Happy-Go-Lucky (2008)

A look at a few chapters in the life of Poppy, a cheery, colorful, North London schoolteacher whose optimism tends to exasperate those around her.

Director:

Mike Leigh

Writer:

Mike Leigh

Stars:

Sally Hawkins, Alexis Zegerman, Samuel Roukin

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 39 wins & 60 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sally Hawkins	...	Poppy
Elliot Cowan	...	Bookshop Assistant
Alexis Zegerman	...	Zoe
Andrea Riseborough	...	Dawn
Sinead Matthews	...	Alice (as Sinéad Matthews)
Kate O'Flynn	...	Suzy
Sarah Niles	...	Tash
Eddie Marsan	...	Scott
Joseph Kloska	...	Suzy's Boyfriend
Sylvestra Le Touzel	...	Heather
Anna Reynolds	...	Receptionist
Nonso Anozie	...	Ezra
Trevor Cooper	...	Patient
Karina Fernandez	...	Rosita Santos
Philip Arditti	...	Flamenco Student

Storyline

Poppy Cross is happy-go-lucky. At 30, she lives in Camden: cheeky, playful, frank while funny, and talkative to strangers. She's a conscientious and exuberant primary-school teacher, flatmates with Zoe, her long-time friend; she's close to one sister, and not so close to another. In this slice of life story, we watch her take driving lessons from Scott, a dour and tightly-wound instructor, take classes in flamenco dance from a fiery Spaniard, encounter a tramp in the night, and sort out a student's aggressive behavior with a social worker's help. Along the way, we wonder if her open attitude puts her at risk of misunderstanding or worse. What is the root of happiness?

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Plot Keywords:

teacher | happiness | camden town london | london england | driving instructor | 

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Taglines:

The one movie this fall that will put a smile on your face.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language

Details

Official Sites:

MK2 [France] Momentum Pictures [UK]

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 November 2008 (USA)

Also Known As:

Happy Go Lucky

Filming Locations:

Holloway Road, Holloway, London, England, UK

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

£385,190 (United Kingdom), 20 April 2008, Limited Release

Opening Weekend USA:

$73,867, 12 October 2008, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$3,494,485, 18 January 2009

Company Credits

Production Co:

Film4, Ingenious Film Partners, Isobel Griffiths Limited

Technical Specs

Runtime:

118 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Sally Hawkins and Alexis Zegerman became good friends during filming. Hawkins invited Zegerman along to the 66th Golden Globe Awards ceremony, on the eve when she eventually won for her performance in this film.

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Goofs

In the build up to the final (aborted) driving lesson Scott (Eddie Marsan) is seen turning right into Holloway road (half way up and heading north), then moments later they are seen navigating the Highbury and Islington roundabout, turning into again into Holloway road about half a mile south of the previous location.

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Quotes

Title Card: [first lines]
Poppy: [pulls out book from shelf] The Road to Reality...
[smiles and pushes the book back]
Poppy: Don't wanna be going there!
[laughs]

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Connections

Referenced in Film 2017: Episode #44.4 (2015)

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Soundtracks

ABC
Written by Freddie Perren, Fonce Mizell (as Alphonso Mizell), Deke Richards and Berry Gordy
Published and Licensed Courtesy of Jobete Music Co Inc/EMI Music Publishing

User Reviews

Maybe the world is too much for even the most dedicated optimist?

Some UK critics have been saying that "Happy-Go-Lucky" is the happiest and most cheerful movie that Mike Leigh has ever made. Well, I don't know if I would exactly agree with that. It is and it isn't.

Sally Hawkins' primary school teacher Poppy is, indeed, a very happy individual. Annoyingly happy, insanely cheerful, depressingly optimistic and psychotically 'Up!', most of the time. It is a tribute to Sally Hawkins performance that, once you get past the initial irritation with her, you completely fall in love with Poppy, her goodness, her openness and, yes, her simple niceness.

Then there is Eddie Marsan's driving instructor Scott. Scott is the very antithesis of happy. Scott is rigid, angry, frustrated, impatient, knotted up and racist. A borderline OCD sufferer, who is tortured by who-knows-what in his past. Scott is the most bitter and overwhelming character in a Mike Leigh film since David Thewlis' Johnny in "Naked". It is a towering performance by Eddie Marsan.

If Poppy is the light, Scott is definitely the dark, but it seemed to me that dark shadows inhabit the whole of "Happy-Go-Lucky". The unhappy schoolboy, the glum Sister, the other sister - a social climber who dominates her husband. Little vignettes of irritation and annoyance. Typical Mike Leigh.

"Happy-Go-Lucky" is a really good film, if you stick with it. I liked the way that Poppy does stop smiling towards the end. Maybe the world is too much for even the most dedicated optimist?