Meet Joy Mangano, the real-life 'Joy' behind the upcoming film

Robert De Niro at his wisecracking best, plus a kooky Virginia Madsen and a hilariously intense Isabella Rossellini are standouts in a group notable for its dysfunctional chemistry. Jennifer Lawrence plays Mangano with her typical grit, which the divorced mother of two must summon in order to deal with her needy, undermining family (led by Robert De Niro as Mangano's casually sexist father).

It was not until Joy went on QVC, herself, to sell her product (which was her idea) that her began flying off the shelves.

The film, based on the true life story of entrepreneur Joy Mangano, could be a favorite in the upcoming Oscars, though the director of "Silver Linings Playbook" and "American Hustle" got the worst reviews for these recent films than for his previous productions. Check out our exclusive interview below. Her determination and drive has resulted in another wonderful year, with her performance in "Joy" snagging a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical, while the film itself also received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Picture. "It was a challenge for her to play somebody who had become so powerless for the first half of the movie, when you're caring for others but have lost yourself", he explained. Since her breakthrough film (2010's Winter's Bone) the actor has excelled at balancing quiet dignity with survival skill determination.

Success. Ask 10 people to define the word and you're likely to get 10 totally different interpretations. Joy hits theaters on December 25. As the film opens, we meet Joy as a little girl, drawing and creating with a friend as they both dream of their futures and the success each hopes to achieve. Joy takes that same idea somewhere new - as Russell takes on the question of how one person, confronted with madcap circumstances, endless obstacles and a long road of self-searching, forges a meaningful, joyful life.

"She is smart and challenging but she also inspires me to make something better", Russell said.

MERIE WEISMILLER In Joy Lawrence right as entrepreneur Joy Mangano who invented the Miracle Mop

Fun too is a cameo appearance by Melissa Rivers playing her late mother Joan Rivers, the comedian who made a fortune on TV home shopping as well.

"Joy" is a messy film that feels rushed in some parts and not fully developed in others.

Well, it is pretty, because it stars Jennifer Lawrence, Russell's leading lady of choice for three movies now, and because it's shot by cinematographer Linus Sandgren, who makes the whole thing look like a slightly faded home movie from some undetermined moment in the past.

In the meantime, if we don't see Lawrence out and about maybe she's just busy working on the next big thing. She also learns that a single poorly rehearsed appearance - once again, it's a clueless man who almost destroys her - can turn a good product into a flop. So it's comforting as a warm blanket to find filmmaker David O. Russell slipping "Joy" under the holiday movie tree this season.

A great pitch lands her invention on the QVC shopping network, where executive Neil Walker (Cooper) takes notice of her moxie and appreciates what an innovator she is.