Release CalendarDVD & Blu-ray ReleasesTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsIn TheatersComing SoonMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV NewsIndia TV Spotlight
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsBest Picture WinnersBest Picture WinnersEmmysLGBTQ+ Pride MonthSTARmeter AwardsSan Diego Comic-ConNew York Comic-ConSundance Film FestivalToronto Int'l Film FestivalAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

Happiness

  • 19981998
  • NC-17NC-17
  • 2h 14m
IMDb RATING
7.7/10
70K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
2,553
1,803
Happiness (1998)
Home Video Trailer from Trimark
Play trailer2:30
1 Video
49 Photos
  • Comedy
  • Drama
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 c... Read allThe 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.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.
IMDb RATING
7.7/10
70K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
2,553
1,803
  • Director
    • Todd Solondz
  • Writer
    • Todd Solondz
  • Stars
    • Jane Adams
    • Jon Lovitz
    • Philip Seymour Hoffman
Top credits
  • Director
    • Todd Solondz
  • Writer
    • Todd Solondz
  • Stars
    • Jane Adams
    • Jon Lovitz
    • Philip Seymour Hoffman
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 532User reviews
    • 111Critic reviews
    • 81Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 12 wins & 26 nominations

    Videos1

    Happiness
    Trailer 2:30
    Happiness

    Photos49

    Philip Seymour Hoffman and Camryn Manheim in Happiness (1998)
    Lara Flynn Boyle and Jane Adams in Happiness (1998)
    Ben Gazzara and Elizabeth Ashley in Happiness (1998)
    Philip Seymour Hoffman and Lara Flynn Boyle in Happiness (1998)
    Happiness (1998)
    Happiness (1998)
    Happiness (1998)
    Happiness (1998)
    Philip Seymour Hoffman and Lara Flynn Boyle in Happiness (1998)
    Happiness (1998)
    Happiness (1998)
    Happiness (1998)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Jane Adams
    Jane Adams
    • Joy Jordanas Joy Jordan
    Jon Lovitz
    Jon Lovitz
    • Andy Kornbluthas Andy Kornbluth
    Philip Seymour Hoffman
    Philip Seymour Hoffman
    • Allenas Allen
    Dylan Baker
    Dylan Baker
    • Bill Maplewoodas Bill Maplewood
    Lara Flynn Boyle
    Lara Flynn Boyle
    • Helen Jordanas Helen Jordan
    Justin Elvin
    • Timmy Maplewoodas Timmy Maplewood
    Cynthia Stevenson
    Cynthia Stevenson
    • Trish Maplewoodas Trish Maplewood
    Lila Glantzman-Leib
    • Chloe Maplewoodas Chloe Maplewood
    Henry
    • Kooki the Dogas Kooki the Dog
    Gerry Becker
    Gerry Becker
    • Psychiatristas Psychiatrist
    Rufus Read
    • Billy Maplewoodas Billy Maplewood
    Louise Lasser
    Louise Lasser
    • Mona Jordanas Mona Jordan
    Ben Gazzara
    Ben Gazzara
    • Lenny Jordanas Lenny Jordan
    Camryn Manheim
    Camryn Manheim
    • Kristinaas Kristina
    Arthur J. Nascarella
    Arthur J. Nascarella
    • Detective Bermanas Detective Berman
    • (as Arthur Nascarella)
    Molly Shannon
    Molly Shannon
    • Nancyas Nancy
    Ann Harada
    Ann Harada
    • Kayas Kay
    Douglas McGrath
    Douglas McGrath
    • Tomas Tom
    • (as Doug McGrath)
    • Director
      • Todd Solondz
    • Writer
      • Todd Solondz
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

    More like this

    Welcome to the Dollhouse
    7.4
    Welcome to the Dollhouse
    Storytelling
    6.8
    Storytelling
    Life During Wartime
    6.4
    Life During Wartime
    Palindromes
    6.7
    Palindromes
    Dark Horse
    5.9
    Dark Horse
    Wiener-Dog
    5.9
    Wiener-Dog
    Gummo
    6.6
    Gummo
    Kids
    7.0
    Kids
    Buffalo '66
    7.4
    Buffalo '66
    Funny Games
    7.5
    Funny Games
    Elephant
    7.1
    Elephant
    Fear, Anxiety & Depression
    6.0
    Fear, Anxiety & Depression

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Premiere voted this movie as one of "The 25 Most Dangerous Movies".
    • Goofs
      When the police officers are sitting in Bill Maplewood's house.
    • Quotes

      Bill: I wake up happy, feeling good... but then I get very depressed, because I'm living in reality.

    • Connections
      Featured in At the Movies: Godzilla/Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas/Bulworth/The Horse Whisperer (1998)
    • Soundtracks
      Soave sia il vento from Cosi Fan Tutte
      Written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

      Performed by Orchestra of the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Montserrat Caballé (as Montserrat Caballe),

      Janet Baker, and Richard Van Allan

      Conducted by Colin Davis (as Sir Colin Davis)

      Courtesy of Phillips Records

      By Arrangement with PolyGram Film & TV Music

    User reviews532

    Review
    Top review
    A compelling watch, which will both amuse and seriously disturb
    Happiness - which centres around the lives of three sisters - Joy who's permanently unlucky in love, Helen a successful poet whose next door neighbour is obsessed with her and phones to explain this in graphic detail and finally there's Trish who has it all, a big house, a couple of kids and a successful psychiatrist husband who himself harbours uncontrollable urges.

    The sisters are all somewhat fractured of mind - for example Lara Flyn Boyle's character plays an author suffering writers block bemoaning the fact that she wasn't abused as a child that could lend her work some authenticity - so she's delighted when she gets an obscene phone from a one of the many fat ugly sex obsessed dysfunctioning American neurotics that seem to be this seasons slim sexy movie star successes. Happiness manages to be truly provocative and also madly comical at one and the same time... for instance I never thought I could feel sympathy for a paedophile or a bloke making obscene phone calls but with tact and courage Happiness confronts these modern folk devils.

    Happiness is anything but; as the characters lives intertwine in the search for happiness they find only loneliness, obsession and some serious psychological problems. In particular the psychiatrists story is remarkable with performances second to none as he tries to explain to his son about his paedophile tendencies.

    Happiness explodes some of the fear related misconceptions showing that repression is the oppression of our generation... as if an open mind is just that. Open and willing for some perverted notion to crawl right in...

    Directed by Todd Solondz Happiness is a slice of American life that isn't normally dealt with this honesty, making it a compelling watch, which will both amuse and seriously disturb for its two hours and fifteen minutes running time. Happiness is a must see.
    helpful•84
    26
    • nosunset
    • Apr 3, 2001

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 16, 1998 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Languages
      • English
      • Russian
    • Also known as
      • Todd Solondz's Untitled
    • Filming locations
      • New Jersey, USA
    • Production companies
      • Good Machine
      • Killer Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $2,200,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $2,982,011
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $130,303
      • Oct 18, 1998
    • Gross worldwide
      • $2,982,011
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 14 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Happiness (1998)
    Top Gap
    What is the Japanese language plot outline for Happiness (1998)?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    View list
    List
    The Best Movies Coming This Summer
    See the full list
    Image caption not available
    2:02
    LGBTQIA+ Movies and Shows to Watch This Summer
    Watch the video

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Interest-Based Ads
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2022 by IMDb.com, Inc.