Tuesday, January 17, 2012

'Bridesmaids' Director 'Pulling For' Melissa McCarthy Oscar

'I think we got a good shot with Melissa [for Best Supporting Actress],' Paul Feig tells us on the Golden Globes red carpet.
By Terri Schwartz, with reporting by Joshua Horowitz


Paul Feig
Photo: Steve Granitz/ Getty Images

"Bridesmaids" might have walked away from the Golden Globes empty-handed, but the raunchy comedy is still considered a dark horse for the upcoming Oscar race. Nominees won't be announced until January 24, and many experts are guessing that the film might sneak into the pool of Best Picture nominees.

Director Paul Feig is similarly optimistic. MTV News caught up with him on the red carpet before the Globes where he chatted about his predictions for "Bridesmaids'" Oscar chances.

"I'm really pulling for Melissa [McCarthy]. I think we got a good shot with Melissa [for Best Supporting Actress]," he said. "I think the girls have a good shot for the screenplay."

But what about their Best Picture odds? Feig isn't holding his breath.

"Look, nothing would make me happier," he said. "I think that's a real tough one because the way the voting for the Academy is set up for Best Pictures this year is tough. We have to get a lot of, like, 'best movie of the year' votes, which, like, we're good, but we're not the best movie of the year. I'd like to say we were, but what an ass I would sound like if I did say that."

That lends itself to a different argument that says the Academy Awards should follow the Globes' model and separate the drama and comedy categories. As a comedic director and producer for over a decade, Feig said he sees the upside in that split.

His argument is that it's easier to create a showy drama that appeals to critics than a showy comedy that does the same. In his experience, showy comedies typically distance the intended audience, though that isn't always the case.

"I thought 'The Hangover' was very showy in that way, filmmaking-wise. But it's hard because most comedy needs to be very relatable. Like, if I were to do 'Bridesmaids' kind of very stylistic, I think I would alienate the audience, you know," he said. "As a filmmaker, my theory is always, 'Take the backseat. Don't show off. Let the girls be the focus.' "

Check out everything we've got on "Bridesmaids."

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1677357/bridesmaids-paul-feig-melissa-mccarthy-oscar.jhtml

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