Happiness (1998)

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Avg Rating: 4.4 / 5. Voted: 164

No one cared thus far. Do you?

AKA:
Directed by: Todd Solondz
Starring: Jane Adams (Joy), Philip Seymour Hoffman (Allen), Dylan Baker (Dr. Maplewood), Lara Flynn Boyle (Helen), Cynthia Stevenson (Trish), Camryn Manheim (Kristina), Louise Lasser (Mona Jordan), Ben Gazzara (Lenny Jordan)
Country: United States
Language: English (English subs)
Runtime: 02:19:51
Genres: Misery, Siblings-Family, Old-Young Relationships, Gay, Mass Killings

Plot – Spoilers:
The primary theme of Happiness is the absence of it in the miserable lives of its characters.

Joy is the youngest sister in a dysfunctional family that pretends to be close but whose parents are finally separating after a 40-year marriage. She is prone to crying and is patronized by the rest of her family who regard her as a serial loser.

Helen is Joy’s older sister and a vain successful writer. But deep down she knows she’s a fraud.

Trish is the oldest sister but is caught somewhere between the other two in her life. On the one hand she feels superior to Joy on the basis of having a family of three kids and an allegedly good life with her psychiatrist husband, Bill Maplewood. But on the other hand she’s envious of Helen’s independent success and active sex life. Trish and Bill’s marriage is a sham and unbeknownst to her, he has a big thing for little boys. It’s unclear if Bill has molested either of his two boys, but he appears to make a couple of attempts at grooming his older son, whose only current goal is to cum.

Allen is a depressed neighbor of Helen who has grandiose lustful thoughts about her, but crumbles in her presence, opting to instead masturbate while telephoning random strangers. An obese neighbor of his lusts for his companionship and she has a few things in her closet as well.

Happiness is one of those really fucked up movies that achieves this glorious status without indulging in graphic effed up content. Just the characters and their lives do it. Most people will find something in it to identify with, but its true greatness lies in how humorously some of the sickest moments are treated.

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Creep
Creep
April 12, 2020 5:35 am

Love. Bleak with some gross concepts. Nice and depressing.

darkjoker
darkjoker
April 24, 2020 10:49 am

This film depicts an average American life. Brutally showcased by the Director.

jenny
jenny
July 13, 2020 11:06 pm

rlly fun moobie!! fun for the whole family

itoslut
itoslut
July 23, 2020 7:09 am

the only fucked up thing in this movie is having to watch two old people make out. oh yeah and the pedophilia but still. ew

Lancer
Lancer
August 18, 2020 4:55 am

Todd Solonz new up in the same town as I did in NJ…. How cathartic and wonderful it is to see the fucked up, shiny on the outside rotten on the inside pageantry being portrayed on screen. “No YOU’RE so busy!!!”

alyssa
alyssa
September 27, 2020 11:20 am

bro this movie was so good but at the same time i never want to watch it again

jonathan crumb
jonathan crumb
November 29, 2020 12:20 am

good

Spoopy
Spoopy
January 21, 2021 1:43 am

Brilliant movie! Thanks for uploading EFM.

OJ
OJ
February 2, 2021 6:30 am

An X-ray over American Dream makes it easier for us to see the reality of life in America. These miserable characters carry big weight of desire for happiness on their back. Not many directors dare to touch this theme but todd solondz did it. Brilliant work although I am not a fan of American movies.

Dr. Lecter
Dr. Lecter
February 3, 2021 2:34 am

Says the guy with an American actor from an American movie for his avatar…. lolz

Guess he’s a bigger fan of American movies then he thought.

Porusniuc Adina
Porusniuc Adina
February 9, 2021 12:28 am

Mi.a placut acest film. In primele 60 de minute am simtit si putina comedie neagra.

Alice
Alice
March 3, 2021 6:01 pm

To Happiness !

NormieUntilNow
NormieUntilNow
March 19, 2021 4:34 pm

all the bullshit and fuckery, just keep a fake smile through it all.

Matisse Famke
Matisse Famke
March 20, 2021 5:24 am

Rigid and dilettantish, encapsulating prosaic piteous conviction.

okiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii
okiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii
March 22, 2021 8:27 am

trish and helen’s bios are mixed up

okiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii
okiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii
March 22, 2021 10:59 am

fucked up ending lol

Successful engineer
Successful engineer
March 22, 2021 1:49 pm

Stay at home moms have no damn personality traits other than cooking cleaning and taking care of kids lol

tom bowe
tom bowe
March 25, 2021 12:58 am

that little boys dad is an asshole for raging in the doctors office

PeterGillis
PeterGillis
April 14, 2021 11:58 am

This movie is legit so good you sort of forget how unbelievably bleak and dark it is while watching it.
Hard recommend!

carmen
carmen
May 6, 2021 2:32 pm

i loved this movie. very depressing but worth the watch

Vic
Vic
June 27, 2021 12:16 am

Comedy film made by woke NY liberals that love socialist and communist ideology. Overrated. It has it’s moments.

SEISMIC808
SEISMIC808
October 4, 2021 7:12 pm

Bro I’m like an hour and 20 minutes in this shit hurts why Joy be taking L after L like that

Ron Jeremy
Ron Jeremy
November 13, 2021 11:23 am

Fuck up ya cunts it’s a fuckin movie,watch it as such

omaksa7bety1234
omaksa7bety1234
December 19, 2021 7:58 pm

a masterpiece quite literally. always will be a classic

TangerineFupa
TangerineFupa
December 22, 2021 7:30 am

Quality film

Kaytee
Kaytee
March 12, 2022 3:45 am

My god… All I can say is the poor children. The end scene with the Dr. and his son chatting about his endeavors truly made my stomach churn. When he delivered that punchline tho I wanted to laugh

C C
C C
March 15, 2022 10:49 pm

Lmao this was quite the ride. They don’t make movies like this anymore,and I hate it.

basquiat
basquiat
March 23, 2022 3:08 am

10/10 film recommended to all my friends who wouldnt judge me for doing so will never watch this again

An_Oldboy
An_Oldboy
April 3, 2022 11:40 am

The Admin summary is spot on, and this is one effed up film. The speech between father and son near the end of the film is shocking. There were a number of scenes with Dr Maplewood were I found myself muttering ‘oh no, don’t’. Some great dialogue and great acting and Hoffman as always gives a great performance. 4.5/5 tuna sandwiches

mara
mara
August 9, 2022 11:06 pm

“i can admit it that im fat and ugly” girl so is he, this is a match made in heaven

average day in new jersey

Shane Morris
Shane Morris
January 5, 2023 9:43 am

Fucking hilarious,Philip Seymour Hoffman as the crank phonecall jackoff bandit was particularly memorable

Sargon
Sargon
February 20, 2023 8:02 pm

Great movie. I enjoyed every second of it

depressedoats
depressedoats
February 21, 2023 5:35 pm

this was a strange watch tbh but i would recommend if you like to see miserable people living miserable lifes

Jijii
Jijii
March 14, 2023 8:36 am

The dull chapters with the old, decrepit Jews in the condo, the parents, really destroys the pacing. Other than that very good.