Joy (2015)
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A struggling single mother discovers the path to becoming a self-made millionaire through the invention of a revolutionary mop.
The story
In 1990, Joy Mangano, an airline booking agent in New York, struggles financially while managing a complicated family life involving her children, her mother, and her ex-husband. Encouraged by friends to pursue her inventing ambitions, she designs an innovative self-wringing mop. After securing a manufacturing deal and a partnership with a QVC executive, she faces significant hurdles, including a potential patent lawsuit and a manufacturing dispute. Despite the challenges of navigating a complex business landscape and personal hardships, Joy fights to protect her invention and establish her brand as a successful entrepreneur.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1990, Joy Mangano, an airline booking agent in New York, struggles financially while managing a complicated family life. She lives with her children, her mother Terri, her grandmother Mimi, and her ex-husband Tony. Her sister Peggy frequently belittles her. Encouraged by friends, Joy creates an innovative self-wringing mop and secures investment from Trudy. To avoid a patent lawsuit, she is advised to pay royalties to a man in Hong Kong. She partners with QVC executive Neil Walker, and after an initial failed pitch, a second infomercial makes the mop a success, though Mimi's death follows. The business is threatened when her sister, Peggy, pays unauthorized fees to a manufacturer who then tries to steal the patent. Joy discovers the Hong Kong 'competitor' was a fraud and successfully sues the manufacturer. She eventually becomes a successful independent businesswoman who sponsors other inventors, while maintaining various personal relationships with her family and friends.
- First release year
- 2015
- Runtime (minutes)
- 124
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- David O. Russell
- Writers
- David O. Russell · screenplay; Annie Mumolo · story; David O. Russell · story
- Cast and characters
- Jennifer Lawrence · Joy Mangano; Robert De Niro · Mangano's father; Édgar Ramírez · Tony Miranda; Diane Ladd · Terri; Virginia Madsen · unspecified roles; Isabella Rossellini · unspecified roles; Bradley Cooper · executive at QVC; Elisabeth Röhm · Peggy
- Genres
- biographical drama; comedy-drama
- Themes
- entrepreneurship; family dynamics; perseverance
- Tone and mood
- dramatic; inspirational
- Premise and plot tags
- true story; business; motherhood
- Source material / true-story basis
- biographical
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews from critics, who praised Jennifer Lawrence's performance but criticized the writing and pacing.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 61% · scale: percentage · review count: 271; Metacritic · score: 56 · scale: 100 · review count: 48; CinemaScore · score: B+ · scale: A+ to F
- Awards and nominations
- Golden Globe Award · Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical · win
- Production trivia
- Jennifer Lawrence became the youngest person in history to receive four Academy Award nominations.; The film was originally titled Kay's Baptism.; A stage musical based on the film premiered in 2022.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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