Happy Tears (2009)

Director:

Mitchell Lichtenstein

Writer (WGA):

Mitchell Lichtenstein (written by)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

There's an art to going home without going crazy.

Plot:

Two sisters, Jayne (Posey) and Laura (Moore), return home to deal with their ailing father Joe (Torn), only to face some surprising situations.

Plot Keywords:

Treasure | Childhood Memory | Buried Treasure | Jackson | Dysfunctional Family

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Parker Posey	...	Jayne
Demi Moore	...	Laura
Peter Patrikios	...	Driver (as Pete Patrikios)
T. Ryder Smith	...	Shoe Salesman
Christian Camargo	...	Jackson
Victor Slezak	...	Eli Bell
Melissa Ticen	...	Stewardess
Rip Torn	...	Joe
Ellen Barkin	...	Shelly
Julianna Conforti	...	Young Jayne
Jacquelyn Conforti	...	Young Jayne
Alyssa Klein	...	Young Laura
David L. King	...	Dr. Sims (as David King)
Aldous Davidson	...	Waiter
Richard Barlow	...	Mitch (as Rich Barlow)
Billy Magnussen	...	Ray
Susan Blommaert	...	Mallory
Anderson Folsom	...	Young Ray
Suzanne Inman	...	Nurse
Celia Weston	...	Neighbor
Tom McNutt	...	Neighbor
Marilyn Yoblick	...	Yard Sale Woman
Roger Rees	...	Antiques Dealer
Benjamin Brandreth	...	Ben
Mikey Iles	...	Mike
Max Iles	...	Max
Sebastian Roché	...	Laurent (as Sebastian Roche)
Patti D'Arbanville	...	Joe's Nurse
Eve Gordon	...	TV Reporter
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Michael Ahl	...	Restaurant Patron (uncredited)
Vale Anoai	...	Prostitute (uncredited)
Anthony C. Brown	...	Waiter #2 (uncredited)
Lee Burkett	...	Art Patron (uncredited)
Jennifer Butler	...	Art Gallery Patron (uncredited)
Arthur Byron	...	Sir Joseph Whemple (archive footage) (uncredited)
Bramwell Fletcher	...	Ralph Norton (archive footage) (uncredited)
Richard Graves	...	Art Gallery Patron (uncredited)
Thomas M. Hagen	...	Art Gallery Patron (uncredited)
Gina Hernandez	...	Red Hooker (uncredited)
Boris Karloff	...	Imhotep (archive footage) (uncredited)
Kathy Nowrey	...	Prostitute (uncredited)
Vincent Riviezzo	...	Mental Patient (uncredited)
Shawnee Robertson	...	Restaurant Patron (uncredited)
David Adam Smith	...	Art Gallery Patron (uncredited)
Dan Van Wert	...	Art Gallery Patron (uncredited)
Kimberly Villanova	...	Prostitute (uncredited)

Directed by
Mitchell Lichtenstein

Writing credits (WGA)
Mitchell Lichtenstein		(written by)

Produced by
Timothy J. DeBaets	....	executive producer
Gregory Elias	....	executive producer
Jonathan Gray	....	executive producer
Richard Lormand	....	associate producer
Joyce M. Pierpoline	....	producer (as Joyce Pierpoline)
Andrew W. Schwertfeger	....	assistant producer

Original Music by
Robert Miller		(music by)

Cinematography by
Jamie Anderson		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Joe Landauer

Production Design by
Paul Avery

Art Direction by
Scott Anderson

Set Decoration by
Tora Peterson

Costume Design by
Stacey Battat

Makeup Department
Diane Dixon	....	key hair stylist
Theodora Katsoulogiannakis	....	hair department head
Theodora Katsoulogiannakis	....	wig designer
Tricia Sawyer	....	makeup artist: Demi Moore
Tara Smith	....	personal hair stylist: Demi Moore

Production Management
Jason Black	....	production supervisor
Louise Lovegrove	....	unit production manager
Andrew W. Schwertfeger	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
David Blazina	....	second assistant director
Sarah Gottlieb	....	second second assistant director
Antonio Grana	....	second assistant director
Bobby Kennedy	....	additional second second assistant director
Michael A. Moffa	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Michael Davidson	....	carpenter
Eric de Jesus	....	scenic artist
Cornelius DeGroot	....	construction grip
Elizabeth Duby	....	scenic artist
Jon E. Graf	....	carpenter
Chris Hanes	....	construction grip
Matthew W. Herschel	....	art production assistant
Samantha Higgins	....	scenic industrial
April Hodick	....	art department coordinator
Carol Jacob	....	art department production assistant
Dennis Madigan	....	set dresser
Charles D. Minter	....	construction grip
Kristine Muller	....	set dresser
Sharon Potts	....	set decorating buyer
Carmen S. Santoro	....	carpenter
Nell Stifel	....	charge scenic
Mark Warren	....	set dresser
Patrick Edward White	....	construction coordinator
Stephen Wolff	....	carpenter
Kurt Wunder	....	construction grip
Linda Yeckley	....	camera scenic
Damien Harrer	....	set dresser (uncredited)

Sound Department
Shawn Allen	....	additional boom operator
Leslie Bloom	....	foley artist
Shaun Brennan	....	foley artist
Greg Crawford	....	ADR mixer: Atlanta
Mike Ford	....	sound utility
Jacob A. Gragard	....	sound editor
Steve Jackson	....	sound utility
Jan McLaughlin	....	sound mixer
Eric Milano	....	supervising sound editor
Tom Paul	....	sound re-recording mixer
Tom Paul	....	supervising sound editor
Jill Purdy	....	dialogue editor
Esther Regelson	....	adr editor
Gary Silver	....	boom operator
Matt Snedecor	....	adr recordist
Frank Verderosa	....	adr recordist

Visual Effects by
Bryan Baker	....	visual effects editor
Tim Bowman	....	compositor
Eileen Dare	....	visual effects coordinator
Steve Dinozzi	....	paint & roto artist
Susan Eldridge	....	opening titles designer
Janet Falcon	....	digital film colorist
Kevin Fanning	....	digital effects artist
Jeremy Fernsler	....	digital effects artist
Mark O. Forker	....	visual effects supervisor
Rob Giglio	....	dailies colorist
Nick Jushchyshyn	....	integration specialist
Lenz Kol	....	digital compositor
Ryan Leonard	....	compositor
Adica Manis	....	visual effects coordinator
Scott Markowitz	....	compositor
Scott Markowitz	....	opening titles editor
Ed Mendez	....	compositing supervisor
Anton Moss	....	digital effects artist
Katherine O'Morchoe	....	end titles
Cindy Payne	....	vfx pa
Chris Rauch	....	dustbuster
Crystle Schrecengost	....	paint & roto artist
Michael Wardner	....	compositor
Mark Wawrzenski	....	visual effects editor
Tom Williamson	....	digital compositor

Stunts
Peter Bucossi	....	stunt coordinator
John Copeman	....	additional stunt coordinator
John Gilbert	....	stunt rigger
Jen Weissenberg	....	stunt double: Demi Moore

Camera and Electrical Department
Richard Asbury	....	gaffer
John Baer	....	still photographer
Michael Best	....	key grip: San Francisco
David Brandon	....	electrician
Art Cipollone	....	video assist operator
Edward Hohman	....	key rigging grip (as Edu)
Kevin Kindle	....	camera production assistant
Ernie Kunze	....	electrician
April Lanci-Leseur	....	assistant camera
Michael Leonard	....	key first assistant camera
Joe Meccariello	....	camera operator
Oskar Ness	....	gaffer: San Francisco
Mike Panczenko Jr.	....	camera loader
Colin J. Peters	....	electrician
Lawrence Price	....	rigging gaffer
Leon Sanginiti	....	second assistant camera
Benjamin Semanoff	....	camera operator: "b" camera
David Taicher	....	Steadicam operator
David Taicher	....	camera operator: "a" camera
Greg Yurkivich	....	electrician

Casting Department
Allison Estrin	....	casting assistant
Regina Haigh	....	casting assistant
Diane Heery	....	casting director: Philadelphia
Jason Loftus	....	casting director: Philadelphia
Jennifer Painter	....	casting assistant
Karl Stavem	....	casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Amy Bradshaw	....	assistant costume designer
Sonja Cizmazia	....	wardrobe supervisor
Rebecca Edmonston	....	set costumer
Stephanie Farah	....	wardrobe production assistant
Tamika Jackson	....	wardrobe
Delvan James	....	set costumer
Nicole Lee	....	wardrobe assistant
Ashley Shartle	....	wardrobe production assistant

Editorial Department
Michael Furey	....	conforming editor
Ethan Henerey	....	assistant editor
Brad Petrella	....	digital intermediate systems engineer
Robert Pyle	....	digital intermediate systems engineer
John-Michael Trojan	....	digital intermediate producer
Andy Williams	....	executive producer
Matt Wolford	....	digital intermediate coordinator

Music Department
Michael P. Benoit	....	orchestrator
Stephanie Diaz-Matos	....	music supervisor

Transportation Department
Gary Fabiano	....	transportation
Gabe Turiello	....	driver: process trailer

Other crew
Valerie Bailey	....	dailies assistant
Michele Baker	....	location manager
Cassandra Barbour	....	rights and clearances
Amanda Bayard	....	production assistant
Jason Black	....	location manager
Ashton J. Blessing	....	assistant accountant
Michèle Boissière Armstrong	....	assisant production coordinator (as Michèle R. Boissière)
Tim Bradley	....	production assistant
Chrismandu	....	stand-in: male
Jessica Clauser	....	production assistant
Anthony Dalseth	....	assistant location manager
Colleen Danser	....	location assistant
Stephanie Dawson	....	production assistant
André Des Rochers	....	production counsel
Mark Farkas	....	conforming supervisor
Megan Gallagher	....	adr voice group
Leilani Goode	....	assistant: Ellen Barkin
Chris Gormley	....	location assistant
Jonathan Gray	....	production counsel (as Gray Krauss LLP)
Kelly Gregory	....	production assistant
Blair Howley	....	key production assistant
Jennifer Hunt	....	facilities coordinator
Evan Krauss	....	production counsel
Rebecca Lyons	....	facilities coordinator
James Madison	....	production assistant
Sean Maher	....	dailies assistant
Jim McNutt	....	production assistant
Peter Moody	....	key assistant location manager
Paul Moore	....	production assistant
Sean Oliver	....	adr loop group
Laura Papanicholas	....	facilities coordinator
William Pichkan	....	parking coordinator
Janine Rafalko	....	stand-in: Demi Moore
Michael P. Reid	....	production assistant
Charles S. Rowe	....	script supervisor
Sarah Rubenstein	....	production accountant
Eric Rusiski	....	unit production assistant
Aaron Schumann	....	production assistant
Laura Sevier	....	rights and clearances
Luke Tomalin Sherman	....	additional set production assistant
Dalice Shilshtut	....	office production assistant
Michele Soddano	....	payroll accountant
Kellie Jo Tinney	....	assistant: Rip Torn
Kellie Jo Tinney	....	personal assistant: cast
Jared Uhrich	....	unit production assistant
Mariellen Ward	....	production assistant
Anthony Werhun	....	production secretary
Canella Williams	....	production coordinator
Bill Timoney	....	adr voice group (uncredited)

Thanks
Spencer Baumgarten	....	special thanks
Christina Bazdekis	....	special thanks
Larry Gagosian	....	special thanks
Dorothy Lichtenstein	....	special thanks
Carolyn Specht	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Pierpoline Films

Distributors

• Roadside Attractions (2010) (USA) (theatrical)
• Diamond Films (2011) (Argentina) (all media)
• Emerald (2011) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Film1 (2012) (Netherlands) (TV) (limited)
• Lionsgate Home Entertainment (2010) (USA) (DVD)
• Mongrel Media (2010) (Canada) (DVD)
• Pinnacle Films (2011) (Australia) (DVD)
• Videorama (2012) (Greece) (DVD)

Special Effects

• DIVE (visual effects)

Other Companies

• Act One Script Clearance  script research
• DIVE  digital intermediate
• David Haddad  transportation equipment
• Entertainment Clearances  rights and clearances
• Gray Krauss Des Rochers  legal services
• Haddad's  transportation equipment
• Philly Picture Cars  picture cars
• Post Factory NY  post-production facilities

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for language, drug use, and some sexual content including brief nudity

Runtime:

USA:95 min | Germany:95 min (Berlin International Film Festival) | Argentina:95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R (certificate #45784) | Singapore:NC-16 | Australia:MA (2011) | Argentina:13 | Netherlands:12

Filming Locations:

Oakland, California, USA

Company:

Pierpoline Films

Goofs:

Continuity: At 1:30 The toast at the dinner table, Joe Toast with a glass of beer that becomes a can of beer.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Rotten Tomatoes Show: From Paris with Love/Dear John/Frozen (#2.6)" (2010)

There are better family dramas than "Happy Tears"

"Happy Tears" is an independent, fairly simple, dysfunctional family drama. Two grown sisters move back home to take care of their ailing father. The sisters of course have their own problems on top of dealing with their father who is in denial of his situation and very much trying to live as the patriarch of dysfunctionality.

Many movies have told this type of story, and these filmmakers attempted to make their mark and do something better or at least different. But I was turned off by it. They were going for a dream-like feel with dream-like colours and imagery and of course actual dreams mixed in. I found it all very weird and made it hard for me to get into the film.

The title relates to the laughs and tears that occur. The problem is there are no laughs, and although the characters were well written I wasn't drawn into them so I didn't feel what they were feeling - just uncomfortable.

I appreciated the actors they cast, and the effort that they made to make this film new and good, but I have to recommend "The Savages" (2007) over this.