
Happiness
1998, Comedy/Drama, 2h 19m
47 Reviews 25,000+ RatingsWhat to know
critics consensus
Happiness is far from a cheerful viewing experience, but its grimly humorous script and fearless performances produce a perversely moving search for humanity within everyday depravity. Read critic reviews
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Happiness Photos
Movie Info
This dark ensemble-comedy is centered on the three Jordan sisters. Joy (Jane Adams) moves through lackluster jobs with no sense of purpose. Now employed teaching adults, she is dating a student, Russian taxi-driver Vlad (Jared Harris). Helen (Lara Flynn Boyle) is an esteemed poet who becomes amused by her perverted neighbor, Allen (Philip Seymour Hoffman). And eldest sister Trish (Cynthia Stevenson) is married to Bill (Dylan Baker), a psychiatrist with a very disturbing secret life.
Cast & Crew
Jane Adams
Joy Jordan
Joy Jordan
Dylan Baker
Bill Maplewood
Bill Maplewood
Lara Flynn Boyle
Helen Jordan
Helen Jordan
Ben Gazzara
Lenny Jordan
Lenny Jordan
Jared Harris
Vlad
Vlad
Philip Seymour Hoffman
Allen
Allen
Critic Reviews for Happiness
Audience Reviews for Happiness
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Jun 20, 2015super funny tale all interconnected through the lives of three sisters. Some cringe worthy and memorable lines. Hoffman's part's hilarious!Sanity Assassin ! Super Reviewer
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Jul 08, 2013"Happiness" sure is an experience. It's an ensemble movie about miserable (and often terrible) people who are searching desperately to find ways to not be so sad anymore. I found it to be too long and didn't like the jumps in tonal extremes. I also felt that some of the stories are far less interesting than others (and the more interesting ones are also the most revolting). Still, with a great cast and engaging dialogue, it may be worth watching. Just make sure to take a shower after.Sam B Super Reviewer
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Jun 05, 2013Probably one of the most unconfortable movies ever made, Happiness is still an amazingly well crafted dark comedy with plenty of laughs and memorable moments. The super clean, steady cinematography with the bright/boring colors of the american suburbs works wonders to create the right tone for these depressing characters, with very few likeable ones that you can't connect to. It's not asking you to sympathize with these sexual perverts but by giving them some sort of humanization even on excruciating moments, is what sets it apart from all it's peers, never giving you an easy answer in the process.Francisco G Super Reviewer
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Apr 03, 2013Happiness is an intensely dark and depressing comedy-drama that pulls no punches in terms of its grim story and despicable characters. Every single character has problems of some kind, and many of them exhibit genuinely disturbing behavior. The movie follows seven or eight characters with stories that intersect often. These characters range from a judgmental stay-at-home mom to a psychiatrist/father/pedophile to a desperate but lonely pervert. The two characters that are by far the most interesting (and the creepiest) are the pedophile, played by Dylan Baker, and the pervert, played perfectly by Philip Seymour Hoffman. Somehow, both characters are given enough humanity that you actually sympathize with them to a certain degree. The entire movie is filled with disgusting people involved in depressing situations in the pursuit of happiness, and needless to say there isn't a single happy thing that happens in the movie. It's definitely too dark and too heavy for a casual viewer, but if you can handle the controversial topics that Happiness explores, then you might find yourself enjoying it. Just don't expect to feel at all happy when it's over, because this is as much of a downer as a comedy can be.Joey S Super Reviewer
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