There’s no denying that The Hunger Games films are some of Jennifer Lawrence’s best movies. Fans get to see her play the strong yet complex Katniss Everdeen, who volunteers to take her little sister’s place in a deadly, televised game show. While critics and audiences have long raved about Lawrence’s performance in the movie, her own mother had a savage take (and I was shook to learn about it).
Jennifer Lawrence’s performance as the District 12 tribute truly was groundbreaking for female action characters. In fact, Maya Hawke, who’s playing a young Wiress in its film series’ prequel, Sunrise on the Reaping, spoke highly of Lawrence impacting the action genre. But, even with all of the praise the Oscar winner gets, Lawrence revealed on Call Her Daddy that her mother mainly noticed one thing while watching her on the big screen:
My mom, at the premiere of The Hunger Games, said she could tell in every scene when I had my period. Water retention, I guess. Imagine a day of me being on camera that that doesn’t go through my mind.
Wow, talk about embarrassing! I never could have imagined how savage Mrs. Lawrence could be in her critiques. I suppose, if anything, it proves she clearly knows her own daughter very well. Also, just for the sake of transparency, I certainly wouldn’t have been able to tell the Silver Linings Playbook actress was on her period in specific scenes.
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Then again, I also had no idea Lawrence was on Ambien while filming the dancing scene she had with Plutarch in Catching Fire. And I imagine I also wasn’t the only one who didn’t know she surprisingly peed on the set of the first film. As wild as her mom’s critique is, I’m curious as to which scenes led the matriarch to her brutally honest assessment.
Jennifer Lawrence’s mother may have had a bone to pick with her daughter’s Hunger Games performance, but it doesn’t mean she’s not a fan of the talented actress’s work as a whole. Lawrence had a lot of kind words to share about her mama, and they sound so relatable:
She’s also like the most supportive and the person I’m so excited to tell exciting news to. I don’t know if I think all moms do this where you’re like, ‘Guess what?’ And they just say the most out like the craziest, like it will never live up to it, you know? I’m like, ‘Guess what?’ And she’s like, ‘Oh my god, you wrote a movie. You’re winning an Oscar for best writer, director, and you’re acting in it and just won an Oscar for that.’ And I’m like, ‘No.’
It’s definitely on brand for a mother to overestimate her daughter’s good news! But it’s sweet to know that Lawrence has such a supportive mother that she can always come to when good things happen for her.
What I think this all speaks to is how parents can still keep us on our toes, no matter how old we get. And, in the case of Jennifer Lawrence, she’s gone on to do exceptional work since the original Hunger Games series ended. I just wouldn’t expect her to rewatch the films with her mom any time soon.
You can continue to give praise to the award-winning star by watching The Hunger Games movies with a Hulu subscription. You can also make sure to check out the 2026 movie release Sunrise on the Reaping, which hits theaters on November 20th and features Lawrence reprising Katniss.