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1/12/16

The Miracle Mop fairy tale and the ‘Joy’ of the American Dream

“Joy” is a strange film to have arrived in theaters on Christmas. Despite its constant winter scenes – or in one scene, a snow-like flurry of lint -– it has nothing to do with the holiday.  Still, what a great present for those who believe in the American dream.

Advertised as the third collaboration of director David O. Russell with Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, and Bradley Cooper, “Joy” is the story of the Miracle Mop. More precisely, the story of Joy Mangano, a “down-to-earth Italian-American housewife from Long Island” who became wealthy through her 100+ patents and involvement building QVC and the Home Shopping Network.

Though Russell spent hours “grilling” Mangano about her life, he built the titular character from the lives of several female entrepreneurs. Thus a slightly bewildering movie about a mop evolved from strict autobiography into an “impressionistic,” “multigenerational fable.” A fable of imagination, individual perseverance, and “becoming a true boss of family and enterprise.”

Why does “Joy” merit discussion on AEIdeas?  Because this film is a capitalist Cinderella story, a reminder to creative minds, go-getters, and Americans in general that America’s deep magic operates in surprising places.

Twentieth Century Fox.

Twentieth Century Fox.

Let us explore this a bit. Joy (Lawrence) abandoned a bright future to be the pillar of an ungrateful family. She is one of two bread-earners, as well as the main caregiver and housekeeper. (She builds a mop because 1) she mops 2) she needed a better mop, and 3) she realized others might need one too.) Joy supports her children and her mother, while her father (De Niro) runs an auto-body shop. Her failed-musician ex-husband lives in the basement. Finally, add to the mix a jealous half-sister and her father’s girlfriend (Isabella Rossellini as Trudy, fairy godmother and evil stepmother in one).

Lastly, we have Joy’s grandmother, the narrator. With prophetic calm, she says Joy will “build wonderful things, and that is what is going to happen.” And Russell will not let you forget it, no matter what else befalls his heroine.

We watch Joy as she [SPOILER ALERT] builds her mop, pitches time and again for funding from Trudy, enters the market, organizes a make-shift factory, struggles with debt (the result of her family’s meddling), watches her product fail, and then fights tooth-and-nail to protect her patent. It’s heart-wrenching.

So when she goes on television to sell the Miracle Mop herself –- made-up, eloquent, and knowledgeable, on her feet with her mop rather than on her knees — Cinderella has arrived. Joy took a risk and innovated, selling her product on a disruptive new commercial platform. She frees herself with capitalism’s help. (And when Joy uses the law to beat down patent bullies, she wins that freedom again.)

What of a prince, you say? The closest we come is Bradley Cooper’s QVC executive Neil Walker. (Spoiler: Joy and Neil become competitors. No wedding bells, just business deals.)

Now maybe a capitalist Cinderella is easy to find here because Joy is a woman. However, the lessons of this film are unisex. “Cinderella” emphasizes grit and courage triumphing over adversity. The American Dream offers the same moral. Rotten personal circumstances and some poverty of opportunity need not prevent us from pursuing the right opportunity.

Most American reviews of the overall film say it is not equal to Lawrence’s brilliant performance, for which she won a Golden Globe on Sunday. Leave it to a Brit to nail what makes it worthy: “’Joy’ is a confounding, recklessly brilliant fairy tale of self-empowerment, fuelled by the redemptive magic of the movies.”

Entrepreneurship is as much a spiritual as a commercial venture. America would do well to remember that the “magic” Russell makes here is based in real happy endings.



from AEI » Latest Content http://ift.tt/1ngiHzn

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