With the indie film movement booming during the ‘90s, movies that were strange, thought-provoking, and experimental gained big audiences and critical acclaim. One of the directors who received that push and attention was Todd Solondz, a filmmaker known for his dark and satirical comedies, like Welcome To The Dollhouse, Storytelling, Palindromes, and Life During Wartime. And one of his films of note is Happiness, which was released in 1998 and just received the Criterion Collection treatment with two editions: A Blu-ray and a 4K Ultra HD with Blu-ray combo.
Joy is trying to cope with suicide of her ex-boyfriend Andy (A League of Their Own, High School High), played by Jon Lovitz, who killed himself just after she broke up with him, while a Russian taxi driver named Vlad, played by Jared Harris (Igby Goes Down, Dead Man), takes advantage of her mental state. Helen deals with an unfulfilled life as a successful author and the object of affection for many men — especially from local sad sack Allen, played by Philip Seymour Hoffman (The Master, Capote), who spends his days at a soul-sucking office job and evenings sexually harassing random women over the phone.
Meanwhile, Trish is a happy mother and wife, but oblivious and blind to the sexual desires of her husband, Bill Maplewood, played by Dylan Baker (Spider-Man 2, Revolutionary Road), and sexual awakening of her teenage boy, Timmy, played by Justin Elven — who has one of the best (if not, the best) last lines in movies. The sisters’ parents are also living unfulfilled and unrealized lives.
All of the characters are trying to define their own happiness, as they struggle to be understood in the pursuit of it. While the film has its fair share of degenerate people, like perverts and pedophiles, Solondz’s does a remarkable job humanizing them — even almost sympathizing with them. It’s a tough thing to balance, especially since some of the characters are just flat out terrible people. But, Happiness is a satire of American life (at least the type of American life you watch on TV sitcoms), while some might think it’s an endorsement of depraved lifestyles.
This is definitely the type of movie that wouldn’t be made today, especially for a filmmaker coming off the heels of such a box office and critical success like Welcome To The Dollhouse. However, Solondz, not only created such an in-depth, detailed, and darkly funny film, but also a snapshot of indie filmmaking of the era.
As for the release itself, the film comes with Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD picture quality — which is worth picking up since Happiness only lived on VHS and DVD. The bonus features are few with a trailer and exclusive interviews with actor Dylan Baker and a conversion with filmmakers Charlotte Wells (Aftersun) and Solondz about the legacy of Happiness after more than 25 years since its release. Both video extras are insightful and provide context for the film and how it was made.
Although it’s Todd Solondz’s best film, Happiness isn’t for everyone. For that matter, Todd Solondz might not be everyone in general. It’s for those who have an open-mind to its themes and characters. Moreover, its audacious point-of-view and filmmaking are something you don’t come across everyday — even in today’s arthouse cinema landscape.
