Every few years, let’s say 8 or so, there’s a spate of movies starring the We’re-Gonna-Be-Fucking-Big newcomers. Many of them have been building their oeuvre for quite some time, but, in a moment that resembles a flock of South Pasadena parrots taking flight in a flash of green, these actors march into the season and shove aside the previous class, declaring their “itness.”
This is one of those summers, and it’s a pretty exciting crop, actually. Every movie I’ve seen this summer provides a shining example of tomorrow’s people. The actors who are destined to be the Big Comedy Star, the Big Action Star, the Oscar Regular.
First, there was Thor–a somewhat slight film that is surprisingly better than it should be an yet not as good as it could be–starring that Chris Hemsworth, who is destined to grace screens in the coming years as that Ridiculously Charming and Handsome Guy who’s ridiculously, unbelievably, unspeakably tall and buff, and whose eyes are unnaturally blue.
Then there was Bridesmaids, the season’s entry in the “Duh, we’ve been here all along” category. This is Kristen Wiig’s moment. Those who called her too odd or skinny or goofy or old to be a Big Comedy Star (rather than a small-screener) just ate their words. And she brings with her a number of women who have also done their time on the tube, particularly Melissa McCarthy. They now get to chant: “We’re here, we’re funny, now get used to paying $14.50 for it!”
Next came X-Men, First Class, which is an embarrassment of tomorrow’s riches. Forget that a few stars in this treasure trove have already racked up a “starter” Oscar nod–it’s the future nods we’re all waiting for: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, and Jennifer Lawrence (Hunger Games!) are all poised to dominate the red carpets in the next few years. This bunch (add in Nicolas Hoult, who will star in the new Bryan Singer/Christopher McQuarry re-teaming) was clearly cast in an effort to gather a gaggle of talented unknownish actors with bright futures, a choice that earns the award for This Summer’s Brilliant Move.
Lastly, we have Super 8, which is less notable for all those new kids (this is less a coming out for this group, aside from Elle Fanning, than it is an amuse bouche) than for the appearance of the small screen’s Kyle Chandler, proving once and for all that doing time on a brilliant-but-not-watched TV show can yield a big screen payoff. Sure, he garnered an Emmy nomination last year for his fantastic work on Friday Night Lights (shame on you if you have not watched it), but his appearance on the big screen solidifies his post in the pantheon of go-to actors who play sympathetic dads. And Elle Fanning, with her giant, knowing eyes, will cause you to cry out: “Dakota who? That chick’s a has-been.”
So keep your eyes on the big screen this summer. It’s clearly a time for the type of discovery that leads to meteoric rise and ends in inevitable under-whelmingness. Enjoy the ride.
