Prime Video has you covered this holiday season with movies for the family. Here are some of our picks to get you in the spirit.
Related lists from IMDb users
Title: Happiness Runs (2010)
Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below.
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
 |
Joni Barth | ... | Rachel's Mom |
| Kirsten Berman | ... | Jenny | |
| Mark Boone Junior | ... | Victor's Father | |
| Joseph Castanon | ... | Little Mackie | |
| Richard Edson | ... | Pete | |
| AnnaLisa Erickson | ... | Nancy | |
| Shiloh Fernandez | ... | Jake | |
| John Fleck | ... | Chad's Dad | |
| Kevin Gage | ... | Hypnotist | |
| Hanna Hall | ... | Becky | |
|
|
Gregorio | ... | Sam (as Zia Harris) |
| Rutger Hauer | ... | Insley | |
|
|
Loni LiPuma | ... | Rachel's Friend |
| Andie MacDowell | ... | Victor's Mother | |
| Ann Magnuson | ... | Chad's Mom | |
A young man named Victor (Mark L. Young) realizes the shortcomings of the Utopian ideals on the hippie commune where he was raised. Victor's mother (Andie MacDowell) is funding the commune where the guru Insley (Rutger Hauer) hypnotizes and seduces women with a technique he calls "running". Insley manipulates the minds of these women so that they give him their bodies and all of their worldly possessions. Victor's childhood love, Becky (Hanna Hall), returns to take care of her deathly ill father. Victor, haunted by visions of Becky's death, is desperate to save her and himself by escaping from the cult. Preoccupied with Insley's free love philosophy, the adults of the community overlook the painful reality that the self destructive behavior of their children is most certainly due to early exposure to sex and drugs. To afford an escape, Victor tries to sell marijuana, but is cut out by rivals competing for Becky's affection. Finally, Victor is torn between getting money from his mother... Written by Strand Releasing
Looking for some great streaming picks? Check out some of the IMDb editors' favorites movies and shows to round out your Watchlist.
Utopia becomes Dystrophy.
Free love becomes sex without meaning or commitment.
Drugs become a means of not insight and enlightenment, but of dulling the daily grind of meaninglessness.
The Commune, the group, becomes isolated loneliness. You all say you are together, but without meaning, commitment, or attachment, you are alone in a crowd.
Reality becomes someone else reality, and your own disconnect from reality.
This is not a comedy. This is not an action movie. This is not a Hollywood blockbuster. This is a dark gritty drama, and if you like that sort of thing, which I do on occasion, then you will like this movie. But ...no... it is not for everyone, and absolute not for the 'blockbuster' crowd.
This is grim cold reality. The movie does not have a lot of highs and lows, though there are certainly moments of drama. I guess one could call it a "Slice of Life", but as mentioned, it is a grim empty life wearing the cloak of Utopia.
Excellent job by the lead character - Mark L. Young as Victor. He conveys the desperateness and detachment of Victor very convincingly. And very good jobs by the supporting characters. On acting alone this movie is worth a look. I expect powerful things from Mark Young in the future.
So, whether this movie is for you, only you can tell. If you like the dark and gritty, and something off the mainstream, then you will be satisfied. But if you are locked into 'blockbusters' and 'teen sex romp comedies', I feel this movie will be a bit too grim for you.