IMDb > Happiness (1998)
Happiness
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Happiness (1998) More at IMDbPro »

Videos (see all 3 NEW)
Happiness (1998) -- Three middle-class New Jersey sisters all have their problems with their families and sex lives.
Happiness (1998) -- ZuGuide.com - Trailer (Flash)
Happiness (1998) -- MyMovieScripts.com - Trailer (Flash)

Overview

User Rating:
7.8/10   25,173 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 3% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Todd Solondz
Writer:
Todd Solondz (writer)
Contact:
View company contact information for Happiness on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
16 October 1998 (USA) more
Genre:
Drama | Comedy more
Plot:
Three middle-class New Jersey sisters all have their problems with their families and sex lives. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 9 wins & 12 nominations more
User Comments:
A compelling watch, which will both amuse and seriously disturb more (468 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
Todd Solondz's Untitled (USA) (working title)
more
MPAA:
Rating surrendered; previously rated NC-17.
Runtime:
134 min | USA:141 min (DVD)
Country:
USA
Language:
English | Russian
Color:
Color
Sound Mix:
Dolby
Certification:
Canada:16+ (Quebec) | Canada:18A (British Columbia) | Canada:R (Alberta/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Singapore:R21 | Argentina:18 | Australia:MA (cable rating) | Australia:R (original rating) | Chile:18 | Finland:K-16 | France:-12 | Germany:16 | Hong Kong:III | Iceland:16 | Italy:VM18 | Netherlands:12 | New Zealand:R18 | Norway:15 | Portugal:M/18 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | UK:18 | USA:NC-17 (original rating: 1999) | USA:Open (rating surrendered: 1999)
Filming Locations:
New Jersey, USA
Company:
Good Machine more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Director Cameo: [Todd Solondz]as the doorman in Allen, Helen, and Kristina's building. more
Goofs:
Boom mic visible: When the police officers are sitting in Bill Maplewood's house. more
Quotes:
Bill: What Ronald Farber doesn't know is that it's not length that matters, it's width. more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Ken Park (2002) more
Soundtrack:
Concerto for Guitar in D Major more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
60 out of 70 people found the following comment useful.
A compelling watch, which will both amuse and seriously disturb, 3 April 2001
Author: neal (nosunset@hotmail.com) from lancashire England

Happiness - which centres around the lives of three sisters - Joy who's permanently unlucky in love, Helen a successful poet whose next door neighbour is obsessed with her and phones to explain this in graphic detail and finally there's Trish who has it all, a big house, a couple of kids and a successful psychiatrist husband who himself harbours uncontrollable urges.

The sisters are all somewhat fractured of mind - for example Lara Flyn Boyle's character plays an author suffering writers block bemoaning the fact that she wasn't abused as a child that could lend her work some authenticity - so she's delighted when she gets an obscene phone from a one of the many fat ugly sex obsessed dysfunctioning American neurotics that seem to be this seasons slim sexy movie star successes. Happiness manages to be truly provocative and also madly comical at one and the same time... for instance I never thought I could feel sympathy for a paedophile or a bloke making obscene phone calls but with tact and courage Happiness confronts these modern folk devils.

Happiness is anything but; as the characters lives intertwine in the search for happiness they find only loneliness, obsession and some serious psychological problems. In particular the psychiatrists story is remarkable with performances second to none as he tries to explain to his son about his paedophile tendencies.

Happiness explodes some of the fear related misconceptions showing that repression is the oppression of our generation... as if an open mind is just that. Open and willing for some perverted notion to crawl right in...

Directed by Todd Solondz Happiness is a slice of American life that isn't normally dealt with this honesty, making it a compelling watch, which will both amuse and seriously disturb for its two hours and fifteen minutes running time. Happiness is a must see.

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Happiness (1998)
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