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Happiness (1998 film)

Happiness is a 1998 black comedy film written and directed by Todd Solondz, that portrays the lives of three sisters and their families.

The film was awarded the FIPRESCI Prize at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival for "its bold tracking of controversial contemporary themes, richly-layered subtext, and remarkable fluidity of visual style," and the cast received the National Board of Review award for best ensemble performance.

Movie Plot

Helen Jordan (Lara Flynn Boyle), the eldest sister, is a successful author who is adored and envied by everyone she knows, and can have any man she wants. Her charmed life leaves her ultimately unfulfilled, however; she despairs that people only love her for her mystique and that no one wants her for herself, and that the praise regularly heaped upon her is undeserved. She is fascinated by a neighbor (Philip Seymour Hoffman) who makes obscene phone calls to her apartment and tries to seek out a relationship with him. Meanwhile, the neighbor, Allen, sinks deeper into depression as Helen's sudden interest in him ruins his fantasies, and realizes that a woman who truly cares for him (Camryn Manheim) has been right under his nose all along.

Trish (Cynthia Stevenson), the middle sister, is an upper middle class housewife happily married to psychiatrist Bill Maplewood (Dylan Baker) and has three children. Unbeknownst to Trish, however, Bill is a pedophile. He develops an obsession for his 11-year-old son Billy (Rufus Read)'s classmate Johnny Grasso (Evan Silverberg). When Johnny comes for a sleepover, Maplewood drugs Johnny as well as all his own family and then sodomizes Johnny while he is unconscious. He also learns that another boy, Ronald Farber, is home alone while his parents are away in Europe. Under the guise of attending a PTA meeting, Maplewood goes to Farber's house and rapes him too.

After Johnny is taken to the hospital and found to have been abused, the police arrive at the Maplewood residence to talk about Johnny Grasso. After alerting his wife to the police presence, he begins by asking the two detectives "So you wanted to talk about Ronald Farber?" The two detectives, looking puzzled, say nothing. Bill then stammers, "I mean, Johnny Grasso." Out on bail, he admits to his son that he raped the boys, that he enjoyed it, and that he would do it again. When Billy asks, "Would you ever do it to me?," Bill answers, "No. I'd jerk off instead."

Joy (Jane Adams), the youngest sister, is seen by her family as overly sensitive and lacking direction. She works in telephone sales, but leaves to do something more fulfilling: teaching at a refugee education center. Her students call her a scab, because their original teacher was striking, and she begins to feel empty in that job too. Joy is also constantly let down in her personal life. After a rejected suitor, Andy (Jon Lovitz) calls her shallow at the beginning of the film, Helen tries to set her up with other men. Expecting to hear from a suitor, she instead gets an obscene call from Allen. Later one of her Russian students, Vladimir (Jared Harris), offers her a ride in his taxi and they end up going inside together. He seduces her, and she seems to feel happy for the first time in the movie. In the coming days, however, Joy realizes Vlad was using her and that he may be married. After being attacked by his wife and lending him $1000, she is back to being alone.

Finally, the sisters' parents, Mona (Louise Lasser) and Lenny (Ben Gazzara) are separating after 40 years of marriage. Lenny is bored with his marriage, but does not want to start another relationship; he simply "wants to be alone." As Mona copes with being single during her twilight years, Lenny tries to rekindle his enthusiasm for life by having an affair with a neighbor. It is no use, however, as Lenny eventually finds that he has become incapable of emotion. The only person who seems happy at the end is Billy, who throughout the movie attempts to make himself ejaculate and finally achieves it.

Soundtrack

The title track Happiness was written by Eytan Mirsky. In the film it is sung by actress Jane Adams in a scene and by Michael Stipe and Rain Phoenix over the credits.

The following music is played in the film:

Soave sia il vento from Così fan tutte, written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Concerto for Guitar in D Major, written by Antonio Vivaldi
Happiness, performed by Jane Adams, written by Eytan Mirsky
Requiem, written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Piano Concerto, written by Samuel Barber
Mandy, performed by Barry Manilow, written by Richard Kerr, Scott English
You Light Up My Life, performed in the film by Anatoly Aleshin, written by Joe Brooks
You Light Up My Life, performed by Montovani
All Out of Love, performed by Air Supply, written by Graham Russell and Clive Davis
Eternal Lighthouse, composed and performed by Vladimir Mozenkov, Lyrics by Yevgeny Davidov
Happiness, performed by Michael Stipe with Rain Phoenix

Critical reception

In his review of the film, Roger Ebert wrote, "...the depraved are only seeking what we all seek, but with a lack of ordinary moral vision(.) In a film that looks into the abyss of human despair, there is the horrifying suggestion that these characters may not be grotesque exceptions, but may in fact be part of the mainstream of humanity."

He gave the film four out of four stars, and rated it #5 in his top 10 films of 1998, saying also, "It is not a film for most people. It is certainly for adults only. But it shows Todd Solondz as a filmmaker who deserves attention, who hears the unhappiness in the air and seeks its sources."

Controversy

The film was highly controversial for its heavy sexual themes, especially its portrayal of Bill, a pedophile and child rapist, as a three-dimensional human being with redeeming qualities. While the way in which the role was written was criticized, however, Baker was lauded for his performance.

Expecting that the MPAA would brand it with an NC-17 rating, which would make distribution difficult, the filmmakers opted not to submit the film for rating, hence sealing limited distribution and difficulty in advertising. The poster art was done by comic book creator Daniel Clowes.

Awards

1998 Cannes Film Festival - FIPRESCI Prize, Parallel Sections

1999 Golden Globes - Nominated for Best Screenplay (Todd Solondz)

1998 National Board of Review, USA - Best Acting by and Ensemble

1999 Independent Spirit Awards - Nominated for Best Director (Todd Solondz), Best Male Lead (Dylan Baker), Best Supporting Male (Philip Seaymour Hoffman)

1998 São Paulo International Film Festival - International Jury Award

1998 Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival - Critic's Choice Award: Best Actor - Dylan Baker; Best Film

1998 Toronto International Film Festival - Metro Media Award

1999 British Independent Film Award - Best Foreign Film, English Language

1999 Chlotrudis Awards - Best Screenplay - Todd Solondz

1999 Fantasporto - Directors' Week Award - Todd Solondz