In the age of wonky box office returns and post-pandemic audiences, the question of whether or not the title of “movie star” still exists has been on the entertainment industry’s mind quite a bit. Sure, there are still some stars who’ll get butts into seats, but it’s not nearly as guaranteed as in the past. Sony clearly hopes that Jennifer Lawrence (“The Hunger Games,” “Silver Linings Playbook”) still has at least a bit of her name recognition left, putting her front and center on the marketing for her latest comedy romp “No Hard Feelings.”
The film stars Lawrence as Maddie, a 32-year-old semi-slacker who skates by on life as an Uber driver and bartending in her hometown of Montauk, NY. After her car is towed due to impending bankruptcy, she accepts a craigslist ad from a pair of helicopter parents, Laird and Allison Becker, played by Matthew Broderick (“Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” “The Cable Guy”) and Laura Benanti (“tick, tick… BOOM!,” “Younger”), respectively. They want her to pretend to date their awkward 19-year-old son Percy, played by Andrew Barth Feldman (“High School Musical: The Musical: The Series”) in his film debut, so that he can become less socially awkward before he goes to college. She accepts, and hilarity ensues.
There’s a lot of classic comedy tropes and shenanigans at play here, and the film overall works best when writer/director Gene Stupnitsky (“Good Boys,” “Jury Duty”) and his co-writer John Phillips (“Dirty Grandpa”) don’t try to reinvent the formula. Maddie is an attractive older woman clearly out of Percy’s league and the best aspects of the comedy come from their misadventures; the awkward first meeting, trying to get to know him later, the silly sex jokes. There’s a heart at the center of the movie that eventually develops, but it feels more like a byproduct of the two charming leads rather than an intentional part of the film.
Lawrence is fantastic here, leaning fully into the wacky comedy of her role. There’s a clear tightrope for her to walk here; she has to be a slacker just enough that you’d believe she’d accept this situation but also play the character confidently enough to have her swagger come across. The film’s marketing plays up the R-rating, and it’s a joy to watch Lawrence be so undeniably crude and crass the entire time. Feldman is arguably the star of the show here, stealing every scene he’s in and setting himself apart from other shy, awkward, nerdy guy types that he could easily get pegged as. He has fantastic comedic chops and the pair work great together.
When it’s big and silly, the film is at its best. It does eventually find itself wadding into a sweet and heartfelt ending by the time things are done, but it’s certainly not the direction most would have expected. There’s a real arc of growth for both Maddie and Percy, and Lawrence and Feldman really sell that arc in a satisfying way. It doesn’t result in a life-changing movie, but it does at least set this apart from being “just another raunchy R-rated comedy.” There’s also a great use of Montauk, showcasing the richer side of the town where Percy’s family lives and the working-class side where Maddie lives. It’s not exactly a travel commercial for the area, but it feels genuine.
“No Hard Feelings”
is silly and fun, thanks to the two extremely charming leads and their great
comedic timing. The film isn’t anything remarkable by any means, but it’s a
well-made, funny, and heartfelt comedy that definitely justifies spending
103-minutes in Montauk with these two awkward leads. Sometimes, that’s enough. 3.5/5
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