Academy Awards Live Discussion

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Amazingly though, in such a short amount of time, Jennifer Lawrence has manged to be respected for smaller and independent films, while also having a thriving career as an in-demand commercial actress in Hollywood.

Not everyone can go from Winter's Bone to X-Men: First Class to The Hunger Games back to Silver Linings Playbook. That is the type of career many actresses spend their whole lives trying to achieve and she's done it so quickly and so young. I, as an audience member, can actually buy her as an actress that likes to tow the line between blockbuster movies and independent films.

[JackPeyton]

Really?

Most reviews I read were pretty impressed with her.

[JaneAusten]

Julia Roberts did this without being part of a franchise. She got her breakthrough in Mystic Pizza, went on to get Oscar noms for Steel Magnolias and Pretty Woman and went onto carry a ton of films including some major duds without ever being tied to a franchise. And as much as people like to claim shes over the hill, she still carried Eat Pray Love another dud to a 200 million dollar box office. Jennifer Lawrence is a better actress yes, but The Hunger Games and XMen would and have been successful with or without her. As for indie films, Silver Linings Playbook? A film by Miramax, backed by Harvey Weinstein, and including some powerhouse actors? Now Lawrence was a standout but we're not talking about a Beasts of the Southern Wilde that stuggled on a 2 million dollar budget and came out with Oscar nods to a film that had Harvey Weinstein. I'm not debating between Lawrence and Hathaway, I think they are both good actresses, but I think Lawrence needs to get a few years behind her before being annointed.

[ChitHappens]

The movie was completely underwhelming, and there was no place for Catwoman, especially AH's Catwoman. It was a waste and when I want the bad guy, Bane, to kill everyone, the movie is an epic fail!

I honestly don't have a problem with AH, but she should not be holding a statue just yet. Not sure if she's a phoney because I don't pay attention to her long enough. I've seen her movies or her IN movies (I never seek her out) and she's mediocre. It couldn't be more evident that she is one of the 3 "it" girls right now, so they press and everyone else will work overtime to try and convince us that she is deserving.

As for Jennifer Lawrence? !@#$%^&*] her too!

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Winter's Bone is an interdependent film, I was referring to Lawrence's breakthrough performance in that film. Silver Linings Playbook is a small budget prestige film that's gone somewhat commercial.

I do think Lawrence (or those behind her) deserve some credit for structuring her career between low budget and independent films as well as commercial popcorn flicks. No one is saying she has the box office draw that the now irrelevant toerag Julia Roberts had in the 90's, but she is very much a commercial film actress in demand at the moment.

I agree her assent has been fast, but from an unbiased POV, she's set a good foundation to build on - by showcasing that she's not just in it for the popularity and money and can take on films that don't necessarily get the exposure of the franchise films she stars in.