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Happiness
1998
Building on the darkly comic angst of WELCOME TO THE DOLLHOUSE, Todd Solondz's HAPPINESS conveys suburban desperation and frustration on a larger scale than his previous film. The ensemble cast of characters centers around the lives of three sisters: Joy (Jane Adams), an awkward, naive, and unlucky musician; Helen (Lara Flynn .. Read more
| Starring | Jane Adams, Lara Flynn Boyle, Cynthia Stevenson, Dylan Baker |
|---|---|
| Director | Todd Solondz |
| Genres | Drama |
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Happiness
Building on the darkly comic angst of WELCOME TO THE DOLLHOUSE, Todd Solondz's HAPPINESS conveys suburban desperation and frustration on a larger scale than his previous film. The ensemble cast of characters centers around the lives of three sisters: Joy (Jane Adams), an awkward, naive, and unlucky musician; Helen (Lara Flynn Boyle), a beautiful, self-obsessed writer; and Trish (Cynthia Stevenson), a conservative housewife who is married to Bill (Dylan Baker), a psychiatrist harboring an unhealthy fascination for young boys. Other dysfunctional characters include the sisters' unhappy parents, Lenny and Mona Jordan (Ben Gazzara and Louise Lasser), and the lonely, sex-obsessed Allen (Philip Seymour Hoffman), who lives next to Helen and goes to Bill for therapy.
At once both scathingly funny and shockingly bleak, HAPPINESS addresses subjects that most films are afraid to touch, including pedophilia and masturbation. Unapologetic and unflinching, Solondz's film features bold performances from the entire cast and makes for uneasy but intriguing viewing as it peers behind the fragile facade of the American dream.
| Starring | Jane Adams, Lara Flynn Boyle, Cynthia Stevenson, Dylan Baker, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jon Lovitz, Louise Lasser, Ben Gazzara, Camryn Manheim, Jared Harris, Justin Elvin |
|---|---|
| Director | Todd Solondz |
| Studio | ENTERTAINMENT IN VIDEO |
| Run time | DVD: 2 hrs 14 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Drama |
| Language | English |
| Released | DVD: 15 May 2000 Production year: 1998 |
| Format | DVD |
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Critics' reviews (5)
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Todd Solondz's stunningly acted and brilliantly scripted film looks at the extraordinary lives of a group of men and women who engage in shocking antisocial behaviour, including obscene phone calls, murder and paedophilia. What's so amazing about this tragicomedy is its lack of moral judgement — the viewers are left to make up their own minds about the events — and its pungent humour that emerges from the sickest of circumstances. You may even feel pity for these people and get drawn into their lives — though the film's most controversial scene (the frankest of discussions between an unlikely child molester and his inquisitive son) will play on your mind for days.
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A bleak drama, verging on the misanthropic but lightened by a cutting wit, on the unsuccessful pursuit of happiness, and the subsequent discovery of the joylessness of sex and the damage that people can do to one another in unsatisfactory relationships.
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Most helpful member's review
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28 out of 33 people found this review helpful
A Modern Masterpiece!
'Happiness' is quite simply one of the most upsetting, challenging and hilarious films you will ever see. Not for those who are easily offended but then they are the kind of people who should really be watching this kind of groundbreaking cinema.
Solondz veers between unbearably uncomfortable situations to the broadest slapstick and back again so the viewer is never sure of their footing. The scene between father and son towards the end is one of the greatest I've ever seen
Please do yourself a favour and rent this- your life will never be the same again! -
Most recent members' review
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7 out of 7 people found this review helpful
[Highly rated reviewer]
Wickedly dark, sometimes disturbing but always compelling
Billed as a dark comedy, this is very dark indeed, to the extent that really it played like a very good drama with some comedy in it. Focussing on three sisters and their relationships, it covers some of the more extreme issues that people deal with in life, with the paedophilia being the most challenging in the whole film. I laughed a few times but I was gripped as the drama unfolded on screen and I would quite happily recommend this film for anybody who's looking for something a bit different from the norm. Great acting all round and constantly thought-provoking.
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