“This role was made for her and she was made for this role”: Andrew Barth Feldman and Gene Stupnitsky on No Hard Feelings and Jennifer Lawrence

Jennifer Lawrence, though not known primarily for her comedy prowess, has always had a glint in her eye, bringing flourishes of comic timing to her dramatic roles, whether in her award-winning turn in Silver Linings Playbook, her teen action hero Katniss in The Hunger Games or opposite Brian Tyree Henry in the more recent Causeway. Those moments have always had more airtime when the actress is out of character on chat shows, where resoundingly un-Hollywood bursts of personality have often had audiences in stitches. Now, for the first time, those two worlds collide, with her true comic chops unleashed in an out-and-out comedy – and an R-rated, retro-edged one at that.

Gene Stupnitsky (whose credits include The Office) has taken a real-life Craigslist ad, in which uber-wealthy “helicopter” parents wanted to prep their shy, introverted son for college by enlisting the help of a woman to be his girlfriend for a summer, and fleshed out who each of the characters in such a set up could be. The result is No Hard Feelings, with Lawrence playing Maddie, a woman on the brink of losing her house (which belonged to her mother), who responds to the ad to help “make a man” of Percy (Andrew Barth Feldman) in return for a Buick. Outrageous physical comedy and plenty of crude and cringe-worthy moments ensue, from riding atop cars to beach fights in the buff, like a collision of The Graduate with Superbad, this time with a female lead being the one put through the wringer.

This really is Lawrence as you’ve never seen her before, as she holds nothing back in playing up every single moment for laughs with total commitment – it’s hard to think of another A-list actress quite as gung-ho as she. Beneath the mayhem, there are also some apt reflections on the clash of the millennial generation with today’s Gen-Zs, the struggles of many communities facing cost-of-living crises and gentrification, and the moment Percy performs to Maddie in a restaurant is unexpectedly disarming. Plus the supporting cast add to the hilarity: Matthew Broderick is just perfect as a super-rich dad who to still wants to look a bit cool with long grey hair.

The Upcoming had the pleasure of chatting with the Lawrence’s costar, Feldman, who described how he found resonance with Percy’s introverted personality and the anxiety stemming from generational clashes, bringing authenticity to the character through his own Gen-Z lens. He spoke fondly of working with Lawrence, lauding her comic timing and versatility, and reflected on the pair’s off-screen friendship. Their shared laughter was a constant on-set, despite the demanding, sometimes bizarre stunts that included interaction with dogs. Feldman discussed his love for classics like Anchorman and Superbad, yet underscored the unique aspect of his film, where hilarity stems from real characters in strange circumstances. He hopes the film fosters understanding and compassion, despite the antics of its characters, and looks forward to future projects that resonate with him, continuing to balance acting with his passion for writing music.

Stupnitsky then shared how the project came to be, the joy of working with Lawrence in her first straight-up comedy role, and how he doesn’t see that there is anything controversial in the film – he just hopes people will have a lot of fun watching it.

Sarah Bradbury

No Hard Feelings is released nationwide on 21^st June 2023.

Watch the trailer for No Hard Feelings here:

You can also hear what the cast and director had to say about the film on the red carpet below: