See Jennifer Lawrence's newest movie, No Hard Feelings, at Regal on June 23.
Jennifer Lawrence's unique approach to her craft and to the industry makes her stand apart from her peers. Since her cinematic debut in Winter's Bone through to 2022's Causeway she's carved out a niche on the screen as a performer with the effortless ability to flit from drama to comedy to horror with ease. With every role, she's further established her star power and given us a slew of memorable movie moments along the way, whether she's playing a post-apocalyptic heroine or a comical housewife or a passionate scientist. Here are some of our favorites.
6. Mother! (2017) "I gave you everything!"
Darren Aronofsky's Mother! may have divided moviegoers yet one thing critics and audiences agree on is the power of Lawrence's performance. As the titular mother, whose home is invaded by a stream of strangers at the invite of her husband, she's forced to acquiesce to their every whim and demand. It's no secret that Aronofsky created the mother and the house as an allegory for mother earth and our planet. And in the final sequence, Lawrence crumbles from being ravaged. "I gave you everything!" she cries, her voice thick with frustration. "And you gave it all away!" she sobs to Javier Bardem's Him.
5. The Hunger Games (2012), "I Volunteer as Tribute!"
Of the plethora of stand-out moments in The Hunger Games franchise, one that established Lawrence as an A-list talent was the moment her character Katniss Everdeen steps in as tribute for District 12. The moment unravels when her younger sister Prim is chosen at random to represent the District in the games. And in a split-second Katniss leaps from her seat to volunteer in her place, pushing past armed guards and shouting, voice hoarse. Moments later, the enormity of her decision flashes across her face – in that glimpse a swathe of emotions are conveyed. Putting herself forth to compete in the titular contest marks a moment for both Katniss and Lawrence that cemented her as a force to be reckoned with.
4. Winter's Bone (2010), Squirrel Huntin'
In her debut, which scored her an Oscar nomination at the tender age of 20, Lawrence showcased her subtle approach. Winter's Bone is adapted from a novel and directed by Debra Granik and revolves around the character of Ree Dolly (Lawrence), a 17-year old living in the Ozarks forced to take care of her siblings after her father disappears. This scene is arguably Lawrence's least grandiose moment, yet marks a turning point, where her nuanced, gentle take shows Ree's resilience and determination. As she helps her brother and sister acquire the skills they need to survive, from hunting and preparing food, it showcases Lawrence’s heft for bringing pathos to quieter moments.
3. The Silver Linings Playbook (2012), "He's harassing me!"
The role that won her the Oscar in 2013 for Best Supporting Actress all cooks down to this one scene in the movie's final act. Lawrence plays Tiffany Maxwell, a free spirit who befriends Bradley Cooper's character Pat as he reintegrates himself back into society. The pair recognize something familiar in one another as she vows to help him get over his ex-wife by helping him win a dance contest. Later on, during a dinner date Pat bluntly tells Tiffany that she's crazier than him, prompting her to raise her voice and deliver one heck of a comeback. She shouts and wipes everything off the table before stomping out of the diner to continue her tirade on the street: "I opened up to you, and you judged me!" she says, grabbing him by the shirt. It's as if the monologue were written for Lawrence to sweep in and simply take the Oscar.
2. American Hustle (2013), "Science Oven"
Lawrence's second collaboration with David O. Russell finds her stealing the show as Rosalyn Rosenfeld, the wife of Christian Bale's con-man character Irving. While in a supporting role, she runs away with the movie as the unpredictable, sharp housewife of a man who seemingly doesn't realize what she's capable of. The sequence where she tears down Irving after she puts foil into the microwave is one of the funniest in the movie, proof of Lawrence's comedy chops. The microwave – which she refers to as the "science oven" – blows up and Irving arrives home unhappy about the situation. Rosalyn digs and nags at him about his friendship with Carmine, who gifted him the oven, in Lawrence's best laugh-out-loud performance to date.
1. Don't Look Up (2021), "We're all gonna die!"
Tackling climate change, the 2021 Netflix ensemble dramedy Don't Look Up follows a pair of astronomers who learn a comet is heading for Earth and about to eradicate all life as we know it. Lawrence stars as Kate Dibiasky, a doctoral candidate who discovers the meteor that will likely cause a global extinction event. Alongside her professor, played by Leonardo Di Caprio, Kate tries to warn the government of the seriousness of the situation. When no-one grasps the enormity of what's happening, Kate melts down on television. It's a chewy moment that Lawrence uses to perfectly capture the frustration of real-life activists.
See Jennifer Lawrence's newest movie, No Hard Feelings, at Regal on June 23.
