Happy, Happy (2010)
"Sykt lykkelig" (original title)

Family is the most important thing in the world to Kaja. She is an eternal optimist in spite of living with a man who would rather go hunting with the boys, and who refuses to have sex with... See full summary »

Director:

Anne Sewitsky

Writers:

Mette M. Bølstad (dramaturge), Ragnhild Tronvoll (screenplay)

Stars:

Agnes Kittelsen, Henrik Rafaelsen, Joachim Rafaelsen

2 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Agnes Kittelsen	...	Kaja
Henrik Rafaelsen	...	Sigve
Joachim Rafaelsen	...	Eirik
Maibritt Saerens	...	Elisabeth
Oskar Hernæs Brandsø	...	Theodor
Ram Shihab Ebedy	...	Noa
Heine Totland	...	Dirigenten
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Hans Martin Austestad	...	Mann i dress 1
Nils Christian Fossdal	...	Mann i dress 2
Mattis Myrland	...	Mann i dress 4
Håkon Rasmussen	...	Mann i dress 3

Storyline

Family is the most important thing in the world to Kaja. She is an eternal optimist in spite of living with a man who would rather go hunting with the boys, and who refuses to have sex with her because she isn't particularly attractive anymore. Whatever. That's life. But when the perfect couple moves in next door, Kaja struggles to keep her emotions in check. Not only do these successful, beautiful, exciting people sing in a choir; they have also adopted a child - from Ethiopia. These new neighbors open a new world to Kaja, with consequences for everyone involved. And when Christmas comes around, it becomes evident that nothing will ever be like before - even if Kaja tries her very best.

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Plot Keywords:

new neighbor | christmas | sex | neighbor | choir | 

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Taglines:

any reason not to be?

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for sexual content including brief graphic nudity

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

Norway

Language:

Norwegian Danish German

Release Date:

16 September 2011 (USA)

Also Known As:

Happy, Happy

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$7,125 (USA) (16 September 2011)

Gross:

$43,002 (USA) (11 November 2011)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Maipo Film

Technical Specs

Runtime:

85 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

Norway's official submission to the Best Foreign Language Film category of the 84th Academy Awards 2012.

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Soundtracks

"Love is Worse than Sickness"
Performed by Hans Martin Austestad
Arr. Hans Martin Austestad

User Reviews

Happy Together

HAPPY,HAPPY (dir. Anne Sewitsky) The film is an off-beat examination of two failing marriages in a very isolated, wintry, and picturesque area of Norway. An urban professional couple have fled the city with their adopted African son, and they are trying to reestablish their marriage after the wife's infidelity. Their new neighbors are another couple with a young boy, and the husband is a repressed homosexual, and his wife is in denial. This leads to an illicit sexual affair, and the the film documents the couples' dramatic realignment. Several times during the film a 'Greek Chorus' of singers interrupt the drama with Country- Western inflected Negro Spirituals, and both genres are singularly American, and this made me wonder about the director's attitude towards Americans. Is the director asking Norwegian audiences to view the universal problem of sexual infidelity through American eyes? The songs seemed to be selected to suggest 'lost love' or 'longing' which reinforce a major theme of the film, and reminded me of Lindsay Anderson's surrealistic film, O LUCKY MAN, in which Alan Price's combo provided random musical commentary. Another strange or unusual aspect in the film is the treatment of 'Race'. The African child is asked to play a slave by the other young boy. This is rather inexplicable, yet it might be an attempt to demonstrate the child's confusion over his father's sexual identity. This is a thought provoking and strikingly original film, and I highly recommend it.