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
Gerry Becker	...	Psychiatrist
Rufus Read	...	Billy Maplewood
Louise Lasser	...	Mona Jordan
Ben Gazzara	...	Lenny Jordan
Camryn Manheim	...	Kristina
Arthur J. Nascarella	...	Detective Berman
Molly Shannon	...	Nancy

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.

---

Plot Keywords:

suburb | social satire | satire | episodic structure | ensemble cast | 

---

Genres:

Comedy | Drama

---

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

Dylan Baker was cast as Bill after more well-known actors who were offered the part balked at playing a pedophile. Baker claimed that he easily moved on after the film to other roles with no negative repercussions to his image or career.

---

Goofs

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

---

Quotes

Helen Jordan: Anyway, so the police came and looked in her freezer and found baggies filled with the doorman's genitals.
Mona: I use baggies.
Joy Jordan: Me too.
Helen Jordan: Everyone uses baggies, that's why we can all relate to this crime. Don't you see?

---

Connections

Featured in SexTV: SexTV's Most Memorable Moments in Masturbation History (2005)

---

Soundtracks

Requiem
Written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Conducted by Randall Swanson
Performed by the St. Clement Concert
Choir and Orchestra
Courtesy of Naxos Records

User Reviews

Transfixed, mortified, amused, devastated

Gradually, as I watched this movie, I became aware that I was witnessing some of the most powerful and honest acting, writing, and directing I had ever experienced. And I'm glad, because if this material had been attempted by anyone without extreme skill and sensitivity, it would have been a monstrous disaster. As it is, I don't think I would add it to my DVD collection. I don't know if I could watch it again, and I'm not sure I'd feel comfortable people seeing it on my shelf unless they knew me well. There are moments of great hope in this movie, when you think misery may finally give way to happiness. There are moments of great honesty, when a character says just what you'd expect them to say, and you realize how "safe" every other movie character has been in comparison. The humor that other reviews talk about is not the kind of humor that makes me laugh, personally. It's the dark, visceral humor of human weakness, meanness and even pathology. I still appreciate it for what it is, and it is used in a profound and delicate way. I highly recommend this movie to anyone who is willing to accept that life, and especially sexual life, is really much more complex and difficult than we usually admit. I recommend watching it alone, or with a friend or partner with whom you can discuss the most emotionally difficult topics. This movie will test you if you stick with it, but you'll know you saw something profound.