We take a look at the award-winning actor's roles on the silver screen, from worst to best
We take a look at the award-winning actor's roles on the silver screen, from worst to best
Text: Emma Blanchard
The Poker House
Lori Petty's 2008 drama stars a young Jennifer Lawrence as a teenage girl who is struggling to support her younger sisters in very poor circumstances. Her mother has turned to prostitution, drugs, and alcohol, causing for Jennifer’s character to step into a leadership position.
The Burning Plain
Directed and written by Guillermo Arriaga, Lawrence's character, Mariana, embarks on a journey to figure out why her mother pursued an affair (mommy issues appear to be a theme in Lawrence's career). Mariana simultaneously enters into a relationship with her mother’s lover's son. Confusing and uncomfortable? Yes. Lawrence’s best role? Definitely not.
The Beaver
The 2011 film starring Mel Gibson and Jody Foster follows the life of depressed CEO Walter and his family. Walter develops an alternate personality that is communicated through a puppet he finds in the trash. Lawrence plays the love interest of Walter's son. While the plot is rather peculiar, J-Law's character turns out to be hiding something that almost makes the film worth watching…
The House At The End Of The Street
This horror movie begins when Sarah Cassidy (Elisabeth Shue) and her daughter Elissa (Lawrence) move to a small town in search of a fresh start—only to discover that a massacre took place four years ago just a few houses down from their new home. When the relationship between Lawrence’s character and the mother goes south (three's a trend!), everything takes a turn for the worse. And we mean everything.
The Hunger Games
Lawrence takes on the role of protagonist Katniss Everdeen in the infamous Hunger Games saga (come on, you saw them—or at least one). While the depth of her character is arguable, Lawrence was the perfect choice to bring The Girl On Fire to life. But if we're being honest, this one gets a high ranking because of all the fabulous outfits she wore (a contrast to the real-life Lawrence, whom we only get to see in Dior).
Joy
J-Law stars as a self-made business tycoon in the 2015 David O. Russell film. Her stellar performance earned her an Oscar nomination at the 2016 Academy Awards, as well as two Golden Globes. While many felt it was well-deserving, we're not convinced that she didn't oversell the performance.
American Hustle
Nominated for Best Supporting Actress in 2013, Lawrence gave us life as the jealous, devious wife of Irving Rosenfeld (Christian Bale), a brilliant con man in the film based on the 1970 Abscam case. Her dry whit, constant sarcasm, and inability to use a microwave makes her one of J-Law's most lovable characters.
Silver Linings Playbook
This was the film that cemented our beloved heroine's place in the Hollywood hall of fame. In 2012, she took home the Oscar for Best Actress for her performance as Tiffany, a young widow suffering from depression and (many) intimacy issues. Lawrence also won a Golden globe for her character with whom we may have identified a little too much.
Winter's Bone
If Silver Linings Playbook is the film that cemented her career, this is the one that put her on the map. She literally turned heads in that unforgettable red Calvin Klein gown on the red carpet of the 2011 Academy Awards, where she was nominated for best supporting actress. She took on the emotional role of a young, southern girl embarking on a perilous journey to locate her missing father in the 2010 film—and we were hooked ever since.