LI plays role in 'No Hard Feelings' with Jennifer Lawrence
Long Islanders will spot some familiar landmarks in “No Hard Feelings,” an upcoming comedy starring Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence and Woodmere-raised Andrew Barth Feldman that was filmed at various locations in Nassau County and the East End.
The roughly 10-week filming schedule “was all shot on Long Island,” according to location manager Josh Dorn.
The R-rated film casts Lawrence as a Montauk-based Uber driver, Maddie, who is hired by two parents to be a sort-of girlfriend to their wealthy but shy teenager, Percy, played by Manhasset native Feldman (Broadway’s “Dear Evan Hansen”). Inspired by a real-life Craigslist ad, the movie was directed and co-written by Gene Stupnitksy, a friend of Lawrence's known for his work on NBC’s “The Office” and the feature films “Bad Teacher” and “Good Boys.” Lawrence’s company, Excellent Cadaver, helped produce “No Hard Feelings,” which premieres Friday.
Filming began in September, according to Dorn, and included roughly one week in Montauk. Salivar’s Clam & Chowder House, a family-owned fixture known for its rooftop deck, stood in for the restaurant where Lawrence’s character works part-time as a bartender. A house on Startop Drive served as the exterior for the home of Percy’s parents, played by Matthew Broderick and Laura Benanti (the interior of the home was filmed in Locust Valley). The famous Montauk Point Lighthouse serves as the backdrop for a “date” between Maddie and Percy, and some filming took place at Gosman’s Dock as well.
“We did a bunch of driving shots and establishing shots all through the docks area,” Dorn said, “to show the world that Maddie lives in.”
Other parts of Long Island wound up playing the East End — a common practice that cuts down on travel expenses and hotel-room costs for the film crew, according to Dorn. Ted’s Fishing Station, a well-known dock in Point Lookout, was relabeled “Montauk Dock East.” An action-filled scene featuring Maddie clinging to the hood of a moving car driven by Percy, was filmed at The Sands, the private beach club in Atlantic Beach. Other shooting locations included Oyster Bay, Lawrence and Greenfield Cemetery in Uniondale (though the graveside scene with Maddie was eventually cut from the film).
“We kind of faked Montauk all through Nassau County,” Dorn said.
Jennifer Lawrence has credited “No Hard Feelings” for bringing her back to the movies after a break from acting in 2019, which was followed by the birth of her son in early 2022. “I didn’t want to tackle any genre,” she said at the film’s London premiere, according to Reuters. “I didn't want to work when I got this script, and I read it and it was the funniest script I'd ever read in my life.”
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