X
- 2015
- PG-13
- Twentieth Century Fox
- 2 h 4 m
- 2015
- PG-13
- Twentieth Century Fox
- 2 h 4 m
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 and en...
Directed By: David O. Russell
Written By: Annie Mumolo, David O. Russell
- 2015
- PG-13
- Twentieth Century Fox
- 2 h 4 m
- 2015
- PG-13
- Twentieth Century Fox
- 2 h 4 m
Joy
56
6.5
Where to Watch
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 and en...
Directed By: David O. Russell
Written By: Annie Mumolo, David O. Russell
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 48 Critic Reviews
56
44% Positive
21 Reviews
21 Reviews
52% Mixed
25 Reviews
25 Reviews
4% Negative
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 48 Critic Reviews
56
44% Positive
21 Reviews
21 Reviews
52% Mixed
25 Reviews
25 Reviews
4% Negative
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
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.
It’s not in the same league as “Playbook” or “Hustle,” but thanks to some memorable set pieces and the best performance by Jennifer Lawrence since her breakout role in “Winter’s Bone,” the sometimes-bumpy journey is worth your investment.
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 292 User Ratings
6.5
54% Positive
157 Ratings
157 Ratings
35% Mixed
103 Ratings
103 Ratings
11% Negative
32 Ratings
32 Ratings
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 292 User Ratings
6.5
54% Positive
157 Ratings
157 Ratings
35% Mixed
103 Ratings
103 Ratings
11% Negative
32 Ratings
32 Ratings
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.
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While the perpetually charming Lawrence isn’t the worst habit a filmmaker can develop, she’s valiantly miscast here in a story that never quite hits its mark.
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.
From a narrative and cinematic point of view, the problem with Joy is simple. Russell is almost totally uninterested in the story of how Joy Mangano explored a bizarre and unknown new business model and became its first self-made tycoon, and as a result we aren’t interested either.
Russell sets out to frustrate, and he does. And Joy never rises above that, an aggravating, un-fulfilling and empty night at the cinema with great actors trapped in an overdue flop from people we were just starting to figure were flop-proof.
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.
This isn't writer-director David O. Russell's best film, but this is not terrible despite it's bland, but Russell's style is vigorous and Jennifer Lawrence's performance is peppy, together their craftsmanship is splendiferous. Originally Annie Mumolo ("Bridesmaids") wrote the screenplay in 2013, so Russell signed on to direct also he selected to write the script, he didn't re-write the script, he wrote his own screenplay and Mumolo got the story credit and produced the film, for Russell got the soul screenwriting credit. Here's a fact for ya!: Kirsten Wiig almost starred in the film as "Joy" but Lawrence took her place. Jennifer Lawrence stars as Joy Mangano she is the only sensible person in the family, so she's been running around the household most of her life. Things are now complicated, her father Rudy (Robert De Niro) moves backs in to her house after his second marriage has failed, her mom Terry (Virginia Madsen) who is obsessed over soap-operas and watches TV non stop. Joy's ex husband Tony (Edgar Ramirez) lives in the basement pursuing his favorite dream about being a musician, Joy's sister (Dascha Polanco) who undermines everything she does. Joy's grandma Mimi (Diane Ladd) who's the only one who has confidence in her. Joy has an inspiration for a mop getting it on the market, so she captures the attention of Neil (Bradley Cooper), who runs a brand shopping network called QVC. Tony and her childhood friend Peggy (Elizabeth Rohm) believe in her. Dad's new girlfriend (Isabella Rossellini) invents in her mop, no one thinks she'll achieve any success. Lawrence is wonderful not only she has the star-making is great but so do the chemistry that she, Cooper, De Niro and O.Russell have together, this is the "Silver-Lining Playbook" team's third collaboration together, they all love each other on set you could also tell by Lawrence saying about director David O.Russell "I want us to be buried next to each other, I really do." O.Russell's script is bland, but I am wowed by Russell's style also Linus Sandgren's cinematography not to mention Lawrence's star-making and charisma. I also thought that the film shouldn't win best picture, but it's really a good film. Grade A
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This movie has so many screenplay/directing problems, and only works thanks to Jlaw's beautiful performance.
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What a rags to riches story! Is it all true? Mostly true? Joy comes from the ultimate dysfunctional family. To see where she came from to where she ended up is a miracle. Unfortunately, the making of the movie did not thrill me, no matter how great the story of Joy. The movie is over 2 hours long, maybe some editing would have made it better.
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David o' Russell was sitting in his kitchen at his wit's end. Then he saw his mop...
He should have gone to bed.
Some minor patenting legal speed bumps, nothing to worry about. House wife does good.
Sorry, don't want to ruin this masterpiece of domestic efficiency, but...... write a goddamn story.
New mop from JML is the last chorus of the one-time lucky film-maker.
I've got an idea for a career-killer. Sorry, just seen someone has already sliced bread.
I feel like a lazy bastard.
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Joy-- it is not. In the kitchen, having the best ingredients available to you does not ensure the success-- if the recipe you are working with is bad to begin with. That is true also with Joy. It is blessed with a star studded cast of actors who probably should have run away from this turkey at first sniff, but wait, David O. Russell has had a string of successes, so what the hey!
Russell usually has been able to make his films work by moving the story along at a fast enough clip that the viewer doesn't have time enough to dwell on how cliché and contrived some of his characters and situations are. That is not the case with Joy. In fact, there are a number of scenes in this movie where the characters are caught in almost Wes Andersen sort of trance-- they have that deer in the headlights look. The difference is that this is not a Wes Anderson movie and the writing and direction is not good enough to make you want to suspend belief. You never really believe in the characters because you never really get to know and care about them enough. Isn't that what any good film should always have at its core??
Joy throws a lot of star power around with actors like Robert DeNiro, Bradley Cooper, Virginia Madsen, Isabella Rosselini playing the supporting cast, but they are pretty much wasted and only serve to divert our attention away from Jennifer Lawrence's character, instead of helping to illuminate it. You end up simply not caring about her or the others. All the clichés are exposed for what they are. Perhaps this is because the original script by Annie Mumulo was reworked by Russell and certain key biographical elements of the real Joy Mangano were taken out? Who knows? What is clear in the end is that this film loses a viewer’s attention one-third of the way through and never gets it back.
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Production Company
Fox 2000 Pictures,
Annapurna Pictures,
Davis Entertainment,
10 by 10 Entertainment,
TSG Entertainment
Release Date Dec 25, 2015
Duration 2 h 4 m
Rating PG-13
Tagline In America the ordinary needs the extraordinary every single day.
Awards
Golden Globes, USA
• 1 Win & 2 Nominations
Academy Awards, USA
• 1 Nomination
Golden Trailer Awards
• 2 Wins & 3 Nominations
