Rating: 4.5/5
Rewriting history from a matriarch’s point of view is exactly what “Joy” intends and succeeds in doing; I just wish the filmakers trusted me enough to reach that conclusion on my own. Almost an exact re-casting of director David O. Russell’s previous films “Silver Linings Playbook” (2012) and “American Hustle” (2013), “Joy” stars Jennifer Lawrence as the entrepreneur Joy Mangano, who is responsible for inventing the first self-wringing mop. Interweaving in-the-moment footage with flashbacks, home video footage, and even soap opera fantasies, Russell uses Joy to redefine the American dream in a playful, quirky way. While bolstered by Lawrence’s poignant performance and intriguing editing techniques, “Joy” feels heavy-handed to a point of suffocation.
The film boldly supports very feminist ideals. It revolves around Joy as she juggles the roles of mother, daughter, and very patient friend to her ex-husband Tony (Édgar Ramírez), while simultaneously trying to sell her new mop. While based in reality, the film is not historical; Lawrence admitted to TIME that the story is only 50 percent inspired by Mangano, and Russell takes certain liberties, particularly in presenting the film as a narration told by Joy’s grandmother, Mimi (Diane Ladd). Unlike Joy’s mother, who spends her whole day in bed with her soap operas, Mimi is a strong female character who tries to inspire Joy to become the strong matriarch she was born to be. Yet, Joy can’t seem to escape the chores of the house, taking care of two kids, her mother, and even housing her father, Rudy (Robert DeNiro) in her basement.
Joy immediately fills the “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” role in Russell’s American dream, accentuated by flashbacks of her as a girl building a paper house with a white fence. If you didn’t catch the symbolism the first time, her friend even prompts her, “You need a prince!” and Joy says no, that not needing a prince is her “special power.” This instance is not the first moment of Russell seeming to yell his vision for the film.
Joy’s fight to manufacture and patent her idea demands that she navigate the patriarchal world of business in the 1990s. Despite holding her individual vision for the product, she must navigate many male “gatekeepers,” including storeowners, business owners, and especially QVC executive Neil Walker (Bradley Cooper). Joy continues to embody determination and spirit in marketing her mop, demonstrating it in K-Mart parking lots. One business man even calls Joy a “bored housewife.”
Despite her persistence, Russell makes quite clear that she is still at the mercy of businessmen like Walker. This vision isn’t incorrect. It’s quite accurate for any entrepreneur wishing to sell their product. However, the film seems to be interested in making too much of an effort, making poignant moments seem cliché. During her pitch meeting, Joy spills water on one of the executive’s shoes, and even bends down to wipe it off for him. Read: “shining the shoes of the patriarchy.” Joy is shown welding her own metal in their family’s auto factory, later cutting her hair and even donning sunglasses and a black leather jacket as she becomes more confident and independent in her vision. It’s not that these images can’t portray a strong female figure, or that someone couldn’t, or wouldn’t, do these things, it’s just that these images feel forced, overly thematic, and bog down more genuine moments.
“Joy” does have very poignant and nostalgic moments, starring real soap opera stars like Susan Licci or even Melissa Rivers’ portrayal of Magano’s mother and TV star Joan Rivers. Lawrence’s performance, both as Mangano’s TV personality and bold, everyday character, is incredible, as are the performances of Cooper and DeNiro. In such an overtly feminist movie, Russell also pays attention to his male characters, particularly Joy’s ex-husband Tony.
Among the film’s family conflicts and failed marriages, Tony remains one of Joy’s best friends, supporting her unfailingly. Yet, even with Joy’s unending determination, she can’t seem to escape male influence entirely, whether it comes from Tony, Rudy, or Walker. “Joy” is a poignant film, admiring of strong, female figures in history. But Russell’s approach ultimately feels didactic, over-emphasizing its themes to a breaking point.
Catch “Joy” at 2 p.m., 5 p.m., and 7:45 p.m. at Kimball’s throughout the week, and check back next week for the newest Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara drama, “Carol.”