There's so many stories going on in "Happy Endings" that you might think it has come from a great novel from some new writer who is going to join the ranks of Douglas Coupland, T.C. Boyle and John Irving. Such is not the case. The writer is, in fact, Don Roos, a screenwriter who has churned out a few well know movie scripts over the past few years as well as directing a couple of the films based on them. Roos creates a thriving, living, breathing multi-storylined piece here that has as many solid themes and ideas as it does tangents and meanderings.

Most notable in the cast is Lisa Kudrow who gives the best performance of her career so far as an ageing woman with many secrets in her past. Her story is the base of Roos plot and themes here and its a doozie. This film is based on a solid story idea and all things that happen film spring from this. (I don't want to give away anything about the plot though, so I'll have to be vague).

But there's also her step brother played by the always charming Steve Coogan (who cares if he struggles with his American accent, he's so dreamy), Coogan's young gay employee Otis played by the adorable Jason Ritter, Otis' wealthy widowed father played by Tom Arnold, and the woman out to deflower Otis and bilk his dad, played by the effervescent Maggie Gyllenhaal.

Then there's the lesbian couple (one of whom is played by Laura Dern) who may have fathered a child using Coogan's gay lover's sperm without telling him for their own selfish reason's. And if this isn't enough to keep the story in perpetual motion, there's Kudrow's young, dimwitted blackmailer, played by a bearded Jesse Bradford, who knows one of her dark secrets, and her lover, the immigrant masseuse played by Bobby Cannivalle.

With so many characters and story tangents congealing around the step-sibling couple at the heart of this story, one might imagine that the stories would get rather confusing. Hell, I'm sure you're confused from the last two paragraphs describing them. But Roos is a better writer than I could ever hope to be and seems quite adept at keeping everything focused and easy to follow. He has a real knack for creating multiple intertwined storylines that veer and weave while still remaining clear and interesting. While moving about in his story, Roos has a real knack for cutting just at the right moment (both behind the typewriter and behind the camera), never tarrying too long on one storyline before jetting back to another, all the while wowing us with his interesting twists and ideas.

Roos uses a device that, in the hands of a lesser writer and director might be quite abysmal. He puts text up on the screen throughout, albeit mainly at the beginning and the end of the film, to help fill in some background, epilogue and expositional holes. This is often cutesy and funny but overall somehow manages to give the film a little lightness and flavor. Again, I wouldn't want to see other directors fall victim to this lazy storytelling device as usually it shows a lack of ability to write a script that uses action and dialogue to expose its characters and stories. Roos manages to get away with it without hurting his film and this is, in my book, an amazing achievement. It only works because his film is so good. If the film weren't as amazing, we might more easily condemn him for such a device.

There are great characters and great performances here. Kudrow is a knockout. It would be great to see her get nominated for a bunch of awards for her work here. Of all of the "Friends," she is the only one that has been able to smash the hell out of her TV character's mold and move on with her career. Ritter, also, is quite amazing. I recognized him not as John Ritter's son nor as the star of whatever WB show it is he plays in, but as the star of the best short film's I've ever seen, a piece by Ryan Gould called "PG." Ritter is as human, bold and perfect in "Happy Endings" as he is in that short film. He creates a young character that moves us and makes us care. It's a wonderful role and he nails it.

"Happy Endings" is a funny, charming, wonderful, amazing character oriented film with enough unique storylines going on for a dozen movies. What a treat!

Notes:

Also with Johnny Galecki and Peter Horton in small roles.

Ray Liotta turned down the role that went to Arnold.

The film debuted at Sundance in 2005 and also played Cannes before being released to arthouses in July of that summer by Lion's Gate.

Viewed in the Art Deco room at The Dobie in August of 2005.

Report Card

Script: A+

Acting: A+

Cinematography\Lighting: A-

Special Effects\Make Up: A

Music: B-

Final Grade: A+