‘No Hard Feelings’ cast slams film’s backlash: ‘It’s a cautionary tale’

Jennifer Lawrence’s newest comedy “No Hard Feelings” is full of NSFW sex jokes and full-frontal nudity.

The premise revolves around 32-year-old Maddie (Lawrence), who is hired by 19-year-old Percy’s (Andrew Barth Feldman) parents to date him.

The stars of the flick clapped back at the recent backlash to the movie’s plot and rated-R raunchiness.

Percy’s overprotective (and wealthy) parents are played by Laura Benanti and Matthew Broderick.

“It’s a cautionary tale,” Benanti, 43, explained to the Hollywood Reporter about the hate.

“If you are a helicopter parent who puts your child in such a bubble, they do not know how to exist outside of that bubble, you are going to make the exact opposite and insane choice, which is what they are doing here.

“I feel like it is a very satirical look at what can happen if you do not give your children a longer leash to figure things out for themselves,” the “Nashville” star continued. “Otherwise, you’re going to end up curating their life forever.”

Broderick, 61, agreed with his co-star, chiming in that his character wants to have a hand in his son’s fate.

The “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” star said: “I guess what happens is when a kid goes off to school, it’s so frightening that they’ll be happy and they’ll make friends and they’ll take care of themselves that some parents go to any length to make that transition work. And it’s a hard time.

“I’ve been through it. But you really have to let them make it on their own. But these parents decide to mess with nature,” the father of three noted.

Natalie Morales also makes an appearance in the film, and shed some light on the 13-year age gap between Maddie and Percy to the publication.

Morales, 38, stated that Hollywood often allows older male characters to pursue relationships with younger women. However, vice versa is not usually seen on-screen.

“Have you seen ‘The Graduate?’ ” she said. “[Lawrence is] supposed to be playing an older woman.

“There are so many movies where the male lead is much older than the female lead, and TV shows especially, and nobody bats an eye. So what’s the difference.” 

“The Graduate” was released in 1967 and famously followed the story of young Benjamin Braddock — played by Dustin Hoffman — as he starts an affair with an older woman (Anne Bancroft).

People on social media have commented on the film’s controversy about the age difference.

“No hard feelings was a very…..interesting movie considering the 13 year age gap ????????. i’m just glad they didn’t make them end up together,” one person tweeted.

Another wrote, “Woah okay so I was excited to see No Hard Feelings but I just realized how big the age gap between the characters actually is?? 32 and 19 That’s kinda icky.”