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Happiness Runs

  • 20102010
  • Not RatedNot Rated
  • 1h 28m
IMDb RATING
4.8/10
690
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • IMDbPro
Happiness Runs (2010)
A young man named Victor realizes the shortcomings of the Utopian ideals on the hippie commune where he was raised.
Play trailer2:05
1 Video
5 Photos
  • Drama

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 w... Read allA 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... Read allA 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... Read all

IMDb RATING
4.8/10
690
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Adam Sherman
  • Writer
    • Adam Sherman
  • Stars
    • Joni Barth
    • Kirsten Berman
    • Mark Boone Junior
Top credits
  • Director
    • Adam Sherman
  • Writer
    • Adam Sherman
  • Stars
    • Joni Barth
    • Kirsten Berman
    • Mark Boone Junior
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 12User reviews
    • 16Critic reviews
    • 24Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 3 wins

    Videos1

    Happiness Runs
    Trailer 2:05
    Happiness Runs

    Photos

    Happiness Runs (2010)
    Still from Happiness Runs
    Hanna Hall and Laura Peters Happiness Runs production still
    Happiness Runs

    Top cast

    Edit
    Joni Barth
    • Rachel's Momas Rachel's Mom
    Kirsten Berman
    Kirsten Berman
    • Jennyas Jenny
    Mark Boone Junior
    Mark Boone Junior
    • Victor's Fatheras Victor's Father
    Joseph Castanon
    Joseph Castanon
    • Little Mackieas Little Mackie
    Richard Edson
    Richard Edson
    • Peteas Pete
    AnnaLisa Erickson
    AnnaLisa Erickson
    • Nancyas Nancy
    Shiloh Fernandez
    Shiloh Fernandez
    • Jakeas Jake
    John Fleck
    John Fleck
    • Chad's Dadas Chad's Dad
    Kevin Gage
    Kevin Gage
    • Hypnotistas Hypnotist
    Hanna Hall
    Hanna Hall
    • Beckyas Becky
    Gregorio
    • Samas Sam
    • (as Zia Harris)
    Rutger Hauer
    Rutger Hauer
    • Insleyas Insley
    Loni LiPuma
    • Rachel's Friendas Rachel's Friend
    Andie MacDowell
    Andie MacDowell
    • Victor's Motheras Victor's Mother
    Ann Magnuson
    Ann Magnuson
    • Chad's Momas Chad's Mom
    Steven Christopher Parker
    Steven Christopher Parker
    • Taoas Tao
    Laura Peters
    Laura Peters
    • Rachelas Rachel
    Jesse Plemons
    Jesse Plemons
    • Chadas Chad
    • Director
      • Adam Sherman
    • Writer
      • Adam Sherman
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

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    Storyline

    Edit
    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, who is entirely under Insley's influence, dealing with the violent drama of his drug-addled friends, and staying to save Becky as she spins out of control. —Strand Releasing
    • scantily clad female
    • cleavage
    • topless female nudity
    • breasts
    • bare breasts
    • 43 more
    • Plot summary
    • Plot synopsis
    • Taglines
      • Generation Lost
    • Genre
      • Drama
    • Certificate
      • Not Rated
    • Parents guide
      • Add content advisory

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Quotes

      Becky: They never planned for the future. They weren't supposed to get old and we were never supposed to grow up. The lost, the unwanted, and the abused came here with the purest of intentions, to build a place where there would be no rules, other than a peaceful existence. There are no couples for them. For them, there is only the moment. They tried to raise us to be perfect in their perfect new world and for a moment, maybe it worked. But I think they finally saw their own shortsightedness and failure in us. We always saw it in them. They attempted to unlearn jealousy, want, and hate, to not possess anything, including each other. They tried to free themselves from materialism, but soon they were drowning in it. Finally, we all saw failure in each other and everyone was looking for a way out.

    • Connections
      Featured in The Rotten Tomatoes Show: The Back-up Plan/The Losers/Paper Man (2010)
    • Soundtracks
      Winter's Going
      Written by Bonnie Dobson

      Performed by Bonnie Dobson

      Courtesy of Canadian Broadcasting Corporation

    User reviews12

    Review
    Top review
    9/10
    Fantastic, if you can relate
    Fantastic movie... if you've experienced countercultures. If you haven't, you might not get it. This film makes no effort to bring in uninformed audience members. (In sharp contrast to Saving Private Ryan, where a war journalist character, for our sake, knows nothing about war.)

    It's human nature to compete and/or differentiate ourselves. This commune homogenizes everything, removing traditional channels of competition and expression. (I've lived in a town like that!) If this film had shown character development, it would have been forced and faked. What it does explore is how how self expression prevails, albeit in a warped and perverted form, despite these constraints. It's a very interesting film.
    helpful•5
    0
    • zak-ames
    • Mar 13, 2013

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • May 1, 2010 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Official site
    • Language
      • English
    • Filming locations
      • Malibu, California, USA
    • Production company
      • Happiness Runs
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $1,200,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $7,199
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $2,674
      • May 9, 2010
    • Gross worldwide
      • $7,199
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 28 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital

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