What is the “hidden meaning” exactly of Joy?

This complex film stars Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper, Robert de Niro,  and several other great stars including Joy’s  husband played by Edgar Ramirez who has something of the old school mystique about him.  There also seems to be a young De Niro somewhere in the credits – not sure exactly who. The movie is directed by David O. Russell who has Silver Linings, Playbook, American Hustle and The Fighter already under his belt.

We are “treated” early on to nasty tantrums by de Niro playing alienated husband of Joy’s mum – a lady who spends her time looking beautiful  lying on her bed watching OTT soap operas with hugely glamorous women in them not to mention very suave men. She eventually finds love with the plumber who visits to fit a leak.

Joy has two children –  an older girl and obviously younger boy and her husband is trying to be another Tom Jones and despite his undeniably  amazing good looks which are so good they are almost “classic sex god” is not really bringing in the bacon.  Joy’s fortunes turn when her father meets a partner on the internet called Trudy (Isabella Rossellini)  and  he is Rudy.  Trudy is a wealthy widow and soon Joy is giving up on a boring life and together with her daughter dreamining up a piece of money-spinning cleaning equipment which is designed to be vastly superior to what is already on offer and Trudy is asked to invest.

The story then takes a swerve concentrating on the cleaning invention and we are fortunately not treated to any more of Rudy’s antics for the best part of the rest of the plot.  The audience is desperately in the corner of Joy who finds launching a business is no picnic.  She is close to bankruptcy, has to re-mortgage her house, and stalk a company who has stolen her patent at risk of being mugged up and then finds her project plummets due to jealousy from a man in the company who has told her to vastly increase manufacture and then picks a numbskull to try and market it live on TV who has no interest in it.

We are all at our wits end wondering what will happen to poor Joy when we are treated to a scene in a hotel room.  No she is not exactly seducing the man who comes to visit her – she is shakingly telling him his company stole her idea – she researched their claim they invented the property first through the Chinese authorities which they did not  and she will take legal action and wants damages – huge ones.

Joy ends up hugely rich, still best friends with her estranged husband, sill friends with the manager who made her mop famous and still kind, like me, offering an up and coming business couple with a small baby a better hotel whilst they visit to give her the chance to invest in their particular invention.

What is the hidden meaning, exactly of Joy?  I feel sure young businesswomen will be talking about it for years, but Joy had to cut loose from her feminine side, fight dangerous men who were trying to discredit her business and steal from her, risk being arrested for trying to promote her product in a car park, cut her hair off in defiance of losing everything and eventually, yes, eventually, found peace in life and fabulous wealth.   Lets just say it might make some people think twice before listening to what a rich man said which nearly left Joy on the street….watch the film and see for yourself.

Penny Nair Price