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Jane Adams (II), Dylan Baker, Lara Flynn Boyle, Ben Gazzara, Jared Harris ... see more see more... , Philip Seymour Hoffman , Jon Lovitz , Marla Maples , Cynthia Stevenson , Elizabeth Ashley , Louise Lasser , Camryn Manheim , Rufus Read , Anne Bobby , Dan Moran , Evan Silverberg

After his 1995 breakthrough, Welcome to the Dollhouse, director Todd Solondz was courted by a number of studios to make a big-budget film with top stars. Instead, he chose to make this aggressively da... read more read more...rk comedy-drama of perversions and twisted lives. Andy Kornbluth (Jon Lovitz) explodes with anger after rejection in a restaurant from Joy Jordan (Jane Adams), one of a trio of middle-class New Jersey sisters. Joy's sister Trish (Cynthia Stevenson), a housewife with three kids, is married to psychiatrist Bill (Dylan Baker), who counsels the lonely, overweight Allen (Philip Seymour Hoffman). Allen is obsessed with Joy's other sister, the successful poet Helen (Lara Flynn Boyle), all the while ignoring the attentions of his seemingly sweet yet overweight neighbor Kristina (Camryn Manheim). Bill has fantasies of turning an assault rifle on families in a park, masturbates to teen magazine photos, and develops an unhealthy interest in a classmate of his 11-year-old son, Billy (Rufus Read). After a telephone sales job, Joy moves on to substitute teach at an adult education class, where she falls prey to the advances of an insensitive cabdriver, Vlad (Jared Harris). Allen's series of obscene phone calls to Helen come to an end when she challenges him to come next door and carry out his sexual threats. Meanwhile, the sisters' parents, Lenny and Mona Jordan (Ben Gazzara and Louise Lasser), find their marriage collapsing after 40 years. Lenny has sparked the interest of divorcée Diane Freed (Elizabeth Ashley), but he actually would prefer to be alone. The path to happiness, it seems, is littered with dreams, despair, and abnormalities. Winner of the International Critics' prize at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival, Happiness met with much controversy both in pre-production and upon its release, as chronicled in producer Christine Vachon's book Shooting to Kill. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi

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88% liked it

39,045 ratings

Critics

84% liked it

45 critics

NC-17, 2 hr. 19 min.

Directed by: Todd Solondz

Release Date: October 16, 1998

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DVD Release Date: April 27, 1999

Stats: 3,072 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (3,072)

  • garyX
    April 12, 2012
    garyX
    A collection of loosely connected suburbanites come come to terms with their own flaws and failings in their quest for elusive "happiness". Todd Solondz's tragi-comedy no doubt met with shock and outrage from the moral majority and it is hard not to suspect that he was deliberate... read morely baiting the religious right with material that is so close to the knuckle. These characters suffer rejection, isolation, insecurity and sexual frustration at the hands of their peers and even when handed their fantasies, the result is nothing less than crushing disappointment. His attitude appears to be that social awkwardness begins at the age of 11 and continues into old age and we all seem utterly powerless to do anything about it; we're born, we're miserable and we die. A lot of us will find it hard to disagree but not everyone will be able to see the funny side of rape and child molestation! The closest comparisons I can think of are the likes of Magnolia and American Beauty, but Solondz takes these ideas to their most extreme and so therefore Happiness will only be to the taste of a small minority, but those who can stomach it will find some reward in this bleakest of the bleak black comedy that's unlike anything you've ever seen before.
  • paulkoh110
    October 26, 2011
    paulkoh110
    Brutal, beautiful, and hard to watch...this film tests a viewers mind and has a cerebral aftereffect
  • stevenecarrier
    August 31, 2011
    stevenecarrier
    Todd Solondz is a brillant filmmaker and "Happiness" is a masterpiece. Incredibly complex and incredibly dark, this 90's independent classic does everything right. What else can I say? It's hilarious, it's disturbing, it's controversial, it's stunningly written. If you are any so... read morert of serious fan of cinema, you must see "Happiness."
  • theunknownhobo
    August 31, 2011
    theunknownhobo
    I had heard a lot about this movie but I must say nothing quite prepared me for it. Strangely appealing, disturbingly hilrious and a cast of a fabulous actors playing their characters even better than they play themselves I must say that although I probably won't be watching it a... read moregain I must give it the acclaim it deserves and that is high acclaim indeed.
  • YLOWBSTARDreturns
    August 16, 2011
    YLOWBSTARDreturns
    A film that I have appreciated more and more with each subsequent viewing. Todd Solondz will probably never top this. A true masterpiece.
  • CloudStrife84
    June 30, 2011
    CloudStrife84
    So many fascinating characters in one and the same movie! Indie films of this sort have a tendency to be pretentious, but I thought this was nothing of the kind. The tone is quite dark and often disturbing, but at the same it achieves a near-impossible balance, by being really fu... read morenny in all its tragedy. Even Jon Lovitz, who I don't like that much as an actor, pulls off a remarkably good performance (although his appearance is limited to one scene alone). Every human on this planet wants to be happy, but sometimes things don't go according to plan, and this movie does an excellent job at illustrating the pain, longings and dreams we all have and go through (altough some people's desires are more weird and sickening than others). In any case, this is one of the best indie flicks I've ever seen. A little draggy here and there, but with characters so addicting, that you're in constant anticipation of what they're gonna do next. Wes Anderson, eat your heart out! Because this is what great indie film-making is all about.
  • jennifxu
    May 2, 2011
    jennifxu
    The child molestation part made me laugh so, so hard. And the climax was priceless. There's a lot of things I love about Happiness, to the point that it makes me uncomfortable admitting it.
  • FrizzDrop
    April 25, 2011
    FrizzDrop
    If you want human misery, suffering, and inexplicable anxiety, this is the film for you. A web of relationships, some family, some neighbors, some friend of a friend, all intermingle to form the story of each individual's quest for happiness. The cast consists of actors who you w... read moreouldn't think could emphasize such pathetic struggles, but make surprising turns. Special mention to Jon Lovitz, who opens the film as the dejected date of Joy (Adams). His pitiful nature and sober appearance was one of the most nerve wrenching things I have ever seen on film. Each character has an air of hostility, fueled by their own sexual unrest, murder, pedophilia, family drama, and the trivial and vapid exchanges they go through every day. This is by far the best performance of Lara Flynn Boyle, and possibly Camryn Manheim. A great film to watch when you're actually happy.
  • aliceinpunderland
    June 19, 2010
    aliceinpunderland
    There are many good parts in this film - namely the dialogue and performances. The opening break-up scene, Bill's explanation of his pedophilia as "making love," Kristina's confession about her crime of passion. Jane Adams, Dylan Baker, and Camryn Manheim are all quite impressi... read moreve.

    My main gripe is that there are no shades of meaning. Everyone's "problems" or "pursuits of happiness" are so extreme, except perhaps Billy's. The characters and circumstances seem too cooked for the sake of dysfunctional hip.
  • LorenzoVonMatterhorn
    June 18, 2010
    LorenzoVonMatterhorn
    "If only I had been raped as a child! *Then* I would know authenticity!"

    Three middle-class New Jersey sisters all have their problems with their families and sex lives.

    REVIEW

    Different aspect... read mores of Todd Solondz's film, 'Happiness', remind one of other movies. For its overall structure and the presence of Philip Seymour Hoffman in the cast, one thinks of Paul Thomas Anderson's 'Magnolia'; the portrait of dysfunctional families in suburbia brings to mind the films of Mike Leigh and Hal Hartley; the (literally) seminal humour is a far stronger version of that in 'There's Something About Mary', or 'American Pie'; while the general comedy of embarrassment, and subject material that includes paedophilia, has parallels in the work of Chris Morris. Of course, when a film reminds one of so many others, that means that either it is hopelessly derivative, or, as is happily the case for this movie, a true original. The films opening credits conclude with the announcement of its title with a splendid comic timing that tells you from the start that the meaning of the word is wholly ironic; and that there'll be no joy for its antonymously-named heroine. The overall effect is over-the-top, but when even supposedly satirical films like 'American Beauty' and 'Donnie Darko' chose to put a certain gloss on their portrait of the American suburbs, a film as brutal as this one serves as a certain refreshing antidote. It's probably a good thing that all movies aren't this extreme; but it's certainly one film you're unlikely to forget in a hurry.

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Critic Reviews

Nick Schager
October 20, 2009
Nick Schager, Lessons of Darkness

Exhibits an almost pitch-perfect balance between condescension and compassion. Full Review

Rob Gonsalves
September 17, 2007
Rob Gonsalves, eFilmCritic.com

Happiness is tough stuff -- quietly confrontational, genuinely haunting, and, most disturbing of all, unexpectedly moving. Full Review

Emanuel Levy
October 10, 2006
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com

By far Solondz's best film, an original exploration of American suburban angst, with three Chekhovian sisters at the center and a gallery of "deviant" characters that are presented with humor in non-j... Full Review

James O'Ehley
September 24, 2003
James O'Ehley, Movie Gurus

It'll soon have you quoting German existential philosophers in coming to terms with it . . . Full Review

Kevin N. Laforest
September 10, 2002
Kevin N. Laforest, Montreal Film Journal

Even in the darkest, sickest moments, there's always some kind of humor [but] what makes this comedy superior to most is that it remains painfully sincere. Full Review

Michael W. Phillips, Jr.
February 28, 2002
Michael W. Phillips, Jr., Goatdog's Movies

Some truly hilarious moments, but I spent most of the film with my mouth hanging open in shock. Full Review

John J. Puccio
April 7, 2001
John J. Puccio, Movie Metropolis

...seduces us with subtle humor and then hammers us with unpleasantness; it seems as selfishly opportunistic as anything committed by the perverted characters it portrays.

Steve Rhodes
January 1, 2000
Steve Rhodes, Internet Reviews

I'm fairly thick skinned, but this film managed to create major feelings of revulsion in me. Full Review

Michael Dequina
January 1, 2000
Michael Dequina, TheMovieReport.com

A brave, brilliantly realized piece of work, one that will be debated about for years to come. Full Review

Dustin Putman
January 1, 2000
Dustin Putman, DustinPutman.com

Solondz is one of the masters of flawlessly intermingling both pitch-black comedy and heartbreaking drama, sometimes at the very same moment. Full Review

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    • Billy Maplewood: [last line] I came.
    • Helen Jordan: If only I had been raped as a child. *Then* I would know authenticity!
    • Billy Maplewood: Would you ever fuck me?
    • Bill Maplewood: No, I'd jerk off instead.
    • Andy Kornbluth: You're shit and I'm Champagne.
    • Diane Freed: I want kids that love me as much as I hated my mother.
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  • Who played Chris Gardener in the movie Pursuit of happiness?  Answer »
  • The co-star of Will Smith in The Pursuit of Happiness is related to him as   Answer »
  • In The Pursuit Of Happiness Will Smith acts with his son, what is his son called?  Answer »
  • What movie does Will smith play in where he is homeless after a few days because he hadn't payed his rent for three months?  Answer »
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