_Saturday Night Live_ was such a fertile breeding ground for this type of pop-friendly, quotable, digestible comedy in the mid 1990s. The very best amongst these could even give the old heartstrings a tug; no mean feat for a sub-genre that usually leaps from loud noises to broken furniture and back again.

Tommy Boy is one such marvel. There's nothing overtly groundbreaking or creative about the script - the boss's doofus kid inherits a family business, embarks upon a road trip, develops a close friendship and (eventually) finds his way - but, through Chris Farley's irresistible strength of personality, its value far outweighs the sum of its parts. Which, again, is a common trait among this era's _SNL_ graduating class. Adam Sandler's breakthrough films walk the right side of idiocy due to the star's unique force of will. _Wayne's World_ would be weak sauce, at best, without Mike Myers and Dana Carvey's side-splitting delivery.

This adventure is entirely a Farley playground, with just a few spicy, sarcastic segments set aside for his second-billed counterpart, David Spade. The two do have chemistry, which makes for good feelings when they finally work past their differences and unite against the common enemy, but Spade's acidic stylings are smartly limited to occasional counterpunches (or, sometimes, a well-swung 2x4). Farley just has so much energy, I'm not sure there’d be room for a partner of more equal footing. He dominates with jolly physicality, reels us in with heart-on-sleeve self-deprecation, even stings us with a few touches of tender sensitivity. By the end of the road trip, we've been through hell together and watched him grow up.

Tommy and company might not brave new horizons, but they still hold a special place in my heart. All the memorable bits still bring big laughs, an endless string of fondly-remembered phrases for those of us who lived through the film's first years, but it also handles enough emotional resonance to keep everything tethered to the turf. A fine night's entertainment.