Hollywood stars Jennifer Lawrence and Leonardo DiCaprio shared the screen in the 2021 dark comedy Don’t Look Up. The film follows two astronomers who attempt to warn the world about the impending disaster after they discover a comet on a collision course with Earth, but are faced with skepticism, and political obstacles along the way. The film received mixed reviews.
While some praised it for its hilarious approach to the concerning issues, others found the satire lacking depth and criticized its heavy-handed and chaotic storytelling. However, despite the criticism, Lawrence revealed the underlying motivation to address climate crisis concerns as the driving force behind her involvement in the film.
Jennifer Lawrence Reflected on Accepting the Offer For Don’t Look Up
Adam McKay’s Don’t Look Up marked Jennifer Lawrence’s return to movies after a short break from acting. She portrays the role of Kate Dibiasky, a doctoral candidate in astronomy who discovers the comet and later gets frustrated over the lack of understanding and people not taking the impending disaster seriously.
During an interview with The Los Angeles Times, Lawrence was asked about what appealed to her to star alongside Leonardo DiCaprio, who played the role of an astronomy professor and Kate’s teacher, in the film. The Oscar-winning actress stated,
“I’m sure I can say this on behalf of pretty much everybody: It’s extremely frustrating to be a citizen that believes in climate change and is scared, but I’m not a part of it — you know, I can’t buy a senator — so we’re just kind of helpless.”
She further explained that the film provided her a platform to address these urgent issues in a humorous yet meaningful way. “And finally, this came along and it was just funny and urgent,” she said. Lawrence also shared that Don’t Look Up offered the opportunity to work with McKay, a filmmaker she had been eager to collaborate with.
Leonardo DiCaprio on the Urgency of Climate Crisis Representation in Don’t Look Up
Along with his remarkable performances on the silver screen, Leonardo DiCaprio is also known to be a frequent supporter of environmentalism. He has also highlighted the climate crisis in multiple documentaries. And the actor has shared he constantly looks for more effective ways to convey the urgency of such issues.
“I’ve been looking for a film about the climate crisis for decades now,” he told The Los Angeles Times before adding, “but none of them, from a narrative perspective, could create that sense of urgency.” He shared his belief that Don’t Look Up successfully addresses this challenge by framing the climate crisis as a dark comedy.
DiCaprio also highlighted how the movie explored society’s response, the politicization of such issues, and the influence of social media and alternative facts. He further stated,
“It’s one of those films that comes maybe once in a generation that really just hits upon everything that we’re going through at a turning point in society and in this world, and I just knew I had to be a part of it.”
Despite the criticism surrounding the movie, Don’t Look Up achieved great success on the streaming platform, making it one of the most popular English-language films on Netflix. It also earned four Oscar nominations, including for Best Picture at the 94th Academy Awards.
Don’t Look Up is available to stream on Netflix.
