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Happiness
1998 140 min United States of America NC-17 18+
★7.8
Comedy, Drama
Director: Todd Solondz
Trailers
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Description
The lives of several individuals intertwine as they go about their lives in their own unique ways, engaging in acts which society as a whole might find disturbing in a desperate search for human connection.
Budget:
$3M
US Gross:
$2.98M
Worldwide:
$2.8M
Starring
Jane Adams
Actor
Jon Lovitz
Actor
Philip Seymour Hoffman
Actor
Awards
Cannes Film Festival 1998
— FIPRESCI Prize – Parallel Programs
Golden Globe 1999
— Best Screenplay
Key opinion
Todd Solondz's Happiness is a polarizing, technically polished exploration of human misery and vice that challenges audiences with its unflinching look at societal taboos. While some viewers admire its courageous and cynical satire, others reject its relentlessly bleak tone and find the characters fundamentally unlikable.
| Production | The film utilizes a visually polished and technically high-quality aesthetic that effectively contrasts with its sordid subject matter. | |
| Acting | The ensemble cast, featuring standout performances from Philip Seymour Hoffman and Lara Flynn Boyle, delivers convincing portrayals of deeply flawed characters. | |
| Score | The soundtrack, incorporating works by Mozart, is effectively employed to heighten the film's satirical and somber atmosphere. | |
| Emotion | The film is intensely disturbing, with its explicit focus on pedophilia and moral decay serving as a significant barrier for many viewers. | |
| Theme | Opinions on the film's thematic depth are divided: some see it as a brilliant, surgical dissection of human unhappiness, while others dismiss the characters as shallow, misanthropic caricatures. | |
| Pacing | The film's pacing is a subject of debate, with some finding the long, dialogue-heavy narrative rewarding and others viewing it as an exhausting, self-indulgent slog. | |
| Humor | The film's humor is highly divisive; proponents find it bitingly cynical and witty, whereas detractors perceive a lack of genuine irony that makes the darkness feel hollow. |