Joy

Name: Joy
Genre: Biography, Drama, History, Comedy
Released: December 25, 2015
Duration: 124 min
Rating: 56
Cast: Bradley Cooper, Dascha Polanco, Diane Ladd, Édgar Ramírez, Isabella Rossellini

2015

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 48 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 285 Ratings

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6.5

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6.5	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 285 Ratings

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Joy

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Movie Details & Credits

Fox 2000 Pictures | Release Date: December 25, 2015 | PG-13

Starring: Bradley Cooper, Dascha Polanco, Diane Ladd, Édgar Ramírez, Isabella Rossellini, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, Susan Lucci, Virginia Madsen

Summary: Joy is the wild story of a family across four generations centered on the girl who becomes the woman who founds a business dynasty and becomes a matriarch in her own right. Betrayal, treachery, the loss of innocence and the scars of love, pave the road in this intense emotional and human comedy about becoming a true boss of family andJoy is the wild story of a family across four generations centered on the girl who becomes the woman who founds a business dynasty and becomes a matriarch in her own right. Betrayal, treachery, the loss of innocence and the scars of love, pave the road in this intense emotional and human comedy about becoming a true boss of family and enterprise facing a world of unforgiving commerce. Allies become adversaries and adversaries become allies, both inside and outside the family, as Joy’s inner life and fierce imagination carry her through the storm she faces. [20th Century Fox]… Expand

Director: David O. Russell

Genre(s): Biography, Drama, History, Comedy

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 124 min

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Critic Reviews

100

The Telegraph Robbie Collin

Dec 7, 2015

Since Joy is a David O. Russell film, the presence of a) Lawrence and b) bizarre, fizz-popping explosions of catharsis are to be expected. But the ringmaster of The Fighter, Silver Linings Playbook and American Hustle seems to have mellowed a little, which means fewer outright belly laughs, but a more layered and involving emotional landscape. Read full review

Steven Rea

Dec 23, 2015

Joy's entry into the world of entrepreneurship has the crazy trajectory of a rocket gone haywire, and Russell's movie is kind of haywire, too. Read full review

Marc Mohan

Dec 26, 2015

An inspirational, and mostly entertaining, saga, Joy is a Horatio Alger story for the 21st century — but who reads those anymore? Read full review

David Edelstein

Dec 11, 2015

I don’t think Russell has ever directed a scene as phony as the one in Joy’s office where she shows her abiding beneficence to a sweet young African-American couple. Equilibrium makes Russell a dull boy. Read full review

Drew McWeeny

Dec 8, 2015

While [Lawrence] does robust, heartfelt work in the lead in his new film Joy, this is the most miscast she's been in a while, and it's such a strangely imagined film in the first place that it never really gets its bearings. Read full review

Brian Truitt

Dec 22, 2015

There’s a Miracle Mop at the heart of Joy, though the movie is such a mess that even it would have a hard time cleaning up. Read full review

Kate Taylor

Dec 25, 2015

If his direction is erratic, the script he wrote with Annie Mumolo (Bridesmaids) has gaps you could drive a truck through and dialogue filled with painfully obvious exposition of plot, motive and theme. Read full review

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User Reviews

Thomas94

Apr 30, 2016

I think it's an underrated and under appreciated movie I personally LOVED, like all David O. Russell's previous movies. Russell's vision and the idea of taking something as simple as a mop and use it to tell a story about success, exploring all the aspects that come with it, it's brilliant.I think it's an underrated and under appreciated movie I personally LOVED, like all David O. Russell's previous movies. Russell's vision and the idea of taking something as simple as a mop and use it to tell a story about success, exploring all the aspects that come with it, it's brilliant. Jennifer Lawrence once again delivers an Oscar-worthy performance which was the highlight of the movie and Bradley Cooper is very good. It was nice to see them in this employer-employee working relationship, unlike their previous collaborations. One may critique O. Russell's extravagant and original execution but I feel like this movie will be appreciated more in time for the little gem it really is and the important, powerful messages at its core regarding life, business, success and women's strength, the strength of motherhood.… Expand

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

CaliColorado

Mar 27, 2016

This movie was excellent. Jennifer Lawrence was excellent in it (she provided a great acting performance). Joy... is filled with pain and overcoming. It's a very inspiring movie to say the least. I highly recommend this sad but beautiful story of the American Dream. It's family, insanity,This movie was excellent. Jennifer Lawrence was excellent in it (she provided a great acting performance). Joy... is filled with pain and overcoming. It's a very inspiring movie to say the least. I highly recommend this sad but beautiful story of the American Dream. It's family, insanity, ruthless business dealings, corrupt people, shameless individuals and it's ...greatness. It's wonderment and Joy... it's educational, relational, hardship and celebration. It's a movie with heart ...it's loss and it's victory (it's the showcase of a woman's will).… Expand

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

TheKavehJ

Dec 27, 2015

Walking into Joy, I had very low expectations. But once the film actually starts, all your doubts about the movie vanish. Once again, David O. Russell and Jennifer Lawrence deliver a film that could easily place as one of the best films of 2015.

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

NedRyerson1

Mar 13, 2016

Joy as the new movie of David O. Russell stays far behind from his previous features. The major topic that treats is basically the same, it’s a lost protagonist defeated by life, with a family behinds trying to control him and, of course, living throw him too. All these set in the slums,Joy as the new movie of David O. Russell stays far behind from his previous features. The major topic that treats is basically the same, it’s a lost protagonist defeated by life, with a family behinds trying to control him and, of course, living throw him too. All these set in the slums, because is from the director’s belief that those environments bring out the worse of all people in order to survive. And the parade starts with Joy Mangano, a single mother, with an inventor mind that carries with a parasite family, sucking her life that won’t stop until there’s nothing left. She is accompanied by a mother stuck watching an endless soap opera, all day long; a failed father with anger and trust issues; an immature ex-husband that lives in her basement; and a jealous sister with nothing to lose. The problems of the film begins when that family is moved aside in the story and we see nothing but the protagonist fighting for her dreams, although is impressive the real struggle of Mangano, seeming like a melodrama; the seal of this director is how he manage to have a big group of people floating around a person trying to move on. That’s when the viewer notices the power of the family and its deepest thoughts that scares you and makes you feel trapped. David O. Russell is marvelous directing actors, Jennifer Lawrence certainly captures the director idea for her performances and the family is, ones again, well achieved.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

horcrux2007

Apr 16, 2016

Jennifer Lawrence made a name for herself by starring in The Hunger Games, and she's easily one of the most recognizable actresses in Hollywood. But what does she do now that The Hunger Games has ended? Her first post-HG project is reteaming with David O. Russell, director of Silver LiningsJennifer Lawrence made a name for herself by starring in The Hunger Games, and she's easily one of the most recognizable actresses in Hollywood. But what does she do now that The Hunger Games has ended? Her first post-HG project is reteaming with David O. Russell, director of Silver Linings Playbook and American Hussle, which netted her one Academy Award win and two nominations (including Joy). Although Joy wasn't as well-received as their other pairings, it still gives Jennifer Lawrence a movie to carry on her own without a franchise title to support her. Joy is a biographical film about the life of Joy Mangano, the inventor of the Miracle Mop, because evidently she needed a biopic. She grew up in a home where everyone around her had a dead-end job, and her grandmother was the only source of optimism for Joy. By the time she's 30, Joy is a divorced mother of two, working a dead-end job, her parents are divorced but still live with Joy, and her ex-husband lives in her basement. To add insult to injury, her sister constantly humiliates Joy in front of her children. The rest of the film is Joy overcoming these obstacles to become an overnight success with her first invention, the Miracle Mop, and selling the product on QVC. It is one of those inspirational bio-dramas we get a few times a year, but it never feels overly sappy or fake. The real issue is the film's first half which drug on about 20 minutes too long hammering in how much the characters' lives suck. Once Joy makes the prototype for the Miracle Mop and starts her business, the movie's quality picks up immensly. You actually start caring about the characters rather than just saying "Wow, their lives suck." The ensemble cast, which includes Lawrence, Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro, does typically great work and salvages the movie's slower parts. Joy is definitely one of those movies that you really go see for the cast, but it's often fun to watch Joy's race to the top even if it takes a long time for her to start.… Expand

3 of 3 users found this helpful30

TVJerry

Jan 2, 2016

Jennifer Lawrence teams up for the 3rd film with director David O. Russell (“Silver Linings Playbook,” “American Hustle”), this time based on the life and career of Joy Mangano, inventor of the Miracle Mop. There’s irony behind the movie’s title, because there’s almost no joy here. She has aJennifer Lawrence teams up for the 3rd film with director David O. Russell (“Silver Linings Playbook,” “American Hustle”), this time based on the life and career of Joy Mangano, inventor of the Miracle Mop. There’s irony behind the movie’s title, because there’s almost no joy here. She has a deeply dysfunctional family, an intense struggle with her product and a pretty unhappy life. Russell loves to create characters that are less than likable and put them in situations that challenge them and the viewer. Also, the music choices are often dreadful. There’s no question that he’s an interesting filmmaker, but not always the most enjoyable. I wanted to like the person and the movie, and even though her bio is fascinating, this movie takes too long and is downright unpleasant.… Expand

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

Broyax

Jan 4, 2017

Oh merde, Jennifer Lawrence et Bradley Cooper, les abrutis réunis, lui le charisme d'un frigidaire à la casse, elle sa tronche bizarre un brin mongoloïde et sa nullité de jeu qui irradie de tous ses pores comme un cri à la face du monde "faites quelque chose, je suis nulle à chier,Oh merde, Jennifer Lawrence et Bradley Cooper, les abrutis réunis, lui le charisme d'un frigidaire à la casse, elle sa tronche bizarre un brin mongoloïde et sa nullité de jeu qui irradie de tous ses pores comme un cri à la face du monde "faites quelque chose, je suis nulle à chier, aidez-moi". Seulement, même en détresse la pouffe, on a juste envie d'une chose : lui enfoncer la tête dans un seau.

Alors, lorsqu'on apprend que dans son rôle de gourdasse, elle se veut la lauréate au concours Lapine de son balai à chiottes auto-essorant lavable en machine pour le fabriquer en série chez une bande de cons, on est pas plus étonné que ça.

De Niro est là pour la galerie en papa à la masse à gesticuler comme au Muppet Show et pour le reste, rien à signaler, rien à mentionner si ce n'est l'ennui (quasi-mortel... sinon on ne serait plus là pour en parler) qui habite cette espèce de film, cette sous-comédie qui se permet de moraliser et donner des leçons comme un pilier de bar sur le point de s'affaler dans son vomi.

Joy donc, c'est pas la joie !… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

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62	#62 Most Discussed Movie of 2015
36	#36 Most Shared Movie of 2015