"Joy" is definitely a David O. Russell film, but a more accessible and uplifting one.

Rating: 8/10 (27 December 2015)

Believing in yourself can be one of the most difficult things to do. When the people closest to you, the circumstances of your own life and even the past mistakes and present doubts which we all have, seem stacked against you, it's tough to push forward to reach your goals. Even when you do believe in yourself and remain determined to reach those goals, sometimes things just don't work out. We rarely hear the stories of those who try their hardest and always fall short, but when we hear a story of someone who overcomes the odds and fulfills his or her potential, it encourages us dreamers. Such a story gives us hope. Such a story gives us "Joy" (PG-13, 2:04) As a child, Joy did great in school and always liked to make things. She seemed destined for something big, but, adult Joy (Jennifer Lawrence) is being held back by something seemingly inescapable – everyday life. She's the kind of person who takes care of daily tasks, family members and basically whoever and whatever needs taking care of. Joy has bills and a mortgage to pay, so she works as a put-upon airline reservation agent. At home, she's a put-upon daughter, mother and ex-wife. Living with her are her two small children, 5-year-old Christie (played by twins Aundrea and Gia Gadsby) and 3-year-old Tommy (twins Tomas and Zeke Elizondo), Joy's mother, Terry (Virginia Madsen), who does nothing but sit on her bed and watch soap operas on TV, Joy's gruff and stubborn father, Rudy (Robert DeNiro), Joy's grandmother, Mimi (Diane Ladd), and Joy's ex-husband, Tony (Edgar Ramirez), whom she allows to live in her basement. Joy's half-sister, Peggy (Elisabeth Röhm) is the only close family member who doesn't live in the house, which is good, considering the tense rivalry between the two women. This is Joy's life.
After one particularly stressful day, Joy literally dreamed up an invention which she became convinced she could market, in spite of her lack of business experience. Joy used her daughter's crayons to draw what became "The Miracle Mop", a self-cleaning mop, which would never have to be replaced. She has her father set up a pitch meeting for her with Rudy's new girlfriend, Trudy (Isabella Rossellini), the eccentric widow of a successful businessman. With Trudy's initial investment, Joy sets up production in Rudy's auto repair shop. After some frustrating experiences trying to find ways to market her invention, a QVC executive (Bradley Cooper) agrees to put her product on TV. After a couple more fits and starts, the product is a success, but Joy's struggles are ongoing. To ensure her long-term success, Joy has to overcome obstacles caused by her lack of capital, some dismissive potential partners, plus difficult and unscrupulous business associates, not to mention jealous, greedy, negative and unsupportive family members. Absolutely nothing comes easy for Joy, but she's determined to make something of herself.
"Joy" is a typical David O. Russell film – with a few notable exceptions. He has cast Lawrence, Cooper and DeNiro (all doing their usual outstanding work) in his third film in a four year span (after 2012's "Silver Linings Playbook" and 2013's "American Hustle"). Russell's script and direction display his signature quirky characters, although he has dialed back the eccentricity. This film is as enjoyable as "Hustle" and definitely more family-friendly than "Hustle" or "Playbook", as Russell makes "Joy" only his second film to earn a "PG-13" from the MPAA. This film is also more uplifting and focused than those other two. As with "Hustle", Russell takes liberties with real-life scenarios, bending a true story to his will. What he gives us is a dramatic, funny and inspiring tale that goes beyond the challenges overcome by one specific person or gender. It's unfortunate that the producers saw fit to take even more liberties in their marketing of the film. The movie's trailers seemed to consciously avoid letting movie audiences know that this is a film mainly about the invention and marketing of a mop. Then, the combination of the title, the movie poster's images and the Christmas Day release date seem intended to make the film look like a Christmas movie. Maybe it's just me, but I find deceptive marketing practices offensive and feel that they tarnish the reputation of what is otherwise an excellent movie. Although this film lacks some of the spark and energy that Movie Fans are accustomed to seeing from David O. Russell, "Joy" is an accessible, entertaining and hopeful film. "A-"