Director: Todd Solondz
Starring: Joy Jordan, Jane Adams, Bill Maplewood, Dylan Baker, Helen Jordan, Lara Flynn Boyle, Lenny Jordan, Ben Gazzara, Jared Harris, Jon Lovitz, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Louise Lasser, Elizabeh Ashley, Camryn Manheim, Rufus Read, Evan Silverberg, Cynthia Stevenson
UK Release: 16 April 1999
Related Links
Happiness (1998) - IMDB
Welcome to the Dollhouse - kamera.co.uk review
Merchandise Links
Buy the video (PAL format)
Buy
the dvd
|
|
Welcome to the Dollhouse, Todd Solondz's bleak comedy about adolescence, opened a lot of doors for the young director. Apparently his
next film closed them all. Happiness, winner of the
International Critics' Prize at last year's Cannes Film Festival, comes
laden with and almost burdened by an excess baggage of controversy.
Based around the lives of three middle-class New Jersey sisters, Happiness
is ostensibly a situation comedy of five interrelated stories of sexual
transgression, alienation and romantic hell. But while the sitcom scenario
is familiar, Solondz veers away from the urbane by utilising his lacerating and merciless humour and a distinctive ability to shock employing only the power of suggestion.
When Universal, the corporate parent of October Films which was due to
distribute Happiness, objected to one of the film's storylines, October was forced to drop the film from its slate (Happiness was later picked up by Good Machine, the film's production company, for a US release.) The offending storyline is the tale of a seemingly straight-laced psychiatrist who just happens to be on the prowl for his son's friends. While there is nothing titillating within the film, what Universal objected to was the compassion with which a paedophile is presented as just an average person. Played with sobre deftness by Dylan Baker, here is a man who could well be your analyst.
Happiness is not freak show. What hits home is the normality of the characters' emotional disconnection and wayward desires. As such, the film is never gratuitously shocking, but it is disturbing and sometimes very funny, although the uneven use of easy gags often spoils the virtuoso scenes they punctuate. But the underlying integrity within Happiness holds the stories together, and makes it something more than merely an exercise in controversy.
Reviewed by Iain Tibbles
Reader comments about Happiness
Elise (elisevieira@yahoo.com) writes:
"Happiness" is one of the greatest films I've ever seen. I'd like to ask you for Todd Solondz's e-mail address, if possible.
Thank you very much,
Elise.
Marty (mmec8@aol.com) writes:
Just a little trivia on Happiness: This was Evan Silverberg's first film role and a still with him and Dylan Baker was used in the original press kit. As fans know, it was reviewed by every major magazine. However, the credits incorrectly listed Evan as Justin Elvan, who played the little brother. Although the NY Times listed a correction, it was very frustrating for Evan to see his picture with the wrong name! How do I know all this? I'm his proud father.
(ursharona@yahoo.com) writes:
Dysfunctional suburban life breathes its deformities all around us. Although his movies are depressing they have the familiar theme of loneliness and misunderstanding... something we can all relate too, whether little boys stimulate you or not. Todd Solondz is my favorite director. I've pathetically watched all his movies (besides the very early short films) in cult-like awe. I can hardly wait till Palindromes comes out. I wish I knew the filming location¡¦ it would only be my pleasure to share the same air as Todd Solondz.
Eric (magnolia12883@yahoo.com) writes:
Todd Solondz's "Happiness" is a brilliant epic black comedy. It cares deeply for its characters, and while it neither defends nor judges harshly its characters, it does understand and empathize with them in only the way a film with a great writer-director can. Solondz asks his audience to comprehend the way he does the things his characters do and why, and sometimes the why is hard to understand, but you can understand the emotions that lead them to some of their choices or actions. This is very true in the character of Dylan Baker, who plays Bill Maplewood, the controversial therapist who is also a married pederast. His wife and sons don't suspect a thing, but he holds a deception over them time and time again. We are horrified at Baker's actions, more horrified that we are made to at first laugh, then feel bad that we laughed at this wretched creature of a human being. Yet we understand that his ultimate feelings come out of love. Isn't that something all these characters want/feel/need? And isn't it something we too can hope for and understand?
Obi (Email address withheld) writes:
I found Happiness deeply sad. It strikes me how awful life can be for lots of people who live seemingly average lives, but whose inner worlds are a mess of unfulfilled desires, unrealisable dreams and no ability to really be the people they want to be.
Terribly flawed characters all round but you feel sympathy for all of them, including even, the paedophile psychiatrist.
But. I also laughed hysterically at lots of scenes. God knows how they got it past the censors.
And any film that makes me laugh and feel unhappy at the same time, is I think genius.
If you like black comedy, don't miss this. I've seen it loads of times but never get tired of it.
Eytan Mirsky (eytanmirsky@hotmail.com) writes:
If you're all such big Solondz fans, you should know the connection between me and the still photo of Jane Addams at the top of this page.
Got it?
You should all buy my Cd's, too.
Take care.
Add your comments about Happiness [About]
|
