The First "Joy" Trailer Shows Lawrence Gunning for an Oscar Nomination

Jennifer Lawrence

It has already been a rough 2015 for the cast of Silver Linings Playbook. First there was director David O. Russell's long abandoned Accidental Love, which saw the light of day long after it shouldn't have. Then there was the shelved Jennifer Lawrence/Bradley Cooper romance Serena (review coming soon), which favored slightly better. However, it looks like the gang is getting back together for a hopefully better outing with their first collaboration since 2013's American Hustle called Joy. With the first trailer released, there's plenty to get excited about, especially since it looks like the charm is back and I'm sure that we're looking at another Oscar front runner.

While Russell hasn't won a Best Picture, he has been quite successful at racking up nominations. Between his last three films, he has garnered 25 nominations and 3 wins. In a way, he has come to epitomize what an Oscar movie can be generalized at. He is partially responsible for turning Lawrence into a star (The Hunger Games takes its fair share of credit) and for good reason. He has helped to produce some of her better work of the past few years, even earning her a Best Actress win for Silver Linings Playbook. In an era where name recognition doesn't hold the weight that it once did, he manages to produce populous dramas that are, for better or worse, enjoyable without being totally lacking.

That's why it seems promising to see them return for Joy this Fall. With an already strong Oscar season starting to show itself, it looks like Russell is bringing his A-Game. Or at very least, he is bringing his trusty trailer editor to produce yet another solid piece of marketing. For what it's worth, Russell's films usually have great trailers, such as American Hustle and its use of Led Zeppelin over various scenes. It gives away enough without telling too much. In the case of Joy, it looks like more of the same.

Check out the trailer below:

Looks pretty good. Here's the plot description according to IMDb:

Joy is the story of a family across four generations and the woman who rises to become founder and matriarch of a powerful family business dynasty.

If anything, it sounds like one of the more ambitious collaborations between the three. Also, with Robert De Niro co-starring, this appears to be a reunion of sorts. With Russell having tackled emotions and heists, it will be interesting to see how Lawrence does in a film that seems to be predominantly about her. From the looks of the trailer with the solid use of The Rolling Stones, it may be quite a whirlwind. She is vibrating with personality and things may go in an interesting direction.

It does seem too early to speculate if this will be Russell's third film in a row to clean house on nomination day by taking every major category. However, it does seem like a promising horse to bet on. I do think that he may one day win Best Picture, but the question is going to be if this is the right one. Maybe this will be just as mediocre as Accidental Love or Serena ended up being. Who knows. All I know is that Russell has a great trailer editor and he has once again gotten me hooked, even if I fall more on the skeptical side of him as a fan.