Tammy's Always Dying

Tammy’s Always Dying is a richly observed comedy-drama. Johnson’s direction is intelligent and restrained.

A bittersweet dramedy about an exceedingly fraught mother/daughter relationship and the ties that nevertheless bind, Tammy’s Always Dying is buoyed by a superb cast and a palpably stark setting (mostly Hamilton, Ontario with forays into Toronto) that combine to elevate the film above its more predictable aspects.

The result is bittersweet and poignant in its complex truths, but also saccharinely convenient in its execution.

The main reason the film is worth a watch is the strong performances of its two leads.

The film has more success in smaller beats, when it’s not hamstrung by over-the-top performances or obvious drama. It has just enough going for it to hint at the deeper story beneath the surface: a film only about half measures, not the kind that dishes them out on its own.

A uniquely Canadian exercise in down-and-out misery, Amy Jo Johnson’s second directorial effort, Tammy’s Always Dying, delivers a wealth of interesting talent to the table, and leaves them to fight for scraps.

Competently crafted, Tammy is too glib to be poignant and too defeatist to be amusing.