Happiness (1998)

Australian Premiere – 4K Restoration

‘The entire cast … is stunningly solid and brave [and] Solondz’s writing and direction [is] first-rate. This is a daring film.’ – Margaret Pomeranz, The Movie Show

In suburban New Jersey, successful novelist Helen (Lara Flynn Boyle) becomes fixated with the obscene unsolicited phone calls she receives from neighbour Allen (Philip Seymour Hoffman); her sister Joy (Jane Adams) naively believes in the inherent goodness of people but is treated badly by nearly everyone she encounters; and their clean-cut brother-in-law, psychiatrist Bill (Dylan Baker), plays the role of devoted father and husband while harbouring the darkest of secrets.

Todd Solondz pushed black comedy to its limits with this wince-inducing portrait of the sickness at the heart of turn-of-the-millennium white-picket-fence America, which was nominated for Best Screenplay at the Golden Globes and took home awards at Cannes and Toronto. Building an unforgettable melange of wretched yet perversely relatable characters, Happiness is a miserable love letter to humanity at its most abject.

Introduced by Lexi Freiman at Ritz Cinemas and Magic Steven at Lido Cinemas.

Rating

R18+

Duration

134 min

Country

United States

Language

English

Cast

Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jane Adams, Elizabeth Ashley, Dylan Baker, Lara Flynn Boyle, Ben Gazzara, Jared Harris, Louise Lasser, Jon Lovitz, Camryn Manheim, Rufus Read, CYNTHIA STEVENSON

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