I’m really intrigued by this phase of Jennifer Lawrence’s career. After breaking out with a Oscar nominated performance in Winter’s Bone and following up with her turns in two blockbuster franchises in X-Men and The Hunger Games, she became a force to be reckoned with. Of course, over the course of her career, she has gone from relatable outsider underdog to the usual “overexposed” and “overrated” responses that happens to anyone who becomes an almost overnight sensation. But even at the age of 32, she is seemingly making her way back into the movies after a brief acting break, and her choices have been compelling so far.
Since 2019, she’s been in three films, Don’t Look Up, Causeway, and now No Hard Feelings, the latter two of which she also served as a producer. No Hard Feelings is also – shockingly – her first broad comedy. Odd considering her brand and public persona. Directed by Gene Stupnitsky, who also co-wrote the film with John Phillips, the story follows Maddie (Jennifer Lawrence), a woman who is in some financial dire straits. Her car gets confiscated due to missing out on property taxes, she is now at risk of losing the home that her mother has left her, where she grew up and intends on staying in.
It is now June in her home of Montauk, New York, and she would normally make most of her income through being an Uber driver when the rich tourists come in for the summer. Unfortunately, without a car, she is screwed. But she gets an offer from a rich couple, Laird (Matthew Broderick) and Allison (Laura Benanti). She can get an old Buick, but in exchange, she’ll have to date their awkward and introverted son, Percy (Andrew Barth Feldman), as a way to get him out of his shell before he goes to Princeton. As odd as the proposition seems, Maddie agrees, and makes it her mission to make Percy a man.
But of course, the task proves more difficult than she anticipated. Shocker, he is in no rush to get laid, shenanigans ensue, you know the deal. Or rather, I thought I did, especially after seeing the trailer, and having seen Stupnitsky’s previous film, Good Boys. I was surprised by what I saw. The film is nowhere near as outrageous as it was sold. It is actually a lot more lowkey and emotionally grounded than I expected. And the film is better for it. Not that it doesn’t go over-the-top, it certainly does, but it happens in small bursts, like a well crafted jump scare. Frankly, it makes those big gags land even better.
Speaking of, one thing that raced across my mind when coming out of the film was, how on Earth has Jennifer Lawrence not been given a string of comedy vehicles when she was first getting big? Maybe it wasn’t what she wanted, maybe she was advised to go the drama and blockbuster route, who knows. But I hope she does more stuff like this, she is an absolute natural. It helps that her dramatic skills do a great job in aiding the character beats in between the big jokes, it helps make her character more well realized and believable.
Maddie’s dynamic with Percy is really endearing, as predictable as it can be. The story itself is nothing particularly fresh. It largely rests on the performances, and there isn’t a weak link among the bunch. Though, I do wish we got to see more from Hasan Minhaj, who only shows up for one scene as a former classmate of Maddie’s who now works as a real estate agent. Same with Ebon Moss-Bachrach, who plays Maddie’s old fling. And Kyle Mooney shines in the brief scenes he comes up in as Jody, Percy’s bizarre male nanny, which felt like it was leading into some kind of deeper rivalry subplot with Maddie that doesn’t really come to fruition. It does feel like a missed opportunity, or perhaps it was left on the cutting room floor.
Overall, while I wouldn’t necessarily call No Hard Feelings a great comedy, it was one that I did find surprisingly engaging, and in ways I did not expect. Though the plot beats are not going to blow anyone’s minds, the commitment from the cast, particularly from Lawrence and Feldman, do keep you hooked, and you want the situation to work out for the best for everyone involved. The character work is ultimately what kept me more involved as a viewer than the jokes. The humor is solid, but not as boundary pushing as the kind of teen sex comedies that it takes cues from. But then again, having an older lead like Maddie does give a different perspective to the story that wouldn’t be there if her character was also the same age as Percy. Both characters are growing up in their own way here. Percy needs to build his confidence, be more open. Maddie needs to learn when to move on, and not feel stuck in her place when she has the agency to do what she wants as opposed to some twisted vision of what she believes her mother would want for her. The parallel journey between the two is well done, and I liked the film’s more mature take on this subgenre. If this marks a new direction for Jennifer Lawrence’s career, then I am excited to see where it goes.
No Hard Feelings is now out in theaters.