Susan Sarandon and Melissa McCarthy in ‘Tammy’

Emmy Award winning actress/comedienne Melissa McCarthy has become a major box office draw over the past few years.  Ever since her riotous Academy Award nominated performance in Bridesmaids, she has headlined the comic hits Identity Thief and The Heat becoming (and flying in the face of all pop “wisdom” in the process) a major movie star in the process.  Tammy showcases a further branching of McCarthy’s comic talents, a film in which she co-wrote with husband Ben Falcone, who also directed the Warner Bros. comedy heading to theaters this summer.  Falcone memorably played the air marshal in Bridesmaids.  The first tease of Tammy is a brief vignette of McCarthy robbing a fast food restaurant showcasing the actress’ flair for physical comedy and seemingly out-of-nowhere zingers.  Wearing a paper bag over her head (apparently a trend, given Shia LeBeouf’s recent provocation on the red carpet at the Berlin Film Festival), Tammy on first glimpse appears right inside McCarthy’s singular wheelhouse.

The story consists of Tammy (McCarthy) joining her profane, hard-drinking grandmother on a road trip after losing her job and discovering her husband has been unfaithful.  McCarthy enlisted an all-star supporting cast including Susan Sarandon, in an role originally to be played by Shirley MacLaine, who will play her grandmother, Pearl.  Allison Janney, Dan Aykroyd, Kathy Bates and Mark Duplass co-star.

The film is set to released on July 2nd, nearly a year to the day when The Heat, McCarthy’s buddy cop movie with Sandra Bullock, opened to huge box office.  Time will only tell if comedic lightening strikes again.  McCarthy also has another 2014 comedy set for release as well, St. Vincent De Van Nuys which will also feature Bill Murray and Naomi Watts.