Jennifer Lawrence, who's a versatile actress, has captivated audiences across various genres and earned widespread acclaim. She's had action-packed performances in the X-Men franchise, given an Oscar award-winning turn in Silver Linings Playbook and provided powerhouse perfomances in Winter's Bone, American Hustle and more. However, one noticeable absence from her repertoire has been a full-fledged raunchy, R-rated comedy. That is until now. Her latest film, No Hard Feelings, premiered in theaters this weekend and defied the streaming trend in the process. In a world where fewer broad comedies head to the big screen, the Dark Phoenix star shares her unique perspective on why this hard-R flick chose the theatrical route. Rest assured, her take will surely bring a smile to your face.
No Hard Feelings seems perfectly suited for the 32-year-old star's charm. The Academy Award winner recently discussed the film during a chat with the Associated Press . Talk eventually turned to the decision to release the bawdy movie in theaters rather than through streaming services. The Hunger Games alum, known for her candid nature, shared her hilarious take on the subject, jokingly stating:
I look much better 12 feet high.
Well, that's an honest and funny response if there ever was one. As the cheeky actress states, she's simply more appealing to the eye when she's seen on a massive screen. Most would probably disagree with this jokey take, as the star looked good amid her recent streaming ventures, including Don't Look Up and Causeway. Still, you can't help but love that self-deprecating sense of humor she has.
The inspiration for her new movie came from a real Craigslist ad posted by parents who sought a woman to "date" their son in an attempt to help him come out of his shell before college. The ad's premise was amusing enough to catch the attention of several producers and writer-director Gene Stupnitsky, who's known for his work on The Office and another adults-only comedy, Good Boys. Stupnitsky shared the idea with Jennifer Lawrence during a dinner with friends, and she immediately embraced the project, not only joining the talented No Hard Feelings cast but also taking on the role of producer. Having known each other for over a decade and been friends, the Bill Engvall Show alum felt indebted to Stupnitsky since he had introduced her to her husband:
I owed him one. That’s why I did this film.
Co-written by Gene Stupnitsky and John Phillips, the story revolves around Maddie Barker (Jennifer Lawrence), a self-sufficient young woman living in Montauk, New York. Facing the threat of losing her inherited home due to unpaid taxes, her plan to earn money as an Uber driver during the bustling tourist season falls apart when her ex-boyfriend arrives to repossess her car. Desperate to save her house, she turns to Craigslist and stumbles upon a listing by anxious parents (Laura Benanti and Matthew Broderick) seeking assistance for their son (Andrew Barth Feldman). Faced with the opportunity, Maddie agrees to the arrangement, and hilarity ensues.
Though early reactions to the “blue” flick mostly skewed positive, CinemaBlend's Eric Eisenberg’s review was as such. He highlighted the Winter’s Bone actress’ bold performance while ultimately concluding that her charm can’t save the movie from feeling “dull” and “generic.” Still, after 133 reviews, the film currently has a 67% critical rating on the review aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes and an even higher audience score of 88% after more than 250 verified scores.
How the film's success at the box office compares to The Hangover's box office dominance remains to be seen, but it does seem to be mostly earning solid buzz. So there may be at least a solid chance that audiences will flock to see Jennifer Lawrence's face where she humorously says it looks best -- on the big screen. We'll see if the decision to forgo streaming and head to cinemas works out for Lawrence and co.
No Hard Feelings is now playing in theaters as part of the schedule of 2023 new movie releases.
