Bridesmaids: An Oscar contender?

Could a film in which a woman defecates in the sink at a high-end dress boutique be an Oscar nominee? Yes, say awards pundits, given the momentum that Bridesmaids, this summer's raunchy blockbuster, has been picking up. The American Film Institute listed Bridesmaids as one of the year's 10 best films, while the New York Film Critics Online gave the movie its Best Ensemble prize. After the film earned two major Screen Actors Guild Award nominations Wednesday, it's looking like Oscar recognition could be in its future — particularly for screenplay writers Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo and scenestealer Melissa McCarthy. And what about Best Picture?

It's certainly possible: It's been "a magical week" for Bridesmaids, says Scott Feinberg at The Hollywood Reporter. The movie's ensemble cast was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild award — that ceremony's top prize. Meanwhile, Melissa McCarthy picked up a slew of Best Supporting Actress trophies from critics' organizations for her performance as the relentlessly inappropriate sister-of-the-groom Megan, defeating presumed frontrunners The Help's Octavia Spencer and The Descendants' Shailene Woodley. McCarthy's stock rose again with SAG and Critics Choice nods. With the film's inclusion in AFI's Top 10, "could this be a surprise best picture Oscar nominee?"

"Will Critics' Choice nominations overlap with Oscar nominations again?"

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Maybe not, but the script will be recognized: A Best Picture nomination may still be a long shot, says Chris Lee at The Daily Beast. But Bridesmaids "stands a solid chance" of receiving some Oscar love in the Best Original Screenplay category, which is a "wide open field this year," with other likely contenders, such as The Artist and Midnight in Paris, similarly providing "belly laughs instead of tears."

"Could Judd Apatow and Kristen Wiig's Bridesmaids nab an Oscar?"

Not a chance: Bridesmaids is certainly on an awards roll, says Sabrina Rojas Weiss at The Fab Life, especially with its surprise conclusion in AFI's Top 10. But let's face it. The film still "isn't like to earn any Oscar nods." After all, movies like Tree of Life, The Descendants, and The Artist are dominating awards season and will be hard to top. But there's a silver lining: Bridesmaids is a major contender to earn multiple Golden Globe nominations when they are announced Thursday morning.

"Tree of Life, Bridesmaids, The Descendants among weekend's top awards winners"