Jennifer Lawrence returns to the big screen this Friday in “Black Swan” director Darren Aronofsky’s highly-anticipated horror/thriller “mother!”, co-starring Javier Bardem, Michelle Pfeiffer and Ed Harris. Heading into “mother!”, here are J-Law’s 5 best film performances to date:
1. Tiffany Maxwell, “Silver Linings Playbook” (2012)
Lawrence’s work as a young widow was a powerhouse, earning her the Best Actress Oscar. From her first scene, I knew that Tiffany was going to be a star-making role for Lawrence (who already reached A-list status for Katniss Everdeen in “The Hunger Games” earlier in the year).
2. Rosalyn Rosenfeld, “American Hustle” (2013)
As part of the year’s best and arguably most star-studded ensemble (Amy Adams, Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, Robert De Niro, Louis C.K., Michael Pena and Jeremy Renner), Lawrence held her own as the feisty wife of Bale’s Irving and wild card in the film’s core crime operation. Rosalyn is the focus of the film’s most memorable scenes, from her confrontation with Sydney (Adams) in a bathroom, to the house microwave on fire and the dramatic “I don’t like change” scene that sealed the deal.
3. Joy Mangano, “Joy” (2015)
In her third collaboration with director David O. Russell, Lawrence took-on the complex role of the real-life QVC mogul. The film itself was a little all-over-the-place, but Lawrence kept you glued, particularly in her scenes with the QVC programming director (played by Cooper).
4. Katniss Everdeen, “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2” (2015)
After four movies, it was time to say goodbye to this cinematic saga, and Lawrence went-out on top with her best, most effective dramatic performance in the series.
5. Ree Dolly, “Winter’s Bone” (2010)
I wasn’t a huge fan of this indie drama, but Lawrence definitely showed she had potential in her first Oscar-nominated role.