The trailer for Jennifer Lawrence's new film Causeway has been released, offering viewers a glimpse at the Oscar winner's first dramatic role since her three-year hiatus from acting. The actor announced she would be taking a break from the big screen in 2019 after releasing a string of films which she has since claimed were not of a quality she could be proud of. Lawrence credited the pressure she was putting on herself for her decision to seek time away from the public eye. After spending that period of her life getting married, having a child, and becoming more of a political advocate, she has now stepped back in front of the camera. While her first starring role since 2019 was in Adam McKay's political satire, Don't Look Up, released to Netflix in late 2021, Causeway marks her return to drama.
In April 2019, it was announced that Lawrence would join Brian Tyree Henry in Causeway's cast. The film, which had its world premiere at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival last month, was reported to be a psychological drama exploring the PTSD of a soldier, played by Lawrence, upon her return home from deployment in Afghanistan. While Lawrence served as one of the film's producers in addition to its lead, Causeway was directed by Lila Neugebauer and written in collaboration by Elizabeth Sanders, who wrote the short story on which it is based, “Red, White, and Water,” and novelists Ottessa Moshfegh and Luke Goebel.
Following a turbulent filming experience throughout the pandemic, Apple TV+ has now released the official trailer for Jennifer Lawrence's return to drama in Causeway. Lawrence and Henry's chemistry shines in the trailer as they are shown navigating their trauma and pain with each other's support. In a stark contrast to the recent comedic roles Lawrence has taken on, the trailer features moments of silence in which the intensity and solemness of her character are fully embodied. See the first look at the new movie above.
Why Causeway Heralds Jennifer Lawrence's True Return To Movies
Although Causeway is Lawrence's second in a string of new projects announced following her break, in many ways this dramatic turn feels like the true return of the cinematic powerhouse, who became revered as one of the greatest performers of her generation due to her dramatic chops. After all, Lawrence's breakout role was in Winter's Bone, the gut-wrenching coming-of-age drama for which she was nominated for her first Academy Award, and it was through her lead role as Katniss Everdeen in the dystopian, often intense and disturbing, Hunger Games franchise that she cemented herself as a household name. While she is proving her ability to traverse genres with her comedic roles in Don't Look Up and the upcoming comedy film No Hard Feelings, directed by Gene Stupnitsky, Causeway finally marks the gripping return of one of drama's current greats.
Lawrence has said of Causeway that the film is extremely emotional and personal for her. In raising questions surrounding the meaning of home and the trauma in letting go and returning again, the movie seems to mirror the actor's own personal journey that has plunged in and out of Hollywood. Only time will tell if she is back to her roots as a dramatic star for good. Early Causeway reviews are positive, so hopefully the film connects with audiences when it is released to the public later this year.
Source: Apple TV+
