The show is getting started
Melissa McCarthy turned out to be the exception to the rule.
Many Hollywood actresses complained the lack of interesting roles after they turned 40, yet Paul Verhoeven revealed their picky stance (and probably double standard) after the Dutch filmmaker turned to Isabelle Huppert (for "Elle"). McCarthy would be 47 this year, and don't expect her to be a has been in a year or two. Fans of "Charlie's Angels" and "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle" would recall her scene-stealing appearance, and it was a matter of time before someone could give her a chance to shine on the big screen. Paul Feig knew the actress was a big name on the comedy scene, as McCarthy's Megan Price upstaged Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph. This was supposed to be a party of two, but both women didn't mind McCarthy ending up with the accolades.
McCarthy's case doesn't set a trend here, but it was a combination of many things. She was a likable star, even a charismatic one. She didn't have any baggage or issue that would hound many stars. (Lindsay Lohan was unable to recover from that one.) And typecasting seemed to work in her favor. It could change next year, as "Can You Ever Forgive Me?" is currently in production. McCarthy would play Lee Israel, who used to write profiles for the likes of Katharine Hepburn. She turned to forgery after the end of the studio days. Oscar winner Julianne Moore was supposed to have the part, but she dropped out. McCarthy won't need any validation, but this project could cement her legacy. It should be too early to predict a Golden Globe nomination, but older actresses may be envious of the comedienne's success in showbiz.
McCarthy played press secretary Sean Spicer in the recent episode of "Saturday Night Live" (SNL), It was a viral sensation while critics were reminded of Jackie Gleason. (He was a legendary comedian during the 1960s and 1970s, who was renowned for his brash, verbal style.) Donald Trump didn't tweet his opinion, but there were reports that he disliked McCarthy's sketch. The president would want an image of a strong presidential staff, and the SNL episode exposed another chink in the armor. He may have disliked the fact that a woman played a man, and it won't be the first time. (Linda Hunt won an Academy Award for playing Billy Kwan in "The Year of Living Dangerously".) Trump's supporters may have no idea that SNL poked fun at both Republicans and Democrats during the last five decades.
Tim Sutton's "Dark Night" would come to mind, as the director examined the lives of the inhabitants of a Florida suburb. Skateboard kids vaping indoors, young women whining about physical exercise, and a young man defending his addiction to video games. And then there was an older man prowling with a gun. The disturbing case of James Holmes would come to mind to viewers, and Sutton might be hinting at tragic lives already half empty. It may not be too different from what is happening in (divided) America right now. And the show is getting started.
