Not content with the glittering success of American Hustle and Silver Linings Playbook, director of the moment David O. Russell is making another charge at this year’s awards circuit with Joy, a rags-to-riches tale revolving around Jennifer Lawrence’s wide-eyed mother Joy Mangano.
Playing the role of the famed mother of three who kicked normal life to the curb in order to pursue her budding new creations, O. Russell’s star-studded drama charts the rise and rise of the title character who quickly transforms from hapless housewife to empowered entrepreneur. As the old saying goes, however, the path to success is often one fraught with pitfalls, and today’s new trailer for Joy begins to shed some light on the hurdles facing Lawrence’s lead.
Disillusioned with family life and butting heads with her nearest and dearest, her decision to chase her dreams is as much a form of escapism as it is to accrue some form of profit. Indeed, there are glimpses of Joy’s fragile mindset, too, with shots of Lawrence hacking off her own hair and experiencing an emotional breakdown. The result? A well-rounded and compelling lead that could fire the actress directly into contention for this year’s Oscar drama.
She’ll likely be joined there by her director, too, who has called upon a familiar posse of stars to round out the upcoming drama. That includes, Robert De Niro, Edgar Ramirez, Diane Ladd, Virginia Madsen,Isabella Rossellini, Elisabeth Röhm and Bradley Cooper.
We’ll be able to judge Joy‘s awards credentials in earnest when David O. Russell’s rags-to-riches tale arrives in theaters on Christmas Day, 2015.
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 enterprise facing a world of unforgiving commerce. Allies become adversaries and adversaries become allies, both inside and outside the family, as Joy’s inner life and fierce imagination carry her through the storm she faces. Jennifer Lawrence stars, with Robert De Niro, Bradley Cooper, Edgar Ramirez, Isabella Rossellini, Diane Ladd, and Virginia Madsen. Like David O. Russell’s previous films, Joy defies genre to tell a story of family, loyalty, and love.