By virtually every Hollywood measure, it would have to be said that Jennifer Lawrence has experienced more than her fair share of success over her compact career.
Having earned the title in 2015 and 2016 of highest paid actress in the world, her films have grossed over $5.5 billion worldwide.
The Kentucky born star has been known for possessing an uncanny ability to pick her projects well, while simultaneously nurturing the down-home accessible image that the public finds so appealing.
Things of late seem to have taken a turn for Lawrence, though. Her most recent film is tanking at the box office and her image seems to be suffering from a number of self-inflicted wounds.
Ironically, Lawrence’s box-office run and star status are the stuff of dreams for any Hollywood hopeful or entertainment industry devotee. In her budding career, she had the good fortune of becoming part of two lucrative franchises, with a portrayal of the mutant Mystique in the "X-Men" movies and a role as Katniss Everdeen in the "Hunger Games" film series.
Hollywood decision makers took special note of Lawrence for a role that she played in the 2010 movie "Winter’s Bone," a film for which she received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.
She additionally garnered coveted critical acclaim and significant award nominations via her subsequent work with director David O. Russell, receiving an Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in "Silver Linings Playbook," which at the age of 22 made her the second-youngest winner of the award. (Twenty-one-year-old Marlee Matlin won the award in 1986 for her role in "Children of a Lesser God.")
She also received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her work in Russell’s "American Hustle." The most recent vehicle in which Lawrence has chosen to star is a movie called "Mother!" The film is produced, directed, and co-written by Lawrence’s latest romantic interest, Darren Aronofsky.
Unfortunately, the cinematic piece is pretentious, cluttered, and hopelessly self-indulgent.
The public seems to wholeheartedly agree, having given the film a dismal rating of "F" on the respected CinemaScore survey. The film’s box-office performance is considerably below expectations as well. As a result, Lawrence is experiencing her lowest opening ever, checking in at less than $8 million.
Prior to the lead-up of the film, Lawrence’s brand was well-honed, and she was frequently referred to in the media as "America’s Sweetheart."
However, her image has suffered some blows of late as a result of having fallen victim to the Hollywood syndrome of believing that along with their entertainment fare folks actually want a heaping serving of celebrity sanctimony.
Most recently, while out promoting her new movie, Lawrence suggested that the devastation in Texas and Florida, which was caused by hurricanes Harvey and Irma, was "Mother Nature’s revenge and wrath" due to the sizable portion of the American people who voted for President Trump, who also failed to embrace the theory of man-caused global warming.
Lawrence had already alienated many would-be filmgoers with her avid support of Planned Parenthood and participation in a video this year against any de-funding for the abortion provider.
Her media image is also in the process of being further tarnished by the anti-Christian content in "Mother!" The movie clumsily incorporates biblical themes throughout its storyline.
Aronofsky had previously shown his antipathy for faithful Christians and Jews in his 2014 attempt at biblical storytelling, "Noah," a movie that he also produced, directed, and co-wrote.
Aronofsky himself revealed on Reddit that he had biblical themes in mind in creating "Mother!" He wrote, " . . . when trying to think about mother earth’s relationship to people I decided to turn to the stories of the bible as a way of describing on [sic] version of people’s story on earth."
In commenting on the "Mother!” movie, Daniel Montgomery of GoldDerby wrote that the film is "being described as the Bible by way of Roman Polanski ('Rosemary’s Baby') and Lars von Trier ('Antichrist').”
Lawrence has never taken more than a few months between movie projects. In fact, the first trailer for her 2018 Russian spy drama, "Red Sparrow," was just released.
After the paltry box-office performance of her latest star vehicle, Lawrence may actually be taking a leave from acting so that she can take up a new hobby.
"Today" host Savannah Guthrie asked the actress during a recent appearance on the morning show if she was planning to keep releasing back-to-back films or whether she would be taking a break.
"I’m taking one," Lawrence replied. "I don't have anything set for two years."
Guthrie then asked her what she would do with her newfound time during her two year hiatus.
Lawrence answered, "I don’t know. Start making pots?"
James Hirsen, J.D., M.A., in media psychology, is a New York Times best-selling author, media analyst, and law professor. Visit Newsmax TV Hollywood. Read more reports from James Hirsen — Click Here Now.
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