Happy Endings (2005)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Don Roos

Writer (WGA):

Don Roos (written by)

Release Date:

5 August 2005 (Canada)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Music | Thriller

Tagline:

All's well that ends swell.

Plot:

Happy Endings weaves multiple stories to create a witty look at love, family and the sheer unpredictablity of life itself.

Plot Keywords:

Adoption | Filmmaker | Stepbrother | Gay | Baby

Awards:

6 nominations

Cast

Lisa Kudrow	...	Mamie
Steve Coogan	...	Charley
Jesse Bradford	...	Nicky
Bobby Cannavale	...	Javier
Maggie Gyllenhaal	...	Jude
Jason Ritter	...	Otis
Tom Arnold	...	Frank
David Sutcliffe	...	Gil
Sarah Clarke	...	Diane
Laura Dern	...	Pam
Hallee Hirsh	...	Mamie at 17
Eric Jungmann	...	Charley at 16 / Tom
Kim Morgan Greene	...	Connie Peppitone
Rayne Marcus	...	Annette
Caker Folley	...	Lauren

MPAA:

Rated R for sexual content, language and some drug use.

Runtime:

128 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

Australia:M | Brazil:14 | UK:15 | Argentina:16 | Malaysia:(Banned) | Singapore:M18 | Portugal:M/16 | Iceland:16 | South Korea:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Lions Gate Films

Trivia:

When Charley and Gil are flipping through their TiVo, there is a folder of "F·r·i·e·n·d·s" episodes. Lisa Kudrow starred in "Friends" (1994).

Goofs:

Continuity: The position of the sunglasses in Jude's hands switches between shots as she's laying by the pool talking to Frank McKee.

Quotes:

[testing out his new video equipment]
Nicky: Oh, wow. You look really pretty if I stand far away and I use the zoom.
Mamie: Thank you.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Fabulous! The Story of Queer Cinema (2006)

Soundtrack:

Hitch

Nice Little Diversion

Having tremendously enjoyed Don Roos' previous effort, the Opposite of Sex, I snapped up Happy Endings upon release of the DVD without knowing anything about it. Many of my friends didn't like the Opposite of Sex; when I asked them why, each confessed a dislike of Lisa Kudrow. When I noticed she was also in the cast of Happy Endings, and in fact plays one of the main characters, I figured I'd better shut up about mentioning my latest acquisition to some of those friends until I had a chance to watch it. Watch it I did, and I have nothing but good things to report. Like the Opposite of Sex, Happy Endings revolves around several gay and straight characters, with enough attention paid to both, thus ensuring that the film could appeal to a mixed audience. There is where all similarities end. While Opposite of Sex had a relatively up-front and focused plot, Happy Endings manages to juggle several plots and subplots all at once. Each of the characters lives touch other characters lives in a style not unlike that of director Robert Altman. In fact, I kept thinking that the pacing and juggling of the subplots was somewhat similar to Short Cuts, or even Crash (in the way that Crash was also compared to Altman's style). Keeping everyone sorted out in my mind became something of a chore, but I generally like films that make you think and keep you on your toes. There were one or two surprises, including several totally unexpected plot twists, and that's always good too. As a comedy I didn't laugh so much as I smiled, and I asked myself more than once, "I wonder what will happen next". As the end credits were rolling I decided I enjoyed my visit with these people, and could easily have managed to sit though even more. How often do you hear that about a movie that runs over two hours?

The cast, which includes Tom Arnold, Jason Ritter and Jesse Bradford give even and professional performances throughout. It worked in a way that good ensemble pieces always work; that is, it would be difficult to single out any one member of the cast, as they worked off each other in such a way that no one could expect all the notices. Another good thing, in my book. I am definitely going to suggest to my friends that they give Don Roos another shot, Lisa Kudrow and all. I can certainly think of worse ways to spend a couple of hours.