THE MIGHTY MELISSA
Mccarthy could break the action-movie grip on the holiday box office
Superheroes, monsters, aliens ... Melissa McCarthy?
Hollywood’s standard July 4 offerings usually involve three of those in action blockbusters filled with international stars. But this year, the holiday weekend will be carried by “Tammy,” a comedic lark with McCarthy in the title role.
In the film, opening Wednesday, McCarthy plays a let-it-all-hang-out everywoman trying to change her life after she leaves her cheating husband, loses her job and attempts a robbery. She winds up on a road trip to Niagara Falls with her profane, wild-living grandmother (Susan Sarandon), and the two help each other get their lives on track.
Not exactly “Men in Black.” Nonetheless, other blockbuster wannabes have gotten out of the way. Sure, “Transformers: Age of Extinction” will likely still be a holiday must-see for any robot-vehicle fans who may not have seen it this weekend. But with July 4 falling on a Friday this year — and major movies opting to open on Wednesday to rack up cash at the box office over five days — the only big title is McCarthy’s.
Recent Independence Day debuts that have ruled the weekend include “The Lone Ranger,” “The Amazing Spider-Man,” “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse” and family titles like “Despicable Me 2” and “Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs.” For all its craziness, “Tammy,” written by McCarthy and her husband Ben Falcone (who also directed), looks to be a down-to-earth, effects-free holiday hit.
That’s hopefully a sign of things to come. High-concept movies will never leave the first weekend in July, of course. Next year, that turf has already been staked out by a “Terminator” reboot, and in 2016, it looks to include “Independence Day 2” and “Tarzan.”
Still, at least for this year, a woman who many moviegoers can identify with seems set to rule — and in an Rrated comedy, meaning the bulk of its box office will come from adults. (Kids and teens have “Earth to Echo” and repeat viewings of “Transformers” to look forward to.) Historically, few femaledriven mainstream flicks draw in male moviegoers, which may still be the case.
But overall, “Tammy” seems the exception to the rule. And that’s mainly thanks to McCarthy. The 43-year-old actress has both relatability and proven success. She was once a crucial part of the hit WB
MOVIE CRITIC series “Gilmore Girls”; since 2010, McCarthy has had success with her own sitcom, CBS’ “Mike & Molly,” which won her an Emmy for Lead Actress.
Her Oscar-nominated supporting role in “Bridesmaids” (2011) led to two hits last year: “Identity Thief” (which made almost $35 million its opening weekend) and “The Heat” (just under $40 million its opening weekend). In all three films, McCarthy used her character-actress chops and non-runway looks to break down barriers. And with the Illinois-born actress willing to play up her Middle-American style and raucous kind of comedy, the result is a star people want to laugh with.
Much the way Lucille Ball and Carol Burnett were TV comediennes of the 1950s and ’70s, respectively, or how Bette Midler’s late-’80s streak helped define that era, McCarthy could be setting a tone for this one.
It’s still too early to tell if “Tammy” results in a sea change for what is traditionally an action-packed movie weekend. But at least it’ll be one more force to fight robots and aliens with.
jneumaier@nydailynews.com