Jennifer Lawrence & Andrew Barth Feldman Share An Oedipal Arrangement

No Hard Feelings is bringing the R-rated comedy is back, and it isn’t making any apologies. At various points in the film, Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence can be seen beating up some bullies while fully nude, balancing her fully-grown co-star on her lap like a toddler, and getting her finger stuck in a Chinese finger trap with... a certain male appendage. But even as the movie repeatedly ups the ante, Lawrence meets it where it is. “If I was iffy on the film and didn’t think it was going to fully pan out, there’s a lot of gags that I would’ve just not done,” Lawrence tells Bustle. (She admits that when she read about the finger trap gag, it made her “eyes bulge,” but that didn’t stop her from jamming her finger in there when the cameras rolled.)

No Hard Feelings stars Lawrence as Maddie, a 32-year-old certified hot mess, and Andrew Barth Feldman as Percy, a 19-year-old Princeton-bound introvert. The film is centered around an unorthodox offer, presented to Maddie by Percy’s parents: date (like, really date) their son, and get a car in exchange. At first, Maddie struggles to break through Percy’s iron-clad walls, but he eventually warms up to her — if anything, a bit too much. “Because it was all so funny and felt so crucial, it was like, ‘No, of course,’” Feldman says of the many mortifying situations he, too, was required to act out. First love is always a little sloppy; it’s just a little more so in Percy’s case.

Below, Lawrence and Feldman talk about the film, their TikTok habits, and what they learned from each other on set.

I feel like there’s a real Oedipal trend in the culture these days between the urge to call celebrities mommies and shows like MILF Manor. Jennifer, do you think your character plays into that trend at all as a self-appointed mentor who’s also trying to teach?

Jennifer: God, I don’t know if she knows enough about what’s going on around her to know that she’s portraying that or doing that. She ends up learning a lot from Percy. I think in her mind, she doesn’t think that Percy can see that she’s older. I think that she thinks that she looks like Percy’s age.

That makes sense. In the past, you’ve said that all of your movies have, in a way, been about mothers and your mother. Do you think the culture is just finally catching up to your idea that all art is about the mother?

Jennifer: Yeah, I’ll go with that. I’ll say I started that.

Andrew: This movie presents what one might call an Oedipal arrangement.

Jennifer: Wow.

Andrew: Do you get it? Because Edible Arrangements?

Yes! Like you mentioned, they’re both learning from each other. What did you learn from each other while you were filming?

Jennifer: I learned so much from Andrew. The Gen Z generation is just amazing. They’re so organized and smart and open-minded, which just makes them wiser about every subject. And I learned how to share passwords on my phone.

Andrew: Yeah. With Jen being at the level that she’s obviously at, but still being so generous on set — considerate of everybody’s time, kind, and thoughtful — what an incredible example for everybody on that set, but particularly for me coming into this for my very first time. We learned so much about each other. I definitely grew as a person just from having you as my friend.

Jennifer: I grew as a person from having you as my friend.

Andrew: Oh, my God.

Andrew, did you learn anything specifically about how to navigate this industry?

Andrew: Yeah, no question. It reinforced what I had always hoped, which is that the very best thing you could do and the thing you’ll be most rewarded for is leading with kindness always, and staying true to yourself and what it is you want to do. I wanted to do this project — obviously, because it’s a massive opportunity that so many people would jump at — but also because I knew this character and I cared about this story. That guiding force of only acting according to my values as a person and a creator and an artist, et cetera, has only rewarded me so far. So I think I’ve been very much encouraged by Jen and by this process to keep that going.

Jennifer: I never told him anything like that.

I read that the idea for this movie started with a Craigslist ad. Where do you guys go on the internet when you want to be entertained or exposed to the raw craziness of humanity?

Jennifer: Whoa, TikTok.

Andrew: I think it’s a little too much YouTube for me, but only because I cut Instagram and TikTok out of my life, and then YouTube is just the lowest common denominator after that.

Jennifer: If it wasn’t for TikTok, I would have no idea what is going on in the world. I want to know what the kids are talking about. Then I might ask a kid to explain it to me.

Andrew, why’d you cut out Instagram and TikTok?

Andrew: It took up so much of my brain space. I was so afraid of how addictive it was. Every now and then, I’ll re-download it to post something, which I’m very happy to do, but then I’ll find myself scrolling for 30 minutes. I’m like, I just killed so much time, and time is where I am! I can’t kill it.

Jennifer: Whoa. Is that from A Wrinkle in Time?

Andrew: I don’t know. Is it? I don’t think so.

I’ll look it up. It sounds like it’s either from that or The Phantom Tollbooth or something.

Andrew: I’ve read neither.

Jennifer: See, maybe if you downloaded some more apps, you would know more.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.