Melissa McCarthy expected to be the ‘Life of the Party’
Melissa McCarthy will more than likely be imitating life with art at the box office starting today with the release of her new film “Life of the Party.”
The easily likable and relatable comedian will star in the show that has her character making the choice to attend the same college as her daughter when her husband dumps her.
Deanna (McCarthy, “Spy” and “Bridesmaids”) turns regret into reset as she lands in not only the same college, but also the same class as her daughter Maddie (Molly Gordon, “I Am Sam” and “Ithaca”).
Initially, Maddie is not comfortable with the idea, but Dee Rock (Deanna’s now nickname) shows her how to embrace freedom, fun and the frat boys on her own terms. Deanna finds her true self in a senior year no one ever expected.
McCarthy and her husband Ben Falcone wrote the screenplay for the film and Falcone is also the director.
The couple recently told E! News that it was great working together on the film.
“It’s ridiculous. It’s like you get to go to work with your best friend,” McCarthy said. “It’s exactly how we met and we became such good friends because we loved doing this together.”
Other stars who round out the film include: Maya Rudolph (“Bridesmaids” and “Inherent Vice”) Gillian Jacobs (“Community” and “Walk of Shame”), Debby Ryan (“Rip Tide” and “Sing It”), Adria Arjona (“Pacific Rim” and “Emerald City”) and Stephen Root (“Office Space” and “King of the Hill”).
The film is rated PG-13 for sexual material, drug content and partying.
Other films to hit theaters this weekend include:
n “Breaking In” starring Gabrielle Union, Billy Burke and Richard Cabral, and directed by James McTeigue, is a thriller about a woman who fights to protect her family during a home invasion.
This film is rated PG-13.
n “Beast” starring Jessie Buckley, Johnny Flynn, Geraldine James and Trystan Gravelle, and directed by Michael Pearce, is a drama that follows a troubled woman living in an isolated community who finds herself pulled between the control of her oppressive family and the allure of a secretive outsider suspected of a series of brutal murders.
This film is rated R.
n “Class Rank” starring Skyler Gisondo, Olivia Holt, Kristin Chenoweth and Bruce Dern, and directed by Eric Stoltz, is a comedy where two high school outsiders join forces in an attempt to overtake the local school board. Guided by their families, they enter the perilous word of politics and, in the process, learn a thing or two about love.
This film is not rated.
n “Dark Crimes” starring Jim Carrey, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Marton Csokas and Kati Outinen, and directed by Alexandros Avranas, is a crime drama where a murder investigation of a slain business man turns to clues found in an author’s book about an eerily similar crime. The film is based on the 2008 article “True Crimes- A Postmodern Murder Mystery” by David Grann.