Comedy's Biggest Stand-Up Won't Be Hollywood's Next Leading Man
The comedian Nate Bargatze is an indisputably titanic name in his field. He’s been the top-grossing stand-up in America for two years in a row, he hosted last year’s Emmys (albeit to mixed reviews), and he’s even planning on opening a theme park called Nateland in his hometown of Nashville. Consequently, there was every reason to think that his new movie, The Breadwinner, would break through with audiences; it’s a breezy comedy aimed squarely at families, ostensibly filling an underserved part of the market. But the film has been roundly dismissed by critics and theatergoers, basically disappearing from the box office after opening last week. Bargatze’s first effort as a leading man, it seems, is yet another reminder that even the country’s biggest performers might not be able to make a comedy into a theatrical hit anymore.
