the main reason the film is worth a watch is the strong performances of its two leads; Johnson is still finding her voice as a filmmaker, but "Tammy's Always Dying" makes clear she has something valuable to say about what it means to parent and be parent
a smile-through-tears comedy-drama about the need to hold our loved ones close even as they push us away; There are all kinds of ways to display directorial chops, and even if "Tammy's Always Dying" isn't much to look at, Johnson manages her cast well
"Tammy's Always Dying" is about a mother-daughter relationship at its core; For this film, Johnson directs from a script by Joanne Sarazen. She gets solid performances out of the cast