Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV News
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsABFFPride MonthOutfest OutfrontsSTARmeter AwardsAwards 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
Sign In
New Customer? Create account
  • 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

Shortcut to Happiness

Original title: The Devil and Daniel Webster
  • 2003
  • PG-13
  • 1h 46m
IMDb RATING
5.4/10
5.9K
YOUR RATING
Shortcut to Happiness (2003)
Set in contemporary New York's literary world, this is a re-telling of the classic fable of a man who sells his soul to the devil for fame and fortune and ultimately decides that he wants to get it back. Jabez Stone, a down and out writer, exchanges his soul for a successful literary career, but soon realizes it was a mistake. Jabez must enlist the help of Daniel Webster in order to win his soul back from the Devil.
Play trailer2:24
1 Video
24 Photos
ComedyDramaFantasy

A down-and-out writer sells his soul to the Devil in exchange for fame and fortune.A down-and-out writer sells his soul to the Devil in exchange for fame and fortune.A down-and-out writer sells his soul to the Devil in exchange for fame and fortune.

  • Director
    • Alec Baldwin
  • Writers
    • Stephen Vincent Benet
    • Archibald Macleish
    • Peter Dexter
  • Stars
    • Virl Andrick
    • Ray Aranha
    • Kaniel Arocho
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    5.4/10
    5.9K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Alec Baldwin
    • Writers
      • Stephen Vincent Benet
      • Archibald Macleish
      • Peter Dexter
    • Stars
      • Virl Andrick
      • Ray Aranha
      • Kaniel Arocho
    • 45User reviews
    • 18Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Videos1

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 2:24
    Watch Official Trailer

    Photos24

    Anthony Hopkins in Shortcut to Happiness (2003)
    Alec Baldwin and Jennifer Love Hewitt in Shortcut to Happiness (2003)
    Anthony Hopkins in Shortcut to Happiness (2003)
    Jennifer Love Hewitt in Shortcut to Happiness (2003)
    Alec Baldwin in Shortcut to Happiness (2003)
    Alec Baldwin and Kim Cattrall in Shortcut to Happiness (2003)
    Anthony Hopkins and Alec Baldwin in Shortcut to Happiness (2003)
    Jennifer Love Hewitt in Shortcut to Happiness (2003)
    Anthony Hopkins in Shortcut to Happiness (2003)
    Jennifer Love Hewitt in Shortcut to Happiness (2003)
    Alec Baldwin in Shortcut to Happiness (2003)
    Alec Baldwin in Shortcut to Happiness (2003)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Virl Andrick
    • Dick
    Ray Aranha
    • Mailman
    Kaniel Arocho
    • Skateboard Kid #1
    Jorge Arocho
    • Skateboard Kid #2
    Mary Ashton
    Mary Ashton
    • Production Assistant
    Howard Atlee
    • Award Audience Man
    Dan Aykroyd
    Dan Aykroyd
    • Julius Jensen
    Alec Baldwin
    Alec Baldwin
    • Jabez Stone
    Gregg Bello
    Gregg Bello
    • Rick Fusco
    Bobby Cannavale
    Bobby Cannavale
    • Cop
    Jann Carl
    Jann Carl
    • Jann Carl
    Kim Cattrall
    Kim Cattrall
    • Constance Hurry
    Antoni Cornacchione
    • Security Guard
    Bill Corsair
    • Aging Writer
    Grenville Cuyler
    • Taxi Hailer
    Calvert DeForest
    • Bailiff
    • (as Calvert De Forest)
    Marilyn Dobrin
    • Joan Jenson
    Jhon Doria
    • Photographer
    • Director
      • Alec Baldwin
    • Writers
      • Stephen Vincent Benet
      • Archibald Macleish
      • Peter Dexter
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    More like this

    Heartbreakers
    6.2
    Heartbreakers
    Relative Strangers
    5.3
    Relative Strangers
    If Only
    7.0
    If Only
    Criminal Law
    5.6
    Criminal Law
    Drowning Mona
    5.7
    Drowning Mona
    The English Teacher
    5.7
    The English Teacher
    Into Thin Air: Death on Everest
    5.7
    Into Thin Air: Death on Everest
    Love is in the Air
    6.3
    Love is in the Air
    I Still Know What You Did Last Summer
    4.7
    I Still Know What You Did Last Summer
    The Tuxedo
    5.4
    The Tuxedo
    Confessions of a Sociopathic Social Climber
    4.7
    Confessions of a Sociopathic Social Climber
    Beyond a Reasonable Doubt
    5.8
    Beyond a Reasonable Doubt

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      According to Alec Baldwin (Jabez Stone), this movie was extensively re-edited after it came into the possession of Bob Yari Productions, and no longer bears any resemblance to its original form or to the Benet short story, hence the title change. Baldwin has since requested that his name be removed from the credits as director and producer.
    • Goofs
      While showing Jabez his new apartment, the Realtor says Irving Berlin wrote "White Christmas" there. In fact, the song was written while sitting at the pool at the Arizona Biltmore Resort and Spa in Phoenix, Arizona in 1940.
    • Quotes

      Aging Writer: Ah, the great Daniel Webster!

      Daniel Webster: The drunk Mr. Hardy.

      Aging Writer: Better drunk than a whore, I always say.

      Daniel Webster: Better neither than both.

    • Connections
      Featured in WatchMojo: Top 10 Movies That Faced MAJOR Delays (2018)
    • Soundtracks
      Are You There, Margaret? It's Me God
      Written and Performed by The Baldwin Brothers

      Courtesy of TVT Records

    User reviews45

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    6/10
    Mixing amateurs with pros
    This movie was fun but Jennifer Love Hewitt was so utterly miscast. She's fine for some light TV but she's not a powerful enough actress to play in an ensemble of this caliber. Everyone in it, Kim Catrall, Hopkins, Rubin, Akroyd, and even Baldwin himself are quite wonderful but Ms. Hewitt throws the balance. She's the thing that spoils the movie; especially her delivery of the last "closing argument" monologue belongs in some kind of first year acting class. The movie is a bit moralistic and sentimental and in my opinion it does not live up to the actual story of The Devil and Daniel Webster which is, in many ways more subtle than how Baldwin had handled it. He's gone for a more commercial treatment of a concept whose sophistication could have been just as entertaining. All in all, it's a fun little piece thought some of the sets, the editing as well as the casting of Hewitt should have been rethought. Baldwin is a decent enough director; keeps the film moving and definitely gives the characters good arcs.
    helpful•9
    5
    • banzanbon
    • Nov 16, 2009

    Top picks

    Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
    Sign in

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • 2007 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Yari Film Group (United States)
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • The Devil
    • Filming locations
      • Bethpage, Long Island, New York, USA
    • Production companies
      • Yari Film Group (YFG)
      • Cutting Edge Entertainment
      • El Dorado Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $35,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross worldwide
      • $686,846
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 46 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Shortcut to Happiness (2003)
    Top Gap
    By what name was Shortcut to Happiness (2003) officially released in India in English?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2023 by IMDb.com, Inc.