Jennifer Lawrence’s ‘American Hustle’ Microwave Scene Is Still the Best Part of the Movie

Today, December 20, is the fifth anniversary of the wide release of American Hustle, the 2013 movie that featured a completely made under Christian Bale and an underrated Jeremy Renner. But if the David O. Russell directed farce has any lasting legacy, it’s Jennifer Lawrence freaking out using a microwave.

Lawrence doesn’t get the meatiest bits in the movie (that would be Amy Adams). She’s mostly used for laughs as scheming housewife Rosalyn Rosenfeld. But the scene where she blows up a microwave and repeatedly calls it a “science oven” is an instant classic.

After placing an aluminum foil pan in the microwave, it immediately explodes into flames. “Another fire!” her son yells from off-screen. Bale’s character enters, complaining about Rosalyn’s use of the oven. She calls it a science oven several times, which is a very funny term, and then insists that it takes all of the nutrition out of the food. “It’s empty, just like your deals,” she says.

She pulls out an article “by Paul Brodeur” that backs her up, and then quips, “…bring something into this house that’s gonna take all the nutrition out of our food and then light our house on fire? Thank god for me.”

…And if god existed, he would hear our prayers and rewatch this scene, allowing Lawrence to return from doing big budget, serious fare and put her in a few comedies instead. But luckily, this scene exists, and a half a decade later it’s still fun to watch.

Unless, of course, you’re Paul Brodeur. While the rest of the characters in the movie had their names changed (and lives tweaked), Brodeur is a real journalist who was not happy about his inclusion in the scene. He sued the filmmakers for defamation back in 2014, only to have the million dollar case dismissed by a California court in 2016. Needless to say, Brodeur probably won’t be putting any pans in the microwave to celebrate this particular anniversary.

Where to stream American Hustle