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Arts & Entertainment
the Racquette
Film Review: “Joy”
Rebecca Augustine
Mangano divorces her husband because of his lack of work ethic. Time and time again, Mangano provides financially and emotionally for her parents through their divorce, as well as for her own ex-husband after they separated. Her grandmother dies soon after Mangano’s father moves back in with her and her ex-husband. She suddenly becomes hyper-aware of her long-lost dreams of being an inventor, and takes the initiative to lead her family in a more creative path toward monetary success; she creates an invention that will sell countrywide. Some viewers praise “Joy” for defying the multiple culturallyexpected female roles present in our society. The movie ends with Mangano never remarrying, or, as her grandmother had planted in her head, finding a “nice man.” Despite her lower authority in the family, and the gender-identified system implied in American culture Mangano is passionately
Staff Writer
“Joy” is based on the life of Joy Mangano, a woman on a journey to regain her childhood dream of being an inventor, and subs e quently achieving the invention of the self-wringing mop. Mangano, played by Jennifer Lawrence, takes charge in both the home and business parts of her life. This aspect of the plot garnered attention from feminist groups for i t s complexity and portrayal of an honest and hardworking woman. Family has always been a priority for Mangano, even when her family situation was “complicated.” Her grandmother, who narrates the story, plants the idea in Mangano’s head that she will live a successful, creative life, and even find a “nice man” to share it with. After Mangano’s parents’ divorce, she puts her dreams on hold and makes her family her top priority. Further on in the story,
reliable, fearless, and innovative throughout the movie.
The slow pace of “Joy” stays true to the story’s subtle and dry humor. What would often be considered a “feminine” approach turns out to be one of Mangano’s strongest attributes, as shown by her incessant caregiving for her family and her assertive, if arguably passive, negotiating business tactics. We see this most clearly near the end of the movie: just when all hope seems to b e l o s t f o r h e r b u s i n e s s , Mangano takes an extra step toward her dream and sits down with a male business partner, explaining to him calmly why he should give her what she wants, business-wise. She does this despite the rhetoric her father, played
New at the Movies: Feb. 2, 2016 Admission is: $9.00 per person $6.00 child 12 & under / senior 62 & over Matinees General Admission $6.50 $6.00 child 12 & under / senior 62 & over 3D films are an additional $2.00 per ticket Roxy Theater 20 Main St. Potsdam, NY 13676 (315)265-9630 Kung Fu Panda 3 2D (95min) 7:00 Nightly Matinees Sat, Sun 12:45, 3:00 No 7:00 Show Mon 2/8
PG
Kung Fu Panda 3 in 3D (95min) 9:00 Nightly No 9:00 Show Sun 2/7
PG
Norm of the North (90min) Matinees Sat, Sun 12:30
PG
The Finest Hours 2D (117min) 6:50, 9:20 Nightly Matinees Sat, Sun 12:30, 3:00
PG-13
13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi (144min) 6:40, 9:30 Nightly Matinees Sat, Sun 12:20, 3:00
R
Massena Movieplex 116 Harte Haven Plaza, Massena, NY 13662
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (108min) PG-13 7:00, 9:15 Nightly Matinees Sat, Sun 12:45, 3:00 Dirty Grandpa (102min) R 7:00, 9:15 Nightly Matinees Sat, Sun 12:30, 3:00 Spotlight (128min) R 6:45, 9:15 Nightly Matinees Sat, Sun 12:30, 3:00 The Finest Hours (117min) PG-13 6:50, 9:15 Nightly Matinees Sat, Sun 12:30, 3:00 No 6:50 Show Sun 2/7 The Met Live: ENCORE Puccini Turandot Sun 2/7 6:30 pm CINEMA 10 presentation: GRANDMA Mon 2/8 7:15 pm R American Theater Main St Canton, NY 13617 (315)386-2981 Kung Fu Panda 3 2D (95min) PG 7:00, 9:00 Nightly Matinees Sat, Sun 12:45, 3:00 The Choice (111min) PG-13 7:00, 9:30 Nightly Matinees Sat, Sun 12:30, 3:00 The Revenant (156min) 7:30 Nightly Matinees Sat, Sun 2:30
Feb. 5, 2016
R
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (108min) 7:00, 9:15 Nightly Matinees Sat, Sun 12:45, 3:00 The Choice (111min) 7:00, 9:30 Nightly Matinees Sat, Sun 12:30, 3:00
PG-13
PG-13
13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi (144min) R 6:40, 9:30 Nightly Matinees Sat, Sun 12:20, 3:00 Kung Fu Panda 3 2D (95min) 7:00 Nightly Matinees Sat, Sun 12:45, 3:00
PG
Kung Fu Panda 3 in 3D (95min) 9:00 Nightly Matinees Sat, Sun 1:00
PG
The Finest Hours 2D (117min) 6:50, 9:15 Nightly Matinees Sat, Sun 12:30, 3:00
PG-13
The 5th Wave (113min) 6:50 Nightly Matinees Sat, Sun 3:00
PG-13
50 Shades of Black (92min) 9:15 Nightly Matinees Sat, Sun 12:45
R
Dirty Grandpa (102min) 7:00, 9:15 Nightly Matinees Sat, Sun 12:45, 3:00
R
The Boy (97min) 7:00, 9:15 Nightly Matinees Sat, Sun 3:00
PG-13
by Robert De Niro, gives her before this scene. “It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have made her believe that she was anything more than a housewife.” Such is the world Mangano lives in, where the responsibility of the working world is maleclaimed. Keeping her family in mind, along with what her business means to them financially, she dominates the negotiation, ultimately proving the forces against her to be wrong. In an interesting aside, the personal life of Lawrence is connected to some of the feminist topics touched upon in the movie. Lawrence’s salary was released during the Sony hack scandal on Nov. 24, 2014, along with those of several male co-workers. Lawrence wrote a letter on Oct. 13, 2015, to the feminist newsletter “Lenny” about the difference between her paycheck and those of her male co-workers. In the letter, Lawrence talks
about her own passive negotiating tactics because of her “socially conditioned”personality.Lawrence, playing a woman in a position that demands assertive and ultimately different negotiating tactics, is significant when considering the popular discussion topic of disproportionate wages between men and women in modern politics — all of which connects to the themes of the film. Despite the promises of faster, sharper humor given by trailers and promotional material, the slow pace of “Joy” stays true to the story’s subtle and dry humor, as depicted by Lawrence’s stellar performance of the day-to-day common struggles of the working man and woman. The humor is in the determined facial expressions and actions Mangano depicts. The slow pace is also relatable to the sometimes-monotonous pace of getting things done in real life. The different pace is refreshing, and the film is definitely a must-see.