Joy is a film.
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation ( known as Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation with a hyphen from 1935 until 1985 , professionally as 20th Century Fox , Twentieth Century Fox or simply known as Fox ) is an American film studio currently owned by 21st Century Fox . Joy is a 2015 American biographical comedy-drama film , written and directed by David O. Russell and starring Jennifer Lawrence as Joy Mangano , about whom the story is loosely based as a self-made millionaire who created her own business empire . It received mixed reviews from critics , who praised Lawrence 's performance but criticized the writing and pace of the film . Joy was also nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture -- Musical or Comedy , among other accolades .