Still of Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper in Silver Linings Playbook © 2012 – The Weinstein Company.
By Avalon Doyle, Contributor
There’s no denying that Jennifer Lawrence is one of Hollywood’s hottest actresses—between her indie cred (2010’s Winter’s Bone), her mega-franchise (The Hunger Games), and her highly-acclaimed blockbuster (Silver Linings Playbook), she has clearly earned her way to the top. But is this Hollywood hopeful ready to win an Oscar this year? The answer to that question is no.
Lawrence’s role in Silver Linings Playbook has garnered her a second Academy Award nomination for Best Actress (the first was for Winter’s Bone), this time as Tiffany, a recovering sex-addict whose husband has recently died.
But the award isn’t just for good performances; it’s for the best performances. The beauty of film is in the unscripted effect, when you can no longer tell if it was the scriptwriter, director, or just plain brilliant acting that brought a piece to life. Lawrence’s awkward delivery and moments of over-acting bring the viewer out of the film, and often feel like she never fully embraced the unhinged depression of her character.
From her first scenes she oozes sex, and there is not a soul on this earth who could deny her sex appeal. But the art of acting isn’t supposed to just fall on a trait; it’s about making people believe you’re someone that you’re not. Every time she yells, or has to act crazy, or give some subtle emotion, it feels just like that—acting. It’s as if her director called for more passion, to which she yelled louder.
There’s one scene in particular that takes place on Halloween, and it brought me back to that awful time when I saw the first Twilight movie. Lawrence’s screams registered in my mind as something Kristin Stewart-esque, and I found myself squirming awkwardly in my chair.
The Oscar for Best Actress should go to the person who was able to make the audience forget they were just watching a film from a theatre seat. The viewer should leave that seat feeling like they will never be the same again because they were just privy to an insight on human nature or storytelling they had never considered before. Lawrence captured that essence in Winter’s Bone, playing a young girl struggling to keep her family together while tracking down her drug-dealing father, but she was also up against Natalie Portman’s performance in Black Swan, so of course she wasn’t going to win.
I can’t deny the moments where Lawrence does truly shine in Silver Linings Playbook, but that still doesn’t cut it—they were too inconsistent. I believe Lawrence will get another one of those moments, considering the mark she’s made by the mere age of 22. She definitely has the time, talent, and strength to be nominated again and maybe even win, but it shouldn’t be for Silver Linings Playbook.
