Joy

For some reason this reminded me of another little gem about a spunky housewife and mother, The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio. (My mother was born and raised on a farm outside Defiance!) Looking into it, it seems this one is like most “inspired by true events” stories; that is, only partially true. Joy Mangano did invent the Miracle Mop, and used it and other household inventions to become a wealthy woman, and the top presenter/seller at the Home Shopping Network. But her path to success does not seem to have been strewn with as many terrible obstacles as is shown here. It was a steady progression, starting small and expanding in increments. But of course that’s not very dramatic, so a lot of villains were added to the mix along the way.

It is a decent enough film, but nothing special. And I must say—and this is not really a reflection on her, because I do like her—that Jennifer Lawrence has reached that strange tipping point of recognition where virtually anything she does will qualify her for award ballots. I mean, this wasn’t an even vaguely Oscar-worthy performance, but she got a nomination. That she was awarded a Golden Globe just confirms my view of them that they are totally bogus. Stop watching the fucking Golden Globes, people! The HFPA is ninety people who have nothing at all to do with the industry. They aren’t even reviewers! But they have managed to finagle themselves into a true cornucopia of Hollywood swag. Please, ignore them!

BTW: I was just a little weirded out to realize that flogging something on the HSN, or before it the QVC, could bring in thousands and thousands of sales within minutes. Which means that millions of poor slobs are actually watching this incredibly boring shit, and spending money! Which means they have no life at all.