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Happiness (1998)

 -  Comedy | Drama  -  16 October 1998 (USA)
7.7
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Ratings: 7.7/10 from 40,527 users   Metascore: 81/100
Reviews: 484 user | 134 critic | 30 from Metacritic.com

The lives of many individuals connected by the desire for happiness, often from sources usually considered dark or evil.

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Title: Happiness (1998)

Happiness (1998) on IMDb 7.7/10

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Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 13 wins & 12 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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Justin Elvin ...
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Lila Glantzman-Leib ...
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Psychiatrist
Rufus Read ...
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Lenny Jordan
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Detective Berman
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Nancy
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Storyline

When a young woman rejects her current overweight suitor in a restaurant, he unexpectedly places a curse on her. The film then moves on to her sisters. One is a happily married woman with a psychiatrist husband and three kids. Unfortunately the husband develops an unnatural fascination for his 11 year old son's male classmates, fantasizes about mass killing in a park, and masturbates to teen magazines. One of his patients has an unrequited fascination for the third sister. Meanwhile the apparently stable 40 year marriage of the sister's parents suddenly unravels when he decides he has had enough and wants to live a hermit's life in Florida. Obviously, the whole movie is slightly warped in its viewpoint and certainly presents abnormal relationships among all of its parties. Written by John Sacksteder <jsackste@bellsouth.net>

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Genres:

Comedy | Drama

Parents Guide:

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Details

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Release Date:

16 October 1998 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

Todd Solondz's Untitled  »

Filming Locations:


Box Office

Budget:

$3,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£83,998 (UK) (16 April 1999)

Gross:

£365,332 (UK) (7 May 1999)
 »

Company Credits

Production Co:

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Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Color:

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Premiere voted this movie as one of "The 25 Most Dangerous Movies". See more »

Goofs

The level of wine in each person's glass changes between shots during the final scene. See more »

Quotes

Allen: Pussy... need pussy.
See more »

Connections

Referenced in Indie Sex: Censored (2007) See more »

Soundtracks

"Happiness"
Performed by Michael Stipe with Rain Phoenix
Written by Eytan Mirsky
Published by Mirsky Mouse Music
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User Reviews

 
A brilliant movie, but not for everyone.
15 March 2000 | by (San Diego) – See all my reviews

This is one of the best movies I've ever seen, but I would hesitate to recommend it to people whom I don't know pretty well. It explores aspects of life and living (and suffering) that most films avoid or actively deny. And it does so brilliantly. The characters are vividly real, and there is such a strong sense of situations unfolding in real time that it's truly mesmerising. I felt like a fly on the wall, eavesdropping on conversations I could never hear otherwise. I think many people would absolutely hate this movie, partly because it doesn't pass judgement on behaviours that are repulsive to the bulk of humanity, and partly because it exposes us to them at all.


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If you enjoyed this movie you are a sick, demented, despicable freak. Battle-Axe
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