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 USA:

$73,867, 12 October 2008

Gross USA:

$3,512,016

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$18,696,602

Company Credits

Production Co:

Film4, Ingenious Film Partners, Special Treats Production Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

118 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Samuel Roukin, Sally Hawkins and Stanley Townsend all acted in the mini series "The Hollow Crown"

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Goofs

Poppy cycles South of the river over Blackfriars Bridge but gets off in postcode EC1 (shown on a road sign), which is north of the river. A minute later, when she walks into a shop, she's in SE1 - which is where she should have ended up.

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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

Featured in Imagine: The One and Only Mike Leigh (2014)

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Soundtracks

Let Me Try Again
Written by Paul Anka / Sammy Cahn / Figuier / Michel Jourdan / Caravelli
Published by Chrysalis Music Ltd (c) 1973
Used by permission. All right reserved.

User Reviews

Wisdom, not naivety

Having read some critiques to the extent that this was a film about a naive, childish woman who refused to take life seriously, I was hesitant whether I'd be able to bear this movie.

Luckily, it turned out to be one of the most entertaining cinema experiences since quite a long time.

Poppy isn't the person refusing to become an adult which her misanthropic driving instructor Scott accuses her to be. Our time indeed seems to bring about such people but they could hardly be more different than this lovely young woman. The first scene, with the girls drunk and chatting nonsense, is perhaps a bit misleading on this issue. (In fact, several people left the cinema during this scene, seemingly annoyed of all the giggling.) Rather, Poppy is wise and strong, trying to see the positive in everyone and everything. Humour, and sometimes benign derision, are her ways of keeping sulkiness out of her life. But, as everyone with a heart should feel, that is a gift, not a deficit. What damage can it cause to have a nice word or a smile for your fellow humans? On the other hand, she doesn't shut her eyes on the sad sides of life, such as a traumatized homeless man or a boy beaten by his mother's new partner, and one understands that she is deeply sad about not being able to help Scott, even if she would have had every reason to simply hate him for his bad temper, his racism and his stalking.

The director has done a superb job with this production; it is packed with intelligent, witty dialogs and convincingly drawn characters.

Our world needs a lot more people like Poppy, or at least -- if they don't possess her strength and optimism -- people who are sympathetic with her values instead of feeling threatened by humaneness. Yes, life is difficult and often sad, so let's tackle it with a smile!