Another Happy Day

Last updated
Another Happy Day
Another happy day poster.jpg
Teaser poster
Directed by Sam Levinson
Written bySam Levinson
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyIvan Strasburg
Edited byRay Hubley
Music by Ólafur Arnalds
Production
companies
  • Mandalay Vision
  • Taggart Productions
  • Cineric
  • Fimula Entertainment
  • New Mexico Media Partners
  • Prop Blast Films
Distributed by Phase 4 Films
Release dates
  • January 23, 2011 (2011-01-23)(Sundance)
  • November 18, 2011 (2011-11-18)(United States)
Running time
119 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$659,937 [1]

Another Happy Day is a 2011 American drama film written and directed by Sam Levinson, in his feature directorial debut. The film stars an ensemble cast including Ellen Barkin, Kate Bosworth, Ellen Burstyn, Thomas Haden Church, Jeffrey DeMunn, Siobhan Fallon Hogan, George Kennedy, Ezra Miller, Demi Moore, Diana Scarwid and Daniel Yelsky.

Contents

It had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 23, 2011. It was released on November 18, 2011, by Phase 4 Films.

Premise

When Lynn attempts to reunite with her estranged son at his wedding, it only serves to expose painful truths and family secrets.

Cast

Release

Another Happy Day was screened at the 27th Sundance Film Festival on January 23, 2011. [2] [3] The film also screened at South by Southwest on March 18, 2011; at the Woodstock Film Festival on September 23; at the Mill Valley Film Festival on October 12; and was given a limited release on November 18.

Critical reception

Another Happy Day holds 47% approval rating on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 34 reviews, with an average of 5.2/10. The site's critical consensus reads: "Another Happy Day features outstanding performances (Ellen Barkin's especially) but the characters are too unpleasant to endure." [4] On Metacritic, the film holds a rating of 46 out of 100, based on 18 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". [5]

Barkin received critical acclaim for her performance, with Gabe Toro of IndieWire writing that it was one of the best female performances of the year. [6] Chris Bumbray of JoBlo wrote: "A searing look at the modern family dynamic, and the way love and hate can be inter-changeable at times. Ellen Barkin is Oscar worthy". [7]

John DeFore of The Hollywood Reporter gave the film a positive review, writing: "Laugh-laced dark drama of family angst overcomes the hurdle of its wedding-weekend setting." [8] Leah Rozen of TheWrap also gave the film a positive review, writing: "Altmanesque in its sprawl and sympathetic attitude toward even its most flawed characters, Happy Day marks a mostly promising debut for director-writer Sam Levinson." [9]

Stephen Holden of The New York Times gave the film a negative review writing: "Both anguished and histrionic and in its strongest moments very, very good. But it is also overpopulated, strident and constitutionally unable to step back and scrutinize itself." [10] Moira McDonald of The Seattle Times also gave the film a negative review writing: "Another Happy Day becomes increasingly difficult to watch, despite its intelligence and strong cast. You wish this family well, but you're grateful to see the last of them." [11]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ellen Burstyn</span> American actress (born 1932)

Ellen Burstyn is an American actress. Known for her portrayals of complex women in dramas, she is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a Tony Award, and two Primetime Emmy Awards, making her one of the few performers to achieve the "Triple Crown of Acting". She has also received a BAFTA Award and a Golden Globe Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ellen Barkin</span> American actress (born 1954)

Ellen Rona Barkin is an American actress. Her breakthrough role was in the 1982 film Diner, and in the following years, she had starring roles in films such as Tender Mercies (1983), Eddie and the Cruisers (1983), The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984), The Big Easy (1986), Johnny Handsome, and Sea of Love.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sam Levinson</span> American filmmaker and actor (born 1985)

Samuel Levinson is an American filmmaker and actor. He is the son of Academy Award-winning director Barry Levinson. In 2010, he received his first writing credit as a co-writer for the action comedy film Operation: Endgame. The following year, he made his directorial film debut with Another Happy Day (2011), which premiered at Sundance Film Festival. He then received a writing credit on his father's HBO television film The Wizard of Lies (2017). He continued writing and directing for the feature films Assassination Nation (2018) and Malcolm & Marie (2021).

Michael Nardelli is an American actor and producer.

<i>Tusk</i> (2014 film) Body horror comedy film by Kevin Smith

Tusk is a 2014 American independent body horror comedy film written and directed by Kevin Smith, based on a story from his SModcast podcast. The film stars Michael Parks, Justin Long, Haley Joel Osment, Genesis Rodriguez, Lily-Rose Depp and Johnny Depp. The film is the first in Smith's planned True North trilogy, followed by Yoga Hosers (2016).

<i>Blind</i> (2014 film) 2014 film by Eskil Vogt

Blind is a 2014 Norwegian drama film written and directed by Eskil Vogt. The film premiered in-competition in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition at 2014 Sundance Film Festival on 19 January. Vogt received the Screenwriting Award for Blind at Sundance. The film was later screened in the Panorama section of the 64th Berlin International Film Festival, and was nominated for the 2014 Nordic Council Film Prize.

<i>The Age of Adaline</i> 2015 American film by Lee Toland Krieger

The Age of Adaline is a 2015 American romantic fantasy film directed by Lee Toland Krieger and written by J. Mills Goodloe and Salvador Paskowitz. The film stars Blake Lively as Adaline, with Michiel Huisman, Harrison Ford, Kathy Baker, Amanda Crew, and Ellen Burstyn. Narrated by Hugh Ross, the story follows Adaline Bowman, a young woman who stops aging following an accident at the age of twenty-nine.

<i>The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution</i> 2015 American film

The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution is a 2015 American documentary film directed and written by Stanley Nelson Jr. The film combines archival footage and interviews with surviving Panthers and FBI agents to tell the story of the revolutionary black organization the Black Panther Party. It is Nelson Jr.'s eighth film to premiere at Sundance. The film was pitched at Sheffield Doc/Fest's MeetMarket in 2014 and is the first of a three-part series of documentary films about African-American history America Revisited. It will be followed by Tell Them We Are Rising: The Story of Historically Black Colleges and Universities and The Slave Trade: Creating a New World.

<i>Wiener-Dog</i> (film) 2016 American film by Todd Solondz

Wiener-Dog is a 2016 American anthology comedy film directed and written by Todd Solondz. Starring an ensemble cast led by Ellen Burstyn, Kieran Culkin, Julie Delpy, Danny DeVito, Greta Gerwig, Tracy Letts, and Zosia Mamet, the film serves as a spin-off from Solondz's 1995 film Welcome to the Dollhouse, which also features the character of Dawn Wiener. The film is also inspired by the 1966 French drama Au hasard Balthazar, directed by Robert Bresson.

<i>Frank & Lola</i> 2016 American film

Frank & Lola is a 2016 American neo-noir erotic thriller film written and directed by Matthew Ross in his directorial debut, and starring Michael Shannon, Imogen Poots, Michael Nyqvist, Justin Long, Emmanuelle Devos and Rosanna Arquette.

<i>Nostalgia</i> (2018 film) 2018 film by Mark Pellington

Nostalgia is a 2018 American drama film directed by Mark Pellington. The screenplay, written by Alex Ross Perry, is based on a story by Perry and Pellington. The film stars an ensemble cast led by Jon Hamm, Catherine Keener, John Ortiz, Nick Offerman, James LeGros, Bruce Dern, and Ellen Burstyn. It revolves around the lives of several people who become connected through loss.

<i>The House of Tomorrow</i> (2017 film) American independent drama film

The House of Tomorrow is a 2017 American independent comedy-drama film written and directed by Peter Livolsi and starring Asa Butterfield and Alex Wolff. The film is based on Peter Bognanni's 2010 novel of the same name. It is Livolsi's directorial debut. Co-stars Ellen Burstyn and Nick Offerman served as executive producers of the film.

<i>The Tale</i> 2018 film by Jennifer Fox

The Tale is a 2018 American drama film written and directed by Jennifer Fox and starring Laura Dern, Ellen Burstyn, Jason Ritter, Elizabeth Debicki, Isabelle Nélisse, Common, Frances Conroy, and John Heard. It tells the story of Fox's own child sexual abuse and her coming to terms with it in her later life. It premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival and aired on HBO on May 26, 2018. In a 2023 interview with The New York Times, Fox revealed the identity of the man who abused her: Ted Nash, a two-time Olympic medalist in rowing and nine-time Olympic coach.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gordon Bijelonic</span> American film producer

Gordon Bijelonic is a Serbian/American film producer known for the feature films Laggies and Kid Cannabis, and for his work as a senior executive at One Race Films. He also produces 3D documentaries for the IMAX theatre venues.

<i>Queen Bees</i> (film) 2021 film by Michael Lembeck

Queen Bees is a 2021 American romantic comedy film directed by Michael Lembeck. It features an ensemble cast, including Ellen Burstyn, James Caan, Ann-Margret, Christopher Lloyd, Jane Curtin, Loretta Devine, and Elizabeth Mitchell. It was released on June 11, 2021, by Gravitas Ventures, and received mixed reviews from critics. Screenwriter Donald Martin was nominated for a 2022 Humanitas Prize for his screenplay.

<i>Clemency</i> (film) 2019 film

Clemency is a 2019 American drama film written and directed by Chinonye Chukwu. It stars Alfre Woodard, Richard Schiff, Danielle Brooks, Michael O'Neill, Richard Gunn, Wendell Pierce, and Aldis Hodge. The plot follows the lives of prison warden Bernadine Williams (Woodard) and death row inmate Anthony Woods (Hodge).

<i>Hala</i> (film) 2019 film

Hala is a 2019 American drama film written and directed by Minhal Baig. The film was screened in the U.S. Dramatic Competition section at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival, and was released in a limited theatrical release on November 22, 2019, followed by digital streaming on December 6, 2019, by Apple TV+. The film received generally positive reviews. It is based on a previous short film by Baig made in 2016 by the same name.

<i>Possessor</i> (film) 2020 film directed by Brandon Cronenberg

Possessor is a 2020 science fiction psychological horror film written and directed by Brandon Cronenberg. It stars Andrea Riseborough and Christopher Abbott, with Rossif Sutherland, Tuppence Middleton, Sean Bean, and Jennifer Jason Leigh in supporting roles. Riseborough portrays an assassin who performs her assignments through possessing the bodies of other individuals, but finds herself fighting to control the body of her current host (Abbott).

<i>Jumbo</i> (2020 film) 2020 film

Jumbo is a 2020 drama film written and directed by Zoé Wittock in her feature directorial debut. An international co-production of France, Belgium and Luxembourg, the film stars Noémie Merlant, Emmanuelle Bercot, Bastien Bouillon and Sam Louwyck.

<i>The Exorcist: Believer</i> 2023 film by David Gordon Green

The Exorcist: Believer is a 2023 American supernatural horror film directed by David Gordon Green, who co-wrote the screenplay with Peter Sattler from a story by Scott Teems, Danny McBride, and Green. The sixth installment in The Exorcist franchise, it serves as a direct sequel to The Exorcist (1973). The film stars Leslie Odom Jr., Lidya Jewett, Olivia O‘Neill in her film debut, Jennifer Nettles, Norbert Leo Butz, and Ann Dowd. Ellen Burstyn and Linda Blair reprise their roles from the original film. Its plot follows a photographer who must confront the nadir of evil when his daughter and her best friend are possessed.

References

  1. "Another Happy Day". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved July 7, 2020.
  2. Jay A. Fernandez; Daniel Miller (January 29, 2011). "Sundance: 2011 Festival Award Winners". The Hollywood Reporter blog Risky Business. Retrieved February 4, 2011.
  3. Fernandez, Jay A. (May 11, 2011). "'Another Happy Day' U.S. Rights Sold to Phase 4 Films". The Hollywood Reporter .
  4. "Another Happy Day". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango . Retrieved October 7, 2021.
  5. Another Happy Day at Metacritic OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  6. Toro, Gabe (November 15, 2011). "Review: 'Another Happy Day' Features One Of The Year's Best Female Performances By Ellen Barkin". IndieWire . Retrieved July 7, 2020.
  7. Bumbray, Chris (February 3, 2011). "REVIEW: ANOTHER HAPPY DAY (SUNDANCE)". JoBlo.com . Retrieved July 7, 2020.
  8. DeFore, John (November 23, 2011). "Another Happy Day: Sundance Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
  9. Rozen, Leah (November 3, 2011). "Review: 'Another Happy Day' = Another Unhappy, Weepy Wedding". TheWrap . Retrieved July 7, 2020.
  10. Holden, Stephen (November 17, 2011). "Down the Aisle, Laden With Family Baggage". The New York Times . Retrieved July 7, 2020.
  11. McDonald, Moira (November 23, 2011). "'Another Happy Day' smart but, finally, tiresome". The Seattle Times . Retrieved July 7, 2020.