David O. Russell, the director and writer, is known for his success in recent years with "Silver Linings Playbook" and "American Hustle", so it's a no-brainer that critics set the bar high for "Joy".
There is some criticism of Lawrence being too young for the part, and this is true, but it isn't the huge age discrepancy that many are whining about; Joy is about thirty-two years old at the beginning. However, this is established very early in the movie and it is really unnecessary to flog this point for the following two hours. The interview has been edited for clarity and length.
This devil-may-care approach to casting shines a light on a bigger problem: The Verge's Tasha Robinson argued that every single character in "Joy" "feels like a half-sketched first draft", which is something of an understatement. It never, ever does.
"David is making something right now and the plan, so far, is for me to play Bob De Niro's mother", Lawrence said in mid December. "I have such a great idea for a product!"
Robert De Niro stars as Rudy Mangano, Joy's father. It's clear from the outset that Mangano loves her family and would do anything for them, despite their best efforts to drag her down.
"We talk a lot about the character, of course, but most of the work is non-verbal". What I didn't realize is that the story is about much, much more than one success story.
Q: What do you think he found unique about your story? "I had similarly inspiring experiences working with Cate Blanchett on Babel, Jennifer Connelly and Emma Watson on Noah, and Ben Affleck on Batman V Superman". And through the course of that, I lost...
"I'm going to be the next Tom Jones", he claims. Is it accurate about your life? With the help of men and women who show some faith in her, Joy reaches previously unimagined heights, and does so in the best way: all on her own.
Q: In the movie, Joy goes to QVC with her mop but it doesn't sell - until she insists that she herself go on camera to pitch it. I'm telling you, you're gonna sing and dance with this mop - even if you don't buy it! "In every ounce of the brand, we endeavored to embody that passion as well as the notion that Joy draws insights from real life and applies new technologies to create smart and stylish products that serve a goal".
All her dreams, anxieties and feelings are poured and moulded into one handy little item. According to a Macy's spokeswoman, "We definitely felt there was a white space opportunity with this category of products though there are some things we carry, i.e. the memory foam pillow. It reminds me of my family". Robinson is absolutely correct: The Oscars are about putting on an entertaining show starring people we admire as much as the evening is about recognizing quality. I have wanted to direct as long as I've wanted to act.
Rudy Mangano, Neil Walker, Joy Mangano
