Talkback: Is Melissa McCarthy an Oscar Contender?

Melissa McCarthy sailed through her SNL hosting gig last evening on pure charm and panache, even if the skits weren’t particularly novel. Coming off her recent Emmy win for Mike & Molly, she’s formally most likely probably the most enjoyable (and several loved) dame in primetime at this time around, which begs the question: Is really a wave of well wishes that may result in the Oscar dais? Should we expect her title to experience the most effective Supporting Actress category alongside shoo-inches Octavia Spencer and Vanessa Redgrave? As our personal Mr. VanAirsdale noted inside the premiere edition of the season’s Oscar index, there’s an elegant, Jacki Weaver-sized void inside the Best Supporting Actress rundown: If Octavia Spencer and Vanessa Redgrave nab spots because the Descendants’s Shailene Woodley as well as the Artist ‘s up-and-comer Brnice Bejo notch the next and fourth steps, we fit either an Academy-friendly talent — former nominees Jesse McTeer and Judi Dench are promising — or possibly a sprightly youthful thespian with charm by the bucket load, meaning Jessica Chastain’s fun, if an individual-dimensional performance inside the Help qualifies, together with McCarthy in Bridesmaids. The sport-changing element, it seems, is always that 2011 was already billed just like a banner year for lady-introduced films, making the idea of Bridesmaids kudos much more enticing to Oscar voters. Hell, The Help will accrue two nominations at least. The damning element, though, is always that Bridesmaids is obviously an ensemble piece, and none of the stars stand out as apparent honorees. I preferred Rose Byrne and Wendi McLendon-Covey to McCarthy, personally, nevertheless the combination of likability, talent, “ladies in comedy” good cheer, and sheer statue cred make McCarthy a perfect storm of viable qualities. It’s easy to recognition the formerly honored. That Emmy may be just because a prepaid calling card as Helen Search’s combined three Emmys were in 1997. (She won a fourth after her Oscar win.) Any idea what? Does McCarthy can at Eddie Murphy’s Oscars, or will Jesse McTeer storm for the Kodak in their place?