Melissa McCarthy, the star of the new espionage parody Spy, has distinguished herself of late in ways that fewer and fewer Hollywood actors seem capable of matching. First, her movies really are her movies; second, they make money even when they simply aren’t very good.
These are, of course, very traditional ways to tell who exactly is a movie star. If your movies make money when you’re playing Spiderman or Captain Kirk or headlining Jurassic Universe, the jury should be out on whether you, personally, are actually bringing anyone to the theater. But if your movies open big without a pre-sold concept, it’s a sign that people might actually be coming to see you. And if they open big even in the teeth of negative reviews — well, then it’s fair to suggest that a star is being born.
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