(Video Capsule) Happiness 8/10

[R. P. McMurphy]

When a film makes you cry and laugh at the same time, it has something special going for it.

"Happiness", by director Todd Solondz, is a perfect portrait of despiration and sadness in the human soul. It shows heartache, loss, pity, anger, sorrow and hoplesness, but it still retains a funny outer shell. If it is sad, why are we laughing? Maybe this is why it perplexed some viewers, mixing up their emotions and making certain people to think it was overly ambitious and very trashy. But I want to look at this film with a very open mind.

Some middle class New Jersey folk have problems with their lives. Joy Jordan (Jane Adams) has guy trouble. She is almost always depressed. And it couldn't have come at a better time than before she breaks up with her current boyfriend, Andy (Jon Lovitz). He gave her an ashtray...even if she doesn't smoke. After she gives him the bad news, he snaches it bask. "This is for the girl who loves me for who I am."

We meet Allen (Phillip Seymor Hoffman), who is a hopeless "romantic", who wants to get involved with women but he figures himself too boring to even try to meet a woman. So he stays home and makes obscene calls to women while masturbating.

Allen's psychiatrist, Bill Maplewood (Dylan Baker) is a ticking timebomb of some great destruction of the human spirit. He is a pediphile who "gets off" on his son's trendy teen boy magazine. He is also stuck in a marriage with Trish (Cynthia Stevenson), who is a happy homemaker. She is also sisters with Joy. They have kids, Billy (Rufus Read) and Justin. Billy is in a basball team, and his father is a coach. Bill Maplewood has pedophilic fantasies about one of his son's friends.

Helen Jordan (Lara Flynn Boyle) is the sister of Joy and Trish. She is a novelist who wants somebody to see past her and her work, to discover that she is a complete fraud. "I've never been raped! If only I was raped as a child..."

Mona and Lenny Jordan (played by Luise Lasser and Ben Gazzara) are the parents of the three sisters, and they are going through a hard time as well. Lenny wants a divorce "Did I ever say I wanted a divorce?!". He just wants to be alone...from everybody.

Almost every one of these subplots flow in together.

If this is a portrait of human deprivation or an ironic black comedy, or both, that doesn't matter. What matters is that this is a highly entertaining film with lots of characters to care about. I also like how this film doesnt't take the easy way out of marking a villian. Bill is a sick person, but this film makes it clear that he isn't as bad as we think he is. And in one of the most powerful scenes in the film, his son and him have a chat about rumors at his school saying that his dad raped his friends.

This film never exploits sex or people, but rather laying all of the facts on the table and letting us decide on their morality. And while this film has some obscene sexual images (cum shots), it only adds to the sadness of the characters.

"Happiness" is a movie about people behind closed doors. It is about the people who are labled as "normal" from their neighboors, who are anything but. It is a great film.

Tood Solondz, the director of this movie and "Welcome to the Dollhouse" must have been a sad child. Either that or a modern genious.

[This message has been edited by R. P. McMurphy (edited 12-19-2000).]

[*veers*]

In all honesty I am drawn to this movie. It has an anger in its soul like no other. It is showing us how we(society) live, what we do and who we are. But it takes its time to show us at our worst and most reprehensible. The sad thing is that we will never be happy, not trying to change the world. It's ourselves we must be fully happy with first or who knows how we could turn out.

[Tuukka]

I agree with you guys with all my heart. A great, exceptionally honest film.

[SirReel]

Good review Randall.

You know, I felt dirty after watching this movie... It took me a while and a lot of afterthought to gain an appreciation for the film. I guess for me, when I watch a movie, I see things, both literally and metaphorically, right on the surface. I saw the dad as the personification of sick evilness, and Hoffman as an equally sick and totally pathetic chump. Hell, everybody was pathetic.

I guess what I'm driving at is the film is done so well I forget this is still "just a movie" and really do consider these misfits as being possible friends and neighbours. This irks me, this has me thinking twice about the goofball living next door to me right now, this is why I disliked the movie at first. In retrospect though, for the movie to make me even feel this proves it did it's job getting to the core of human emotion - for this, I like the movie. I doubt I'll go out of my way to see it again, but that's not to take away from its quality.

HAPPINESS, worth seeing once.

SirReel.

[This message has been edited by SirReel (edited 12-19-2000).]

[Tuukka]

I felt sympathy for many of the characters... Even the phaedophile dad. Don't get me wrong, he was an evil man and I would definitely want to do some nasty things for him... I personally know people who have been raped as kids, so I don't want to defend people like that.

But I think that it was brave of the film how it showed that even phaedophiles are real people who feel love and guilt. They are not demons with horns in their heads.

I didn't dislike Hoffmans character... He was sick, but being sick doesn't make you a bad person. Obviously he had a bad hobby, but it's not like he raped someone. I don't even consider him as a potential rapist... Guy was just scared of women and needed some love to get over with it. Also, he called he's "victims" only once. It's different if you start calling someone all the time. That can be emotionally tough for a woman.

Anyway, Happiness is one of the most brutally honest films ever made. When I watched the film I kept on thinking: "That is SO TRUE. This is just like real life. Nobody has ever shown these things in a movie and I know from personal experience that they DO happen.".

It's funny to read criticism that claims the film to be pretentious and unconvincing. It was the total opposite of that.

[Brock Landers]

I really liked your review R.P. McMurphy...

I would probably go with a 7.5/10 or 7/10 myself though...the film is not really about technical form (although the director is one obsessive bastard...not to mention a geekboy), it is really about portraying roles with a realistic touch...that is to say, avoiding stereotypes and giving souls to individuals who are normally portrayed as soulless and without conflict in their twisted psyches...

I thought the performances were great and since the goal was to make the audience feel dirty, I would say they achieved that admirably...

Pedophiles...Sexual Dysfunction...Murder...Masturbation...Stalking...R ape...Losers...Cumshots...Social Misfits...that is quite an interesting mix of things in a film...and quite an interesting way of shedding light on problems in society that are very real...

[R. P. McMurphy]

Thanks for the replies, guys. Glad some people liked my review. I was kind of unsure if to post it here, because the last time I did a Video Capsule (Mean Streets), it went straight to the bottom. I can't even find it...

I thought this was a perfect film to do a capsule of, because of the response it got on this site. It is loved by so many, but hated by the big hanchos that run the site (JoBlo and The Arrow).

[JoBlo]

<moderator bump>

[Brock Landers]

I love that opinions are so divided on this one, just thought I'd bring it up and add a couple things from (IMDB)…maybe we canget some more outraged citizens…or should I say denizens…I still Philip Seymour Hoffman is the man though… /ubb/wink.gif


I mean, Roger Ebert gave this baby ****…count 'em, four stars., JoBlo gave it 3/10 and James Berardinelli gave it ***1/2 stars… go figure (just a few examples).

Joe: What do you think would
happen if I got him a professional...
you know...
Bill: A professional?
Joe: Hooker. You know, the kind
that can teach things... first-timers,
you know... break him in.
Bill: But Joe, he's 11.
Joe: You're right, you're right. It's too
late.

[PackBacker]

Rented this one tonight....and forgot that I had seen it back in May. (The mind goes when you get old)

Here's the review I posted on Jo's review:

Many of the folks below cite the film's real life situations and honesty. Ok, honestly, how many people do you know that have participated in some of the more "shocking" incidents? I don't know of a one. Maybe I lead a naive, sheltered life but I haven't noticed any door-men go missing recently. This film is a poor man's "Magnolia" on crack. At times it was interesting and exceedingly well acted, but the point was muddled and the film was often too much over-the-top. Coulda, woulda, shoulda been good....but it wasn't.

[Cyclonus]

Happiness (1998)

Director: Todd Solondz

Cast: Jane Adams, Dylan Baker, Lara Flynn Boyle, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Cynthia Stevenson, Jared Harris, Ben Gazzara, Louise Lasser, Camryn Manheim

Screenwriter: Todd Solondz

Producers: Ted Hope, Christine Vachon

A Good Machine International release


http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00000IC7G.01.MZZZZZZZ.jpg


I'm sure there are some people who still refuse to watch Happiness. When it was originally released, Todd Solondz's controversial ensemble film caused quite a stir for some of its subject matter. The critics were sharply divided between those who found it a brilliant piece of work and those who thought it was the product of a sick mind. This is not surprising, when you consider that it deals with pedophilia, stalkers, and masturbation, among numerous other things. Now that it's been four years, the firestorm has simmered down, and we can view the film through a much more objective lens. Bottom line: is it a good movie? For the most part, yes it is. Despite some of the potentially distasteful subject matter, It's a solid character study, offering an honest, realistic look at suburban loneliness and alienation. Even at their worst, the characters are not judged; the director simply allows their actions to speak for themselves. No matter how much we may despise some of their actions, we never see them as monsters, but as genuine human beings.

Solondz brings out nothing but the best from his diverse cast. Dylan Baker tackles the most difficult role, but also the most contradictory one. On the surface, he is a loving family man and a successful doctor, but he's also a closet pedophile--whose next victim is destined to be his son's friend. It would be easy for us to condemn him as a monster, but he allows us to see the humanity in his character. Despite his fatal flaws, he is still a complete human being; not an evil person, but certainly a deeply troubled one. He does the unthinkable, compelling us to root for his character to escape discovery. I freely admit this is troubling--no one with a conscience would not be bothered--but this successfully demonstrates what can be done with a talented performer and director. Likewise, Jane Adams and Philip Seymour Hoffmann are dead-on as lonely, unhappy individuals. Some movies might see them as targets as ridicule, but Happiness shows that such a pathetic existence is no laughing matter (although there is a bit of humor every now and then).

Admittedly, the director isn't much of a visual stylist, but that doesn't have a significent effect on the film. He is excellent with his actors, and his screenplay and sure-handed direction guide us through multiple plot threads without ever losing the audience. The only thing that doesn't quite work is the subplot with Louise Lasser as the elderly housewife with marital troubles. Lasser turns in a solid performance, but her story seems more like an afterthought to the main trio. Still, it's a worthwhile effort overall. This film deserves a second chance.

7/10.

[notchreturns]

Happiness

I was looking foward to Happiness because I heard it was a love or hate film, which I usually like too see. However, I was dissapointed completely in Happiness. I thought the writing was poor, the directing was preachy and showed me nothing interesting, and the performances, dear lord the performances. I love Phil Seymour Hoffman as an actor, but he just plain embarrsed himself here. I felt nothing for his character abd just wanted to kick his pathetic ass. Dylan Baker did nothing for me as well. I realize we were suppose to symptahize with, or understand him, but I didnt. I felt trying to turn a comedy into touchy subjects made me dislike him even more! The rest of the performances whether the whore-bag of the sister, the over-weight loser, or the lonely next door neighbor did nothing for me. Overall, it was a dissapointing, filthy experience filled with too many cumshots and unsympathetic characters and not enough truth and well... happiness.

Go rent The War Zone instead...

4/10

[Mike]

I've really wanted to see Storytelling, but neither of my video stores have it. Someday I'll hopefully get the chance to see it. Anyway, I was never all that interested in Happiness. But I grabbed it off the shelf today at the video store, read the back, and was suddenly somewhat interested. I've been thinking about checking it out recently, and today just happened to be the day that I actually went through with renting it. I hope I like it.

[Fisting Ackbar]

Excellent black comedy. Not for all tastes (obviously) but by letting the characters remain three dimensional the film remains watchable.

Also, what a fitting closing line to end the movie on (those who have seen it will know what I mean).

[Mike]

Originally posted by PackBacker
Rented this one tonight....and forgot that I had seen it back in May. (The mind goes when you get old)

Here's the review I posted on Jo's review:

Many of the folks below cite the film's real life situations and honesty. Ok, honestly, how many people do you know that have participated in some of the more "shocking" incidents? I don't know of a one. Maybe I lead a naive, sheltered life but I haven't noticed any door-men go missing recently. This film is a poor man's "Magnolia" on crack. At times it was interesting and exceedingly well acted, but the point was muddled and the film was often too much over-the-top. Coulda, woulda, shoulda been good....but it wasn't.


Wow, I'm with ya on this one. Throughout the whole movie I kept thinking of the MUCH better Magnolia (8/10 or B+). And as you said, this is definitely a poor man's version. This was just a little too over-the-top and a mixed bag with scenes that do work and scenes that don't work.

I also must agree with notchreturns about Phil Seymour Hoffman. He just embarassed himself here and I felt absolutely nothing for his character, and wasn't even interested by him. He was boring to watch.

In the end, Happiness is an OK movie, but has too many flaws to be anything more.

Grade: 5/10 or C

[AppleHuntr]

I'm a huge fan of Welcome to the Dollhouse (9/10), but my sister saw this and warned me to stay away. I eventually saw Storytelling and really liked that one too (8/10) so I finally just decided to rent this one.

I liked this movie. But I didn't love it because even though movies can be great even though the characters are largely despicable, when there's no one to really connect to its hard for me to love a movie on a personal level. But despite that I found the film to be well written ("I'm laughing WITH you, not at you" "But I'm not laughing") and very strongly acted. I couldnt find a weak performance here, the stand outs being Dylan Baker, Jane Adams and Lara Flynn Boyle. Todd Solndz is a very talented filmmaker and he uses these issues to provoke thought, not to exploit them. Personally I don't think this should be in the "comedy" section, it is just a but too dark and disturbing while not being outright funny (although there is some laughs but Solondz surprisingly does not go for too many). But overall a very good film with one of the most memorable final lines Ive seen in quite a while.

7/10


And I think Magnolia is the poor-mans Happiness!
jk, but I dont like that pretensious turd Magnolia.

...and no I don't think Happiness is pretensious, but I know theres more than a few people who disagree with that.