On the other hand, Jennifer Lawrence (aka J-Law) was on a fairly hot roll for three years, starting with Winter’s Bone (’10) and cresting with her Oscar-winning performance in the phenomenally on-target and commercially successful Silver Linings Playbook (’12), written and directed by David O. Russell.

But that was it — a charmed career path that lasted three years.

From 2013 onward or over the last 12 years, Lawrence has been more or less plotzing…treading water, in-and-out, hit-and-miss. She’s been in two or three good films, but the lucky-streak period ended with Playbook, her last big critical and commercial hit. She’s been doing “okay” but the career has kinda been poking and lurching along.

The three Hunger Games films were commercially successful but critically loathed. Russell’s American Hustle enjoyed critical and commercial approval but lacked that special euphoric spark. Lawrence’s X-Men films…give me a break. Susanne Bier‘s Serena (’14) was a bust. Russell’s Joy (’15) felt like a miss or even a semi-fizzle. And then along came Morten Tyldum‘s Passengers (’16), which succeeded commercially but was hated by people with taste…a critical Hindenburg.

Darren Aronofsky‘s mother! (’17) was a powerful art-horror film (heartily approved by HE) but almost everyone hated it. Red Sparrow (’18) was a modest hit and a critical flop. Dark Phoenix…later. Adam McKay‘s Don’t Look Up (Netflix) was critically applauded but failed to really catch on culturally or awards-wise. Lila Neugebauer‘s Causeway (’18 — Lawrence’s wokey, low-rent New Orleans film) was critically upvoted but otherwise felt like a whiff.

In my book Gene Stupnitsky‘s No Hard Feelings (’23) was Lawrence’s best comedy since Silver Linings Playbook. Her next film is Lynne Ramsay‘s Die, My Love, a dark comedy.

It’s been 13 years since Silver Linings Playbook connected across-the-board. If she wants to maintain her Lawrence-ness, J-Law needs to hit another homer or at least a triple. She can’t just star in movies that are semi-liked or which perform fairly well. She needs to really tag one.