May December star Charles Melton explains whether the movie is a comedy after its bizarre Golden Globe nomination. Directed by Todd Haynes, the film follows Natalie Portman as an actress researching for her role as a controversial woman (Julianne Moore) who, 20 years earlier, was the center of a notorious tabloid romance with a 13-year-old boy (played by Charles Melton as an adult). Though May December is widely considered a drama, it was nominated for a Golden Globe in the Best Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy category with Portman, Moore, and Melton all receiving nominations as well.
Following the Golden Globe nomination for May December in the comedy category, Melton contemplated whether the movie is actually a comedy in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. The star says “it didn’t feel funny” when filming it, though the audience is free to respond however they like. Read Melton’s full response below:
I think filming it, it didn’t feel — with Samy’s script, and the direction of Todd, it didn’t feel funny, it’s a pretty complex kind of script. And I think the only thing we can do, as artists, when making a project, for me as an actor, is to tell the character’s story. We have really no control of how the audience is going to receive what they see. And the beautiful thing about Todd, one of the many beautiful things, is that he displays this table of food for the audience, and you get to pick and choose what you want to take from it. To see the audience respond in laughter, I find that it’s sometimes easier to laugh than to cry. And discomfort can be an interesting thing to watch.
May December Ending Explained
The multifaceted ending of Todd Haynes’ May December finds Portman’s Elizabeth contemplating the truth of Moore’s controversial Gracie character.
Is May December Camp Comedy?
Following its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, many May December reviews praised the film for its camp comedy. For instance, IndieWire‘s David Ehrlich called it “a heartbreakingly sincere piece of high camp,” while Vulture‘s Bilge Ebiri noted how Haynes “uses the trappings of camp to draw attention to the disconnect between what’s happening onscreen and our response to it.” Overall, reviews have pointed to May December‘s dramatic musical cues, rapid camera zooms, cleverly humorous script, and many satirical layers as evidence of its campy quality.
In response to the reviews, some have taken issue with categorizing May December, a movie mainly about trauma, as camp comedy. This opposing side argues that the May December discourse demonstrates a confusion between camp and melodrama, claiming the latter term is a more appropriate description. Director Todd Haynes and members of the May December cast have even weighed in on the debate, saying that camp comedy isn’t exactly what they were going for. May December is complex, as Melton says, and perhaps more than one classification, such as melodrama and dark comedy, may be accurate.
May December
May December is a drama romance film that follows a married couple who once controlled the headlines with their tabloid romance. Two decades later, the couple’s supposed marital bliss begins to crack under the weight of an actress researching them, preparing to star in a film about their lives.
- Release Date
- December 1, 2023
- Director
- Todd Haynes
- Cast
- Natalie Portman , Julianne Moore , Charles Melton
- Rating
- R
- Runtime
- 113 Minutes
- Genres
- Drama , Romance
- Writers
- Samy Burch , Alex Mechanik
- Studio(s)
- Gloria Sanchez Productions , Killer Films , MountainA
- Distributor(s)
- Netflix
