Jennifer Lawrence plays down-on-her-luck bartender Maddie, who answers a strange Craigslist ad promising a used Buick to a young woman who could successfully “date” (aka sleep with) socially awkward 19-year-old Percy (Andrew Barth Feldman). The oddest twist is that it’s Percy’s oddball parents, played by Laura Benanti and Matthew Broderick, who put out the request. They want him to go off to college with confidence.
While Maddie is well outside the age bracket the parents were looking for, she convinces them to give her a shot at seducing young Percy and getting her hands on that sweet Buick. Lawrence plays the wily and rough-around-the-edges character with comic ease, and introverted Percy doesn’t quite know what to do with this bold and beautiful woman who just seemed to walk into his life and throw herself at him.
While it doesn’t get too deep and there’s obviously something that feels a bit icky about the premise, No Hard Feelings manages to keep the laughs coming. Maddie and Percy wind up helping each other through their respective problems and forming a weird yet endearing friendship. Fans of J Law will have fun with this one. (103 min.)
—Glen Starkey
