Happiness (1998)

The lives of several individuals intertwine as they go about their lives in their own unique ways, engaging in acts society as a whole might find disturbing in a desperate search for human connection.

Director:

Todd Solondz

Writer:

Todd Solondz

Stars:

Jane Adams, Jon Lovitz, Philip Seymour Hoffman

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 12 wins & 25 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jane Adams	...	Joy Jordan
Jon Lovitz	...	Andy Kornbluth
Philip Seymour Hoffman	...	Allen
Dylan Baker	...	Bill Maplewood
Lara Flynn Boyle	...	Helen Jordan
Justin Elvin	...	Timmy Maplewood
Cynthia Stevenson	...	Trish Maplewood
Lila Glantzman-Leib	...	Chloe Maplewood
Henry	...	Kooki the Dog
Gerry Becker	...	Psychiatrist
Rufus Read	...	Billy Maplewood
Louise Lasser	...	Mona Jordan
Ben Gazzara	...	Lenny Jordan
Camryn Manheim	...	Kristina
Arthur J. Nascarella	...	Detective Berman (as Arthur Nascarella)

Storyline

A woman breaks up with her boyfriend, he thinks it's because he's fat. A man is unable to tell her next door neighbor he finds her sexually attractive. An old couple wants to split up, but they don't want to get a divorce. A therapist masturbates to teen magazines. An 11 year old kid is insecure about the fact that he hasn't cum yet. Office workers try to recall the face of a coworker who recently died. A woman is sure she has everything she could ever want. The lives of these individuals intertwine as they go about their lives in their own unique ways, engaging in acts society as a whole might find disturbing in a desperate search for human connection.

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Plot Keywords:

black comedy | suburb | social satire | satire | episodic structure | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Russian

Release Date:

16 October 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

Todd Solondz's Untitled

Filming Locations:

Boca Raton, Florida, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$2,200,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$130,303, 18 October 1998

Gross USA:

$2,982,011

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$2,982,011

Company Credits

Production Co:

Good Machine, Killer Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

134 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Jon Lovitz was also considered for the part of Allen.

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Goofs

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

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Quotes

Joy Jordan: I am not a scab... I am a strikebreaker.

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Connections

Referenced in Film 2017: Episode dated 5 February 2014 (2014)

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Soundtracks

Piano Concerto
Written by Samuel Barber
Conducted by Andrew Schenck
Performed by London Symphony Orchestra
Published by G. Schirmer & Co.
Courtesy of Koch International, 1998 ASV

User Reviews

Polarizing

There are only a handful of films that have a distinct polarizing affect on the audience--A Clockwork Orange, The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover, and I would even lump in American Beauty--these are movies you either get, or you don't. And if you don't get it, you will hate it. Open minded viewers need only apply, and that's certainly the case with "Happiness." I remember leaving the theater absolutely shocked, and not just because of the events on screen. I was shocked that I found the movie so intelligent and oddly entertaining. The actors surely must have felt that, after reading the screenplay. And there are some big actors in this--veterans like Ben Gazzara, Louise Lasser, Elizabeth Ashley, mixing with new talent like Philip Seymour Hoffman, Camryn Manheim, Dylan Baker, Lara Flynn Boyle, etc.

The subject matter is truly unsettling--a parental figure, respected in his community, does some horrible things, and this is the main reason why so many people have a hard time with this movie. Did this material really need to be examined in modern cinema? Well, yes--in the same way that David Lynch had to explore it in Blue Velvet. Happiness is a masterpiece of irony (even in the title), and finds humor in the most unusual and downright bizarre circumstances. You will not see another movie like it. Guaranteed. And fair warning--you could very well despise it. And it's probably a fair estimate that its writer/director, Todd Solondz, doesn't give a damn.