New ‘Joy’ Trailer Actually Tells Us Something About the Plot

Share:

Turns out Joy won’t just be Jennifer Lawrence making increasingly intimidating facial expressions in close-up. I mean, it’ll still be mostly that, but the latest trailer for the David O. Russell film finally gives viewers some idea what it’s actually about.

While the first trailer was mostly a single voiceover illustrated with footage—hence why a two-minute long clip could still be accurately called a “teaser”—the second actually fills us in on Russell’s version of the Joy Mangano story, tracking her from childhood to fame and fortune as the inventor of the Miracle Mop.

Though, like all Russell productions, this one boasts a serious ensemble (Robert De Niro as Joy’s dad, Isabella Rossellini and Bradley Cooper in as-yet-undefined roles), Joy is clearly a Jennifer Lawrence showcase. Her rise is framed as an attempt to get away from a crazily dysfunctional family, picking up some business acumen and vaguely threatening gravitas along the way.

Watch the full clip below: