The Happys

Last updated

The Happys
TheHappysPoster.jpg
Film poster
Directed byTom Gould and John Serpe
Written byTom Gould and John Serpe
Produced byWill Bethencourt
Dave O'Brien
Morgan R. Stiff
StarringAmanda Bauer
Jack DePew
Janeane Garofalo
Melissa McBride
Rhys Ward
Arturo Del Puerto
CinematographyPhilips Shum
Edited byTerel Gibson
Music by Pat Sansone
Distributed byIndican Pictures [1]
Release dates
Running time
87 minutes
CountryU.S.
LanguageEnglish

The Happys is an American narrative film written and directed by Tom Gould and John Serpe, commercially released in 2018 after screening at a dozen film festivals in the United States, winning the Alternative Spirit Award at Rhode Island International Film Festival, [2] the Best Narrative Feature award at the Durango Independent Film Festival, [3] the Audience Award at the Anchorage International Film Festival, [4] and a nomination for the Best Feature Award at the Naperville Independent Film Festival in Naperville, Illinois. [5] The movie's public premiere took place in California on March 16, 2018. [6]

Contents

Plot

A midwestern boyfriend and girlfriend move to California so that the young man may pursue a career as an actor. The young woman walks in on her boyfriend when he is having an affair with another man. After that, they face challenges in their careers and personal lives as the young woman seeks her own direction, with the friendship and support of eclectic neighbors in their neighborhood, Los Feliz (which roughly translates to "The Happys"). [7]

Cast

Production

When Gould and Serpe completed the script of The Happys, Gould sent the script to Garofalo and met her for coffee, and she agreed to play Luann [11] even though Garofalo saw the character as completely dissimilar to herself. [12] In March 2015, a crowdfunding campaign was created to raise funds for the film's production costs. [13] When crowdfunding was under way, Garofalo allowed her name to be used in promotion and made jewelry to help raise funds. [11] At the close of the crowdfunding campaign, $73,620 had been raised by 619 contributors. [13] The Happys was filmed in Los Angeles, with principal photography completed in April 2015, and post-production finalized in July 2016.

Release

The Happys premiered in August 2016 at the Rhode Island International Film Festival, where the film won the Alternative Spirit Award. [2] In October 2016, The Happys was an official selection in Taste of Film program at the MiFo Outshine Film Festival in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. [14] In November 2016, The Happys was an official selection at the St. Louis International Film Festival, in St. Louis, Missouri, [15] and the Reedy Reels Film Festival in Greenville, South Carolina. [16] At the Anchorage International Film Festival in December 2016, The Happys won the Audience Award. [4]

In February 2017, The Happys was an official LBGTQ films selection at the Oxford Film Festival in Oxford, Mississippi, [17] and an official selection at the Sedona International Film Festival in Sedona, Arizona. [18] In March 2017, The Happys was awarded the Best Narrative Feature award at the Durango Independent Film Festival, Durango, Colorado, [3] and was an official selection at the Green Mountain Film Festival in Montpelier, Vermont. [19]

In April 2017, The Happys was an official selection at the Julien Dubuque International Film Festival in Dubuque, Iowa, [20] and at the Phoenix Film Festival in Scottsdale, Arizona. [21] The Happys was nominated for the Best Feature Award in September 2017 at the Naperville Independent Film Festival in Naperville, Illinois. [5]

The theatrical premiere of The Happys took place on March 16, 2018 in California. [22] [23]

Critical reception

Responding to festival screenings of The Happys, critics called the movie "one ironically fun film about what it means to be happy" [24] that "jumps fearlessly into its subject matter." [25] Variety described The Happys as a "middling work," [26] The Hollywood Reporter wrote that it is a "quirky, insiderish L.A. dramedy," [27] the Los Angeles Times said it was "a cutesy classic Hollywood tale adapted for modern times," [6] and The Advocate called The Happys "charming and thoughtful." [12]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1996 MTV Movie Awards</span> Slate of American film awards

The 1996 MTV Movie Awards was hosted by Ben Stiller and Janeane Garofalo.

<i>The Majority Report with Sam Seder</i> Left-wing podcast

The Majority Report with Sam Seder is a left wing, progressive internet talk radio program and podcast hosted by Sam Seder. The program focuses on the discussion of current events and political affairs from a social democratic, democratic socialist and progressive standpoint; to this end, comedy and satire are used from time to time to make key points. Originally airing on the Air America radio network, from March 2004 until July 2006 the show was hosted by Janeane Garofalo; Garofalo was reportedly originally asked by Air America to host the program and suggested Seder as a co-host.

<i>The Ben Stiller Show</i> American television series 1990-1993

The Ben Stiller Show is an American sketch comedy series starring Ben Stiller that aired in two iterations, the first series airing six episodes on MTV in 1990, and the second series airing 12 episodes on Fox from September 27, 1992, to January 17, 1993, with a 13th episode airing in 1995 on Comedy Central. The Fox version also starred Andy Dick, Janeane Garofalo and Bob Odenkirk. Character actor John F. O'Donohue also appeared in every episode.

<i>The Truth About Cats & Dogs</i> 1996 film by Michael Lehmann

The Truth About Cats & Dogs is a 1996 American romantic comedy film directed by Michael Lehmann and written by Audrey Wells. It stars Janeane Garofalo, Uma Thurman, Ben Chaplin and Jamie Foxx. The story is a modern reinterpretation of the 1897 Cyrano de Bergerac story and follows Abby, a veterinarian and radio talk show host who asks her model friend Noelle to impersonate her when a handsome man shows interest in her. The original music score was composed by Howard Shore. Upon its release, the film garnered positive reviews and was met with considerable box office success.

<i>Steal This Movie!</i> 2000 American film

Steal This Movie! is a 2000 American biographical film directed by Robert Greenwald and written by Bruce Graham, based on the 1976 book To America with Love: Letters From the Underground by Anita and Abbie Hoffman and the 1992 book Abbie Hoffman: American Rebel by Marty Jezer. The film follows 1960s radical figure Abbie Hoffman, and stars Vincent D'Onofrio and Janeane Garofalo, with Jeanne Tripplehorn and Kevin Pollak.

<i>Manhood</i> (film) 2003 American film

Manhood is a 2003 American comedy-drama film directed by Bobby Roth and starring Néstor Carbonell, John Ritter and Janeane Garofalo. It is a sequel to Jack the Dog (2001) and is also the final film starring Ritter to be released in his lifetime.

<i>The Matchmaker</i> (1997 film) 1997 American film

The Matchmaker is a 1997 American romantic comedy film starring Janeane Garofalo.

<i>Jiminy Glick in Lalawood</i> 2004 American film

Jiminy Glick in Lalawood is a 2004 American comedy film starring Martin Short as Jiminy Glick, a morbidly obese movie critic who is involved in a murder case at the Toronto International Film Festival. The supporting cast features Jan Hooks, Matthew Gray Gubler, Linda Cardellini, Mo Collins and Aries Spears, and numerous cinema luminaries play themselves, such as Willem Dafoe, Whoopi Goldberg, Jake Gyllenhaal, Kevin Kline, Rob Lowe, Steve Martin, Kurt Russell, Susan Sarandon, Chloë Sevigny, Sharon Stone, Kiefer Sutherland and Forest Whitaker.

<i>The Search for John Gissing</i> 2001 film by Mike Binder

The Search for John Gissing is a 2001 comedy film written and directed by Mike Binder, produced by Jack Binder, and starring Alan Rickman, Janeane Garofalo, and Mike Binder, set in London. The film won Best Picture at the 2002 Sarasota Film Festival.

<i>The Laramie Project</i> (film) 2002 American film

The Laramie Project is a 2002 drama film written and directed by Moisés Kaufman and starring Nestor Carbonell, Christina Ricci, Dylan Baker, Terry Kinney, and Lou Ann Wright. Based on the play of the same name, the film tells the story of the aftermath of the 1998 murder of Matthew Shepard in Laramie, Wyoming. It premiered at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival and was first broadcast on HBO in March 2002.

<i>Bye Bye Love</i> (film) 1995 American film

Bye Bye Love is a 1995 American romantic comedy film that deals with the central issue of divorce. It was directed by Sam Weisman and written by Gary David Goldberg and Brad Hall. It stars Matthew Modine, Randy Quaid, Paul Reiser, Janeane Garofalo, Amy Brenneman, Eliza Dushku, Rob Reiner, Amber Benson, and Lindsay Crouse. Production costs were heavily underwritten by McDonald's product placement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicolas Wright</span> Canadian actor (born 1982)

Nicolas Wright is a Canadian actor. Wright has performed on stage, television and film. In 2004, he received the "most promising newcomer" award at the Just for Laughs film festival in Montreal for his short film, Toutouffe. His credits include Hatley High (2003), Superstorm (2007), The Wild Hunt (2008), Afghan Luke (2011), and Independence Day: Resurgence (2016). He was nominated for an ACTRA Montreal Award for outstanding male performance for his acting in the movie White House Down (2013).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Janeane Garofalo</span> American comedian and actress (born 1964)

Janeane Garofalo is an American comedian, actress, and former co-host on Air America Radio's The Majority Report.

<i>One Small Hitch</i> 2012 film by John Burgess

One Small Hitch is a 2012 American romantic comedy film directed by John Burgess and written by Dode B. Levenson. Shane McRae stars as Josh Shiffman, who learns that his father is dying and his only regret is that he will not get to meet the woman who will one day become his son's wife. Desperate to fulfill his dad's final wish, Josh claims that he already met that woman, Molly Mahoney, who is played by Aubrey Dollar.

Art Star Scene Studios or ASS Studios as it is commonly referred to as, is an American independent Motion Picture Studio founded by Courtney Fathom Sell & Reverend Jen Miller in 2011.

<i>Little Boxes</i> (film) 2016 American film

Little Boxes is a 2016 American independent dramedy film, directed by Rob Meyer and written by Annie Howell. It stars Melanie Lynskey, Nelsan Ellis, Armani Jackson, Oona Laurence, Janeane Garofalo, and Christine Taylor. The film had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 15, 2016. It was released theatrically in the United States on April 14, 2017 by Gunpowder & Sky, receiving generally positive reviews.

<i>Red</i> (2016 film) 2016 United Kingdom, Germany film

Red is a short dark thriller set in the underground world of illegal organ smuggling, the so-called red market. It's the directing debut of Branko Tomovic who is probably best known in the US for playing Jack Bauer's sidekick in the recent "24: Live Another Day" series and stars British actress Francesca Fowler with the acclaimed Irish actress Dervla Kirwan as the sadistic and cruel crime boss.

<i>Score: A Film Music Documentary</i> 2016 American film

Score: A Film Music Documentary is a 2016 American documentary film directed by Matt Schrader about film scores, featuring Hans Zimmer, Danny Elfman, John Williams, Quincy Jones, Rachel Portman, Trent Reznor, and others. The film was released theatrically by Gravitas Ventures on June 16, 2017, and on Blu-ray and download on September 5, 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anchorage International Film Festival</span> Film festival

The Anchorage International Film Festival(AIFF) is the largest film festival in Alaska. It is held annually in Anchorage. It's slogan is "Films Worth Freezing For." In 2023, Moviemaker Magazine named the Anchorage International Film Festival one of the 25 Coolest Film Festivals in the World

<i>Evening Shadows</i> 2018 film

Evening Shadows is a 2018 Indian Hindi-language drama film directed by Sridhar Rangayan. The film stars Mona Ambegaonkar, Ananth Narayan Mahadevan, Devansh Doshi, Arpit Chaudhary, Yamini Singh, Abhay Kulkarni, Veena Nair, Kala Ramnathan, Disha Thakur, Sushant Divgikar and Faredoon Bhujwala.

References

  1. ↑ "Happys, The". Indican Pictures. Retrieved 12 March 2018.
  2. 1 2 "RIIFF Awards - 2016 Film Festival Award Winners Announced". Rhode Island International Film Festival . Retrieved 7 March 2018.
  3. 1 2 "Congratulations to our 2017 Festival Winners!". Durango Independent Film Festival. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
  4. 1 2 "Films Worth Freezing For". Anchorage International Film Festival. Retrieved 7 March 2017.
  5. 1 2 "Our Nominees and Award Recipients". Naperville Independent Film Festival. Retrieved 9 March 2018.
  6. 1 2 Walsh, Katie (15 March 2018). "Lightweight comedy 'The Happys' lives the Los Feliz dream, sort of". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved 16 March 2018.
  7. ↑ Erbland, Kate (23 November 2016). "Making It in Hollywood Takes An Unexpected Turn in Charming Festival Favorite". IndieWire . Retrieved 7 March 2018.
  8. 1 2 Sneider, Jeff (4 August 2015). "Amanda Bauer, Jack DePew Join 'Walking Dead,' 'Wet Hot' Stars in 'The Happys'". The Wrap . Retrieved 9 March 2018.
  9. ↑ Owens, Steve (8 February 2018). "Walking Dead Actor Explodes Onscreen in ... "The Happys"". Entertainment World. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
  10. ↑ Sneider, Jeff (30 July 2015). "'The Returned' Star Rhys Ward Lands a Lead Role in Indie Movie 'The Happys'". The Wrap . Retrieved 7 March 2018.
  11. 1 2 Parker, Melissa (1 March 2018). "Janeane Garofalo Interview: "There's Nothing Really Anyone Could Say to Penetrate Not Just Trump but the Republican Party"". Smashing Interviews.
  12. 1 2 Anderson-Minshall, Diane (16 March 2018). "Janeane Garofalo Is Still the Voice of My Generation". The Advocate . Retrieved 16 March 2018.
  13. 1 2 Serpe, John (8 March 2015). "THE HAPPYS: a feature film with Janeane Garofalo". Indiegogo . Retrieved 12 March 2018.
  14. ↑ "A Taste of Film". MiFo Outshine Film Festival. Retrieved 9 March 2018.
  15. ↑ "The Happys - Schedule". St. Louis International Film Festival . Retrieved 9 March 2018.
  16. ↑ Hyde, Paul (2 November 2016). "Preview: Reedy Reels Film Fest moves to Peace Center". Greenville News. Retrieved 9 March 2018.
  17. ↑ "LGBTQ Films". Oxford Film Festival 2017. Retrieved 9 March 2018.
  18. ↑ "Festival Programme". 23rd Sedona International Film Festival . Retrieved 9 March 2018.
  19. ↑ "Festival Program and Schedule". 20th Annual Green Mountain Film Festival . Retrieved 9 March 2018.
  20. ↑ "Feature Films". Julien Dubuque International Film Festival. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
  21. ↑ "Saturday, April 8 - The Happys". 2017 Phoenix Film Festival. Retrieved 9 March 2018.
  22. ↑ Billington, Alex (27 February 2018). "First Trailer for LA Indie Comedy 'The Happys' Starring Amanda Bauer". FirstShowing. Retrieved 9 March 2018.
  23. ↑ Crust, Kevin (11 March 2018). "L.A. movie openings, March 16" . Retrieved 11 March 2018.
  24. ↑ Tronicek, Stephen (9 November 2016). "SLIFF 2016 Review – The Happys". We Are Movie Geeks. Retrieved 9 March 2018.
  25. ↑ Lutack, Rachel (31 August 2016). "Movie Review - 'The Happys'". mxdwn. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
  26. ↑ Schager, Nick (12 March 2018). "Film Review: 'The Happys'". Variety . Retrieved 12 March 2018.
  27. ↑ Scheck, Frank (19 March 2018). "'The Happys': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved 19 March 2018.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.