With the help of The Hunger Games series and an interesting indie back catalog, Jennifer Lawrence became one of the most popular and unique actors working today. Her career began slowly but steadily with roles in small indie movies including The Poker House and The Burning Plain along with a recurring part in the sitcom The Bill Engvall Show. Things began to change after her breakout performance in Winter’s Bone which garnered a lot of attention. In the following year, X-Men: First Class was released and The Hunger Games came a year later, which cemented her position in pop culture.
Her ability to go between blockbuster action and comedy movies to subtle and restrained indie movies is something not every actor possesses. With that talent comes fans of every genre as she’s done drama, science fiction, comedy, and more with ease. That, along with a lack of filter combined with a charming personality has made her beloved by many. It’s no wonder that she has earned four Oscar nominations so far, and it wouldn’t be surprising if she continued collecting them. Here is every performance Jennifer Lawrence received an Oscar nomination for, ranked.
4 Joy (2015)
The worst of Jennifer Lawrence’s four Oscar-nominated performances is also her most recent, in which she plays the titular character of Joy. It’s a loose biopic that was written by Annie Mumolo and David O. Russell with the latter also directing it. Alongside Lawrence, the cast also features Bradley Cooper, Robert De Niro, and Diane Ladd. Joy is a woman who seems to have never done anything for herself, only making decisions based on how much they will help those around her. As a result of this she has ended up living with her parents with an unsatisfying relationship and job. To combat her dissatisfaction, she embarks on an entrepreneurial journey and starts selling self-wringing mops.
Although Lawrence is an excellent actor, she is not immune to choosing bad projects. Joy might have seemed like a fun and quirky take on traditional biopics on paper, but the reality of it is frustrating. Writing for The Observer, Jonathan Romney describes it as “bafflingly uneven in tone,” but that it “works most convincingly as a vehicle for the no-nonsense warrior-woman persona of Jennifer Lawrence.” The material simply wasn’t there for Lawrence to do her best work, but she is undoubtedly the best component of the piece, it seems as though the Academy nominated her out of habit for her previous David O. Russell collaborations.
3 American Hustle (2013)
In the second of Lawrence’s collaborations with Russell, she is part of an ensemble rather than carrying the movie in American Hustle. This time, the co-writer is Eric Warren Singer, who later wrote Top Gun: Maverick. The core cast sees Lawrence as Rosalyn Rosenfeld, working with Amy Adams who plays Sydney Prosser, Bradley Cooper as Richie DiMaso, and Christian Bale, Lawrence's on-screen husband Irving Rosenfeld. Irving and Sydney are con-artists working with Richie, a rogue FBI agent, against their will, while Rosalyn is a loose cannon in the midst of it all. The precarious job they’re trying to pull off revolves around corrupt politicians and could all blow up with one wrong move.
As usual with Russell’s work, the tone is rambunctious and messy, though it works better for this chaotic story than in Joy. Everyone’s performances are dialed all the way up to 10, and Lawrence is no exception. It’s fun to watch her having fun playing such an idiosyncratic and over-the-top character, though there is little realism or believability present. But it’s still easy to see how the work earned an Oscar nomination because there are few other actors who could pull off the same performance.
2 Winter's Bone (2010)
Lawrence’s first Oscar nomination came from Winter’s Bone, which made her one of the youngest nominees for Best Actress at 20 years old. The movie is based on a novel by Daniel Woodrell and the screenplay was co-written by director Debra Granik with Anne Rosellini. In the lead role, Lawrence plays Ree, whose home is in danger of being repossessed when her father disappears. In order to find him and save herself and her family, Ree must confront other residents of her rural village and face serious resistance. Lawrence shoulders much of the run-time, but she is joined by others including John Hawkes, Garret Dillahunt, and Isaiah Stone.
In contrast with her work with Russell, this dramatic performance is much more subtle and pulled back. The entire movie is authentic in both its depictions of this small town and the emotions running through the narrative, neither of which would have been possible without Lawrence’s stewardship. It may be bleak, but there is still a subtle flicker of warmth that comes from her performance. She may be best known for her bigger and bolder acting choices, but here, she is showing off an incredible amount of range.
1 Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
Lastly, Lawrence’s best Oscar-nominated performance is in Silver Linings Playbook, for which she went on to win the award for Best Actress. This is the first of her David O. Russell collaborations, this time based on a novel by Matthew Quick. She plays Tiffany and, as usual, she is acting opposite Bradley Cooper, in the role of Pat, with Robert De Niro, Jacki Weaver, and Chris Tucker in supporting roles. Pat has recently been discharged from a mental health facility and is trying to get his life back on track when he meets Tiffany, who is experiencing difficulties of her own. They embark on a turbulent friendship and train together for a dance competition.
Given the subject matter and the writing of the movie, Lawrence’s performance as Tiffany could have easily become cartoonish in a way that seriously detracted from the end product. However, fortunately for all involved, she plays the role as a whole person and not just an agent of chaos. Discussing Silver Linings Playbook in Empire Magazine, Damon Wise argues that it’s “the movie to prove that Winter’s Bone was merely the start” of her Oscars journey. Her stunning turn here goes to show that she’s at her best when she gets to lean into the extreme and subtle ends of her arsenal.