Whenever I need to be reminded of how dumb I was when I was young, I re-read 1 Corinthian 13:11: “When I was a child, I used to talk as a child, think as a child, reason as a child; when I became a man, I put aside childish things.”  With this in mind, today I watched Black Sheep (1996), a movie I recall seeing in the theater as a teenager.  Of course, the reason I went through the trouble was because of Tommy Boy (1995), a film that even my grandfather thought was funny.  That one stars the same Saturday Night Live (1975-present) duo as Black Sheep, Chris Farley and David Spade, though it is the former title that has any cultural cachet.  Today’s film attempts the same chemistry but fails in every way possible, and I am certain that my synopsis will make this apparent.

What is apparent at the beginning of Black Sheep is that Al Donnelly (Tim Matheson) is running for governor of the state of Washington.  He has come to his home town to give a campaign speech, the town in which his younger brother, Mike Donnelly (Chris Farley), still lives.  We see early on how the one came to be bidding for political office, and the other is driving a barely functioning moving van mounted with speakers and the hopeful’s face precariously bolted to the side.  In case you had not guessed it, it is Mike in the latter role, and his vehicle is being inexplicably chased by local dogs.  The nuisance causes him to careen nearly out of control, being stopped by a movie theater marquee before plowing through a crowd of Al’s supporters.  Mike is apologetic for the incident and remains devoted to helping Al in whatever way possible.  Al is sympathetic and wants to give Mike something to do, but preaches patience.  As Al drives away, he discusses the situation with his campaign manager, Roger Kovary (Timothy Carhart), who advises finding someone to look after Mike.  Overhearing the conversation in the front seat is Steve Dodds (David Spade), an ambitious young assistant who volunteers for the job.  Steve goes to find Mike right away, though I cannot say the effort gets them anywhere.  Meanwhile, the incumbent, Governor Evelyn Tracy (Christine Ebersole), recognizes Mike’s problematic nature for her opponent.  Her first move, for some reason, is to get Mike fired from the community recreation center where he works.  Bummed that he will no longer be able to mentor kids, something he is actually good at, he is sulking when he and Steve stop for gas.  Following them are photographers, who snap pictures of Mike seemingly drinking beer and doing drugs with minors.  Word gets to Al, which he learns from the newspapers, but he insists to Roger that Mike had been trying to get the kids to stop.  Next, as Mike finishes clearing out his office, two strangers set fire to the building.  As Mike fruitlessly attempts to put out the blaze, the same camera people are there to get him on film.  Before they can get into serious trouble, Mike’s police officer friend, Robbie Mieghem (Grant Heslov), arrives on the scene and tells Mike and Steve to flee before other authorities show up.  This time, Roger arranges for a cabin in the woods for Steve to take Mike, hoping this will get the pair out of the way.  Because Mike is still devoted to doing whatever he can to get Al elected, the younger brother continues campaigning despite their rural location.  There are a bunch more physical comedy bits in here that need not be enumerated.  The house in which they are staying has no television, so on the day of the gubernatorial debate, they have to find somewhere to watch it.  The place they choose is the booby trap riddled property of Sergeant Drake Sabitch (Gary Busey), a frazzled Vietnam veteran who lives in a converted school bus.  While they are able to see some of the program, they are soon found by the owner.  Because this movie is what it is, Mike tackling Sergeant Drake earns the respect of the former soldier, and the intruders are allowed to live.  It is not long before Mike wants to do something more for Al.  Thus, while Steve is sleeping, he drives to a Rock the Vote (remember that?) event.  Sneaking back stage, he finds his way into the dressing room of a reggae band who are all stereotypically stoned.  Mike gets high with them, later stumbling onto the stage when he is confused for Al (somehow).  Once there, his riling up of the crowd comes to an abrupt halt when he screams “kill whitey!” into the microphone.  Al is once more embarrassed, telling Mike to go home and lay low.  Mike and Steve are doing so on election night when the results come in and Governor Tracy is announced the winner.  However, as they are going over the counts, Mike notices something out of place.  Namely, in certain counties more people voted than are registered to do so.  Taking matters into their own hands, Mike and Steve obtain the evidence they need, borrow Robbie’s patrol car, and manage to get to the governor’s mansion for inauguration morning despite being gassed by nitrous oxide.  The way in which they go about revealing their information is typically bizarre for this movie, and they are saved from an assassination attempt by Sergeant Drake.  Al is thankful for Mike’s deeds, offering a job in the administration.  Instead, Mike states that he wants to return to the rec center and the film ends.

Unfortunately, the “hilarity” in Black Sheep does not end with Mike bidding goodbye to Al and Steve.  The elected and his new manager are taking off in a private plane, and Mike manages to get his coat attached to it.  Thus, he goes up with the aircraft as the credits begin to roll.  While Mike’s behavior is supposed to be funny, the person who deserves praise is Al.  Granted, he does get impatient at times with Mike, but that should be understandable.  Al displays a Christian-like level of patience, but he is still human.  It is not necessarily sinful to get angry with family and friends, especially when they do something like what we see Mike do, but we are also supposed to forgive.  That is something Al is willing to do each time, including ditching Roger on the way to the governor’s mansion and believing Mike despite the younger brother holding a gun to Steve’s head.  Anyone who is willing to forgive, including a sibling, after such a stunt is blessed with something divine.  For all his foibles, some credit should also be given to Mike.  His work at the rec center gave me vibes of when I was a youth minister, though I could see a few Safe Environment violations.  For those who may be unaware, the Safe Environment Protection (SEP) program was initiated by the Diocese of St. Petersburg to keep children from sexual predations.  Perhaps the number one rule of SEP is to never be alone with a young one, and this is something we see happen with Mike.  Regardless, he has a heart for service, even if he repeatedly blunders.  If more Christians had a similar dedication, this world would be a better place.

There are also far better movies than Black Sheep.  The main vehicle it attempts for laughs is physical comedy, which can be funny if used correctly.  It is overused here, and what remains is not worth your time, either.