Movie Title: Joy
Grade: B
Rating: PG-13, 2 hours
In a Nutshell:
The movie informs you at the beginning that it was “inspired
by true stories of daring women.” It’s based
loosely on the true rags-to-riches story of Joy Mangano, inventor of the “Miracle
Mop” and “Huggable Hangers”, a business titan on QVC and HSN.
Jennifer Lawrence does it best when she plays an underdog
with natural talent and hope.
Your heart will sink and soar with Joy as she journeys
through the perilous business world.
This movie will make you want to take a leap of faith and invent that
thing that’s been in your head for years…or hide from the world, watching soap
operas all day.
Uplifting theme:
- “Hope
springs eternal.” – Grandma Mimi
- “You
can’t let the practical get you down.
You got to keep moving to what you love.” - Tony (Edgar Ramirez)
- Persistence,
determination, hard work, hope.
- “We
got here from hard work, patience, and humility. Don’t think the world owes you anything,
because the world owes you nothing.” - Joy
Things I liked:
- It’s
always great to see Bradley Cooper, Robert DeNiro, Diane Ladd, Isabella
Rossellini, and Virginia Madsen. It’s
impressive how they were able to deliver some of their ridiculous lines
with straight faces.
- I love
the soap opera that is layered throughout most of the movie. (Director and co-writer David O. Russell
should have brought it back in the end.)
I especially love that it features the queen of all soap operas,
Susan Lucci. It’s cute how it
showcases the decades through their clothing and hairstyles. It made me laugh because my mother used
to “tape her shows” and watch them every day.
- I liked
the comparison of the cicada hiding for 17 years, like Joy did.
- The
music gave the movie a magical story feel.
- I love
that sisters Joy & Peggy looked like sisters. Nice casting.
- Even Joy’s
loved ones put down her ideas, but she never gives up on herself or them. Life keeps pushing her down, but she
never gives up. I admire that
tremendously, because I’m often too quick to quit.
- I admire
how she keeps control of her temper.
- In the
scene in Texas, Joy follows a great rule of negotiation: stop talking and
let the other guy make the first offer.
- It
paints a fairly realistic picture of the business world and how difficult
it can be to begin and maintain a successful business.
- Joan
Rivers was played by her rea life daughter Melissa Rivers. That must have been so much fun for her.
- Drena
De Niro plays Cindy. She is the
adopted daughter of Robert De Niro and has played bit parts in several of
his films.
Things I didn’t like:
- Jennifer Lawrence is the bright star in this movie. You kind of don't care about any of the other people. They're too over-the-top "characters" to feel real.
- I
never like watching families fight.
- Joy’s
mother gets sucked into soap operas and spends her life in front of a TV,
rather than truly living her life.
- I don’t
like it when kids call their parents by their first names.
- The
trailer didn’t explain the movie very well.
- Director
Russell starts with an interesting style in the beginning of the movie and
then drops it completely mid-way.
- While
Russell is great at creating damaged characters, they’re often
one-dimensional.
- Jennifer
Lawrence speaks Spanish a few times, but there aren’t any subtitles. Her accent is pretty good!
Interesting lines:
- “When
someone sees a weakness in me, I turn that weakness into a strength.” – Danica
– (Susan Lucci)
- “The funny thing about hiding…you’re even
hidden from yourself.” – young Joy (Isabella Crovetti-Cramp)
- “We’re
doing an invention.” – Joy’s daughter
“Why?” – Grandma Mimi
“Because we are.” – Joy
“It’s very serious. It’s priorities.” – Joy’s daughter
- “There’s
no shame in hard work.” – Joy
- “Everybody
starts out with some kind of dream about what life will be.” – Grandma
Mimi
Morris’ 4 questions
of financial worthiness:
1. Where
did you go to high school?
2. Who
were you in high school?
3. Are
you prepared, within 6 months of financing this venture, to show adequate
returns?
4. You
are in a room and there is a gun on the table and the only other person in the
room is an adversary in commerce. Only
one of you can prevail, yet you have protected your business and Morris’
money. Do you pick up the gun?
Tips for
parents:
- This isn’t a movie that young children
will enjoy or understand very well.
Teenage girls may be interested and inspired by Joy’s tenacity to
live their dream.
- Some
profanity and fighting.
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