Courtesy of Sony Pictures Entertaiment/YouTube
‘No Hard Feelings’ Cast, Crew Defend Controversial Premise: ‘We Took Great Pains to Be Careful’
Jennifer Lawrence’s new movie, No Hard Feelings, is facing some hardcore controversy over its premise — which features a couple with a 13-year age gap — but the cast and crew defended the film.
“We took great pains to be careful about the ick factor because it could go that way,” director Gene Stupnitsky told The Hollywood Reporter on June 24. “We took a humanist approach, and I think that’s all you can ask for.”
Cast member Natalie Morales chimed in with Gene, 45, by asking, “Have you seen The Graduate? [Jennifer is] supposed to be playing an older woman. There are so many movies where the male lead is much older than the female lead and TV shows especially, and nobody bats an eye. So, what’s the difference?”
The Graduate is a 1967 rom-com about a 21-year-old college graduate who is seduced by an older married woman, and he later falls in love with her daughter.
Gene then pointed out in the interview that in one of Jennifer’s past films, Silver Linings Playbook, the Academy Award winner, 32, had a 15-year age difference with her costar, Bradley Cooper, while their characters developed a romantic relationship.
Jennifer seemingly addressed the criticism during her interview with USA Today earlier this month.
“I mean, you’re aware that you’re making something that’s so offensive and so wrong,” the Hunger Games heroine explained on June 21. “And you have it in your mind like, ‘God, I haven’t seen a movie like this in a long time,’ but more, ‘Oh, no. Is this going to be OK?’
No Hard Feelings stars Jennifer as 32-year-old Montauk, New York, resident Maddie and Andrew Barth Feldman as 19-year-old Percy, whose helicopter parents pay the financial struggling Maddie to “date” their son before he goes off to college at Princeton University.
The trailer for the movie revealed one scene with the Oscar winner’s character talking to Percy’s parents, in which she asks, “When you say ‘date’ him, do you mean ‘date’ him or ‘date’ him?” Matthew Broderick’s character then responds, “Date him. Date him hard.”
“OK, I’ll date his brains out,” Jennifer’s character responds in the clip.
Although the comedy has received overwhelmingly positive reviews so far, countless social media users have weighed in on the synopsis, alleging that it promotes an inappropriate relationship.
“Hard pass on this movie. It’s a gross premise/plot,” one Twitter user wrote shortly after the film hit theaters on June 23. “Can’t wait to not see this ever,” another chimed in. “Looks good. However, if the roles were switched, there would be howls of protest,” a third tweeted.
Other social media users disagreed with the negativity, though, as several responded by pointing out that it’s a fictional plot.
“This movie is so funny,” one Twitter user wrote on Wednesday, June 28, while another praised Jennifer by tweeting, “Was refreshing to go to the theater and see a raunchy comedy. Enjoyed the movie and Jennifer nailed her performance like always, and wow, that maneater scene with Andrew and Jennifer was surprising.”
