Some movies stick with you days after film
credits have scrolled down the screen. Joy
has been one of those stories for me.
When my husband and I ventured to the theater the
week between Christmas and New Year’s Day, we intended to see Star Wars. But even though we arrived
early for a 10:30 a.m. showing, the last two tickets were sold right before we
reached the window. So we opted for
seeing Joy, starring Jennifer
Lawrence (love her!), Bradley Cooper, and Robert De Niro.
Although part of the story is fictionalized, it’s
based on the life and experiences of Joy Managno, inventor and home shopping
entrepreneur.
Joy, a divorced mother with three children,
struggled to pay the bills working as an airline-reservations manager and
waitress while living with her kids in a two-bedroom ranch house in Smithtown,
Long Island. In 1990, she invented the first self-wringing Miracle Mop, remortgaged
her home to help fund it, and manufactured it out of her father’s auto body
shop. After going on QVC and selling more than 18,000 mops in less than 30
minutes, her career took off. Her net worth today is estimated to be around $50
million.
She continued to invent household products like
Huggable Hangers®, My Little Steamer®, The Organize-It-All Beauty Case, and the
The MemoryCloud™ Warm & Cool Pillow. Joy holds more than 100 patents for
her inventions, and Huggable Hangers has become the best-selling product in HSN
(Home Shopping Network) history.
The movie shows how one woman became extremely
successful. But the fact that she’s wealthy isn’t as important as what I found
so inspiring about this film. It’s the story of a little girl who wanted to
create something that would change people’s lives. After dealing with financial
hardship and numerous obstacles—and being told she couldn’t do what she set out
to accomplish—she still didn’t give up. Through hard work and perseverance, she
made her dreams come true.
And now … Joy Managno inspires me to not give up on
my own dreams.
What
movies have you seen that have been inspiring for you?
Dawn
I love all the Kendrick brothers films, from Fly Wheel to Courageous to War Room. I think of them for quite a while afterward.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoy the films by the Kendrick brothers, too, Mary! And each one seems to be better than the last. They're learning with more experience. Courageous made an impact on my husband, and last year he introduced it as a theme for a men's retreat our church holds every year. Around 90 men of all ages (teens to 80s) participate, and the topic of courage was something they could all relate to. :-D
DeleteI've enjoyed the Kendrick brothers films too, Dawn. This looks like an excellent movie. Can't wait to see it! BTW, did you ever see Star Wars? :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by, Diane! No...I still haven't seen Star Wars. But I definitely will at some point!
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