: A Biography in Three Acts is an oral biography written by Chris' older brother Tom Farley, Jr., and Tanner Colby. The book's title is taken from another of Farley's SNL skits, a talk show format where Chris shyly interviews famous celebrities, then smacks himself for asking stupid questions.
The Chris Farley Show Sketch Revealed the Authentic Man
It probably won't surprise any reader who's familiar with Farley's comedy that the family, friends and cast members interviewed for this book all agree, Chris wasn't acting much during those particular "Chris Farley Show" sketches. This character was the real Chris Farley...shy, unassuming, self-deprecating, and in awe of all the stars surrounding him.
The oral biography format allows for a wide range of viewpoints, as dozens of people are interviewed about the main subject. It seems to be a particularly popular way to tell the story of controversial celebrities, a category that Chris Farley, unfortunately, falls into. For all his talent and popularity, Farley was a troubled man whose addiction to alcohol and drugs was ultimately his demise.
The book makes much of his Irish Catholic upbringing in a ritzy lakeside neighborhood in Madison, Wisconsin. Chris' (and the author's) dad, Tom senior, was a heavy drinker for whom alcohol consumption was more a matter of pride than a potential danger. While Tom, Jr., one of the authors of the biography, does not directly blame his now-deceased father, it is suggested that his behavior certainly didn't help Chris as he struggled with his addictions.
Because Chris so admired his father, there's little doubt he tried to emulate him. He once told an SNL writer that everything he did (on TV) was an attempt to make one guy in Wisconsin laugh, presumably his dad.
Farley Went Through Numerous Treatment Programs
Over the decade from the mid-to-late 80's until his death in December 1997, Farley went through well over a dozen treatment facilities/programs, from a military boot-camp style program in Alabama (with the help of Lorne Michaels), to Hollywood "babysitting" programs, to Minnesota's renowned Hazelden, many of them multiple times . Sometimes they stuck...at least for awhile.
At the height of his SNL popularity, for more than two seasons (nearly 3 years), Chris was not only "dry," but funnier than ever. But the heavier drugs that were easily available to stars in New York, seemed just too much of a temptation. It's here that Chris' worship of original cast member John Belushi (who died young of an overdose) became trouble.
SNL Producer Lorne Michaels, Friends, Tried to Help Farley
Executive Producer Lorne Michaels, had been through it all with Belushi and other cast members and swore he would "have none of it." But Michaels continued to try to help Chris conquer his problems, even after he left the show. The producer went so far as to bring him back as a host "to help him get back in touch with a time in his life when he was happy."
Most of Chris Farley's friends were doing the same thing, that is, anything that might help. In this case, however, the old adage about not being able to help someone who doesn't want to be helped, rang true. In a few short years, he had realized his dream –being a Saturday Night Live cast member– and at 33, it was already gone.
Although he went on to star in a few movies, most notably Tommy Boy, he wasn't really happy without the live audience feedback of instant laughter. Finally, Farley gave up even going through the treatment programs he'd learned to manipulate so well, using them as drying out periods. Not long before his overdose death from both drugs and alcohol, he told a friend he wouldn't quit drinking again.
Although The Chris Farley Show doesn't reveal much new information about the singular comedian, it does give what seems to be a relatively complete picture of Farley's short life. Of course, no one can know what was truly going on inside his head during those last wild days. What finally emerges is the portrait of a talented yet flawed individual for whom fame came too quickly to handle, a story, sadly, that we already know too well.
Farley, Tom Jr. & Colby, Tanner. The Chris Farley Show : A Biography in Three Acts, 2008 Penguin Books, 348 pages (ISBN: 978-0-14-311566-4)
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