Happiness
(1998)
"Happiness" is the first true American sex comedy.
In that way it is bold, perverse, subversive, disquieting,
unsettling, angst-ridden and paced at a speed that takes
the patience of a saint before it finally explodes in
a tiny, lame orgasm of harrowing foeshadow. It's a perfect
comedy precisely because one almost never knows whether
a laugh is begin elicited or not. Writer/Director Todd
Solondz, who proved his worth with 1996's "Welcome to
the Dollhouse," firmly cements himself in the upper
echelon of Independent American filmmakers with "Happiness;"
Just don't ask what it is that he uses for adhesive!
Solondz multi-character story has it's center in one
of the most dysfunctional families who have ever graced
the screen. No one in this family has found true happiness.
Three adult sisters are introduced to us before we witness
the crumbling foundation of this family, the parents.
Louise Lasser and Ben Gazzara represent the essence
of aged disillusionment. Lasser placates her self with
pills and matronly sadness while Gazzara searches (mainly
in the arms of Elizabeth Ashley) for any sort of connection
with another thing or another person which might bring
him even a hint of an emotional response. He finds none.
It is troubling and brilliant. Rarely have we seen aged
characters used so purposefully to portray the troubling
nature of existence. Lasser and Gazzara, like the rest
of the adult cast, are bold and unashamed in their endeavor
to bring forth both honest and troubled visions of worn
humanity. Like all the characters in the film, what
is so troubling about them is their mediocrity and their
authenticity.
Our introduction to the youngest, and initially the
seemingly most troubled, sister of the family actually
begins the film. Jane Adams plays the ironically named
Joy with the perfect amount of giddy innocence and confused
passion. Joy wants desperately to do good, especially
after she feels responsible for a death, and ends up,
almost happy, in the arms of a Russian emigrant named
Vlad (played by Jared Harris). Of course, Joy's delight
is short lived. Through her we do not discover joy,
but rather hopelessness.
Another sister (Lara Flynn Boyle) is a successful
poetess full of pretention and self-loathing. She doesn't
even dislike her self for the right reasons. She becomes
involved in a ridiculous situation with Phillip Seymour
Hoffman ("Boogie Nights") who represents the neurotic
embodiment of repressed sexual desire. Hoffman's portrayal
here of frustrated, nullified sexuality curdles into
naive dolor with a sly twist of the plot provided by
Solondz in the character of Kristina. This also rotund
character is precisely enlivened by the full-bodied
Camryn Manheim (of TV's "The Practice.") Solondz takes
us to depth of human sexual dysfunction in this storyline.
By providing a character who has taken her sexual repression
to savage extreme, Solondz questions our own inability
to make social and moral decisions. This is important
in his depiction of another character's circumstances.
Hoffman's representation of sexual anguish might steal
the show if it weren't for the inclusion of Bill Maplewood,
played with genuine perplexity by Dylan Baker. Maplewood
is more than just a child molester, he's a child rapist
who finally allows his frustration to overwhelm him
and commits the heinous acts he so desperately desires
for sexual gratification. Solondz crafts a truly upsetting
situation not only with Maplewood's interaction with
his wife, but also with his discussions with his young
son. These sexually graphic discussions, which waver
questionably between parental tutoring and perverse
erotica (for Maplewood, anyway) are truly troubling
to witness. Rufus Read, who plays the 11 year old son,
is a truly gifted youth. Read not only seems to fully
grasp the sensitivity of the material, he plays perfectly
at Solondz irritatingly slow pace. It is quite possibly
the finest youth performance ever to grace the screen.
Read's final discussion with Baker is one of the most
unusual and distasteful scenes ever to be exposed to
a cinematic audience. It is only made worse by it's
abstract ambiguity.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Maplewood, played by the perky Cynthia
Stevenson, carries out her typical suburbanite housewife
chit-chat with glee-filled ignorance. Even the usually
effervescent Stevenson co-opts Solondz troubling gait
with perfection while somehow making it her own. It's
rather futile to discuss the quality of the acting in
this film because it is, without a doubt, one of the
most perfectly performed American films.
The only film I have ever viewed that even compares
to "Happiness" in it's repugnancy and disturbing vision
is John Schlesinger's "Day of the Locusts." But Solondz
takes the disturbing nature of Nathaniel Hawthorne's
decomposing American existence presented in that film
to dizzying new heights of infinity. He presents a film
of disarming poignancy that cannot stop from making
us feel ashamed and "dirty." It is, simply put, a landmark
film. The only other film that has elicited such strong
emotions from me this year is "Saving Private Ryan"
and the two are so diametrical opposed that it is impossible
to compare them in any manner.
"Happiness" leaves a vile taste in your mouth. It's
verisimilitude is overwhelming in it's accuracy. It's
unflinching gaze at the soft white underbelly of America's
obsession and repression of sexual desires twisted into
sexual deviance is devastating to witness. Solondz sickens
us with his disturbing vision of suburbanite sexual
repression flowering into personal torment. And quite
possible makes the greatest American movie ever released
in the process.
Note:
Also with Jon Lovitz, Marla Maples, Dan Moran, Evan
Silverberg, and Molly Shannon.
Produced by Ted Hope and Christine Vachon. Music by
Robbie Condor. Other music by Mozart and Vivaldi. Pop
songs by Barry Manilow, Montovani and Air Supply. "You
Light Up My Life" as well as a new song by Eytan Mirsky
(called "Happiness") are sung by characters in the film.
Michael Stipe and Rain Phoenix also perform "Happiness"
over the end credits.
Universal/October Films produced the film and then
refused to release it. Hope's production company Good
Machine, which has seldom distributed product, picked
up distribution.
This is the 4th film titled "Happiness." One was made
for TV in 1997, while the other two are from the silent
era.
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Report
Card
Script:
A+
Acting: A+
Cinematography\Lighting: B
Special Effects\Make Up: A+
Music: A+
Final
Grade: A+
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