Jennifer Lawrence Lets Loose in Raunchy Comedy ‘No Hard Feelings’

Sandra Miska

Despite being only 32, Jennifer Lawrence has an Oscar, as well three other nominations and numerous other accolades under her belt. She’s wowed audiences many times over playing wives, widows and mothers in (mostly) memorable dramas, and previously showed her comedic side in “Don’t Look Up.” Now she is letting it all hang out, literally, in the raunchy comedy “No Hard Feelings.” Lawrence is at ease here playing a character her own age, Maddie Barker, a failure-to-launch bartender and Uber driver who has spent her life in Montauk, NY, a summer destination for wealthy city folks. After she loses her car and finds herself in danger of losing her house, Maddie answers an ad placed by an affluent couple, Laird (Matthew Broderick) and Allison Becker (Laura Benanti), looking for a young women to seduce their awkward 19-year-old son, Percy (Andrew Barth Feldman).

As creepy as this premise may sound, Broderick and Benanti play Laird and Allison as warm and well-intentioned, if not slightly misguided, parents. Their goal is to put Percy in a situation that will build up his confidence ahead of his going off to college at Princeton. They are, however, perhaps a little too involved in their only child’s life, and the film has fun milking humor out of the dynamic between Zoomers and their overly-involved parents. Maddie is to “date” Percy, and in return, the Beckers will give her a slightly-used Buick. 

After a disastrous first meeting that ends with Percy spraying her with mace, he and Maddie proceed to get along famously. At first glance, they may seem odd, given the differences in their ages and backgrounds, but upon deeper examination, it is apparent that they are in similar stages in life. Both are on the precipice of adulthood. Yes, Maddie has technically been one for 14 years, but she has certain blocks that have been holding her back, and Percy helps her work through them. In turn, she helps him work through some of his own fears and dependency issues.

Yes, a lot of comedies revolve around teen boys losing their virginities, but Barth Feldman’s lack of swagger and toxic male energy make Percy a refreshingly endearing male teen sex comedy lead. It also helps that diretor Gene Stupnitsky and his co-writer John Phillips seem to genuinely care about that character and make sure that the viewer is laughing with him way more than they are laughing at him. There are plenty of sweet moments between Maddie and Percy mixed in with the comedy that do not feel forced or corny.

As solid as the supporting cast is, which also includes Kyle Mooney as Percy’s former nanny and Hasan Minhaj as a local realtor known for marrying his and Maddie’s old teacher, the big draw is definitely Lawrence. After winning an Oscar and being directed by some of the biggest directors in Hollywood, she has the time of her life here, whether she is fighting would-be thieves in the nude on the beach, yelling at entitled vacationers, or going for a ride on the hood of Percy’s car.

“No Hard Feelings” releases June 23 in theaters nationwide.