Rating: 
Summary: Disturbingly Good
Review: Happiness combines a brilliant cameo by Jon Lovitz, with one of Phillip Seymour Hoffman's most memerable roles, to become a masterpiece of dark comedy that will make you squirm.
Rating:
Summary: A shocker - harder and much better to "American Beauty"
Review: "Happiness" tells the story of about twelve characters all looking for happiness, especially three sisters. Joy (Jane Adams) is a single, average, not very attractive but very nice and sensitive woman, employed in a software company. When she manages to find a boyfriend (a Russian thief), she believes she just found love and happiness but the trouble begins. Helen (Lara Flynn Boyle, "Twin Peaks", "Men in Black 2"), just published a useless novel. She has too many boyfriends, which means she doesn't have any. She's aware of the meaninglessness of her life and believes she just found happiness when her neighbor, a sick man, insults her on the phone. Trish (Cynthia Stevenson, "The Player") is married to an average American man, with a situation. She believes she's happy, with the ideal family, but she doesn't know that her husband is fond of little boys...
Their father is more reasonable: when his doctor tells him he's gonna live until he's a hundred years old, with the condition of staying away from salt, he just adds more salt in his meals, in order to make his life shorter...With this third long feature, Todd Solondz, an independent and iconoclast American writer-director, slowly and carefully destroys the goldened image of the average family, not only in the U.S. The result is a real shocker, trashy, hilarious and highly, disturbly realistic. What Sam Mendes (along with his screenwriter, Alan Ball) only suggested in "American Beauty", Todd Solondz shows it straight (uncomfort, hypocrisy, vice and vanity in life, especially inside families), dealing with [sexual situations] without putting gloves on. This leads to the hilarious and unstandable scene where the father confesses in front of his son that he's a pervert. Many people compared "Happiness" to "American Beauty", talking about it as a hard version; but they forgot or didn't know that "Happiness" was filmed and released one year before. So actually, "American Beauty", it's "Happiness" in a soft, sweet way. I even suspect Alan Ball for having taken "Happiness" and based upon it to write a gentle version. The casting is very ecclectic. Dylan Baker and Philip Seymour Hoffman are great as nutcases, Camryn Manheim is very good, and Ben Gazzara, who used to be one of Cassavetes' favorite actors, gets involved in Solondz's universe the most ideal way. With this film, Solondz can easily be compared to Tarantino and "Pulp Fiction" from his many portraits and his way to go from one character to another, with talent, competence and control. "American Beauty", with Dreamworks behind, its cast of stars and a bunch of Oscars, still doesn't have the strength of Cannes International Film Festival acclaimed (and prized) "Happiness", which is about to be a classic. An incredible shocker and a rarer and rarer piece of American cinema work. Some people should see it to understand the world. Very, very special.
Rating: 
Summary: Very uncomfortable and disturbingly accurate movie
Review: "Happiness" is not a movie for everyone by any means. Personally I thought it was occasionally hilarious, brutally honest about the private lives of unhappy people, and frequently painful to watch. The director goes for maximum discomfort in many scenes which really make you squirm in your seat. If you consider yourself an optimist than this movie might seem stomach-turning and exaggerated and pointlessly misanthropic, and you might understandably despise it. I myself could definitely relate to the characters who are unable to escape the cycle of prolonged periods of self-loathing punctuated by moments of brief relief (although I have no desire to make obscene phone calls or prey on young boys). There are four loosely related storylines in "Happiness". The most memorable one looks at a suburban dad who harbors secret fantasies about prepubescent boys. The striking thing is that the man is presented sympathetically -- he is sick, he knows he's sick, but he has nowhere to turn for help. Even though his actions are repugnant, I still ended up feeling sorry for the man himself. I thought the treatment of the issue was effective and not too apologetic for the man's proclivities; child abusers are rightly reviled by society, but the movie reminds you that the taboo is so strong that there is no place for potential offenders to turn. The focus with sex criminals is punishing them after the fact, but are there any outlets where such people can privately seek help before they succumb to their urges? If there aren't, perhaps there should be. The other subplots follow a chronic masturbator, a down-on-her-luck woman who is mistreated throughout the movie in ways that straddle the knife-edge between cruelty and humor, and an older couple whose marraige is dissolving. Maybe it's just me, but I thought Ben Gazzara was scene-stealingly funny as the stoic retiree who just wants to be alone. Anyway, this is a worthwhile movie to see if you are not automatically turned off by the inner lives of desperate people. The uncomfortable scenes force you to think about happiness itself: what is it, who deserves it, and how do I go about getting it anyway?
Rating:
Summary: this film is good
Review: i rarely post reviews of films, but after reading the nonsense put up by others i felt i needed to comment. this film is very good, effective filmmaking. is the subject matter often difficult to watch? yes. are the people in the story abusive to themselves and each other? yes. does that mean the film is laughing at them or their actions? of course not. one of the main problems most people seem to have is separating what they're watching from how it's portrayed. this movie is a very non-judgemental look at various people who are anything but happy (get it, the title's IRONIC, perhaps even SARCASTIC). when i say non-judgemental, i mean the movie doesn't really give us any clues as to how we are supposed to feel about what we're watching, and frankly some of it is pretty horrific (internally speaking anyway - nobody is disembowelled, nor do we see any pediafillia). however, as a film it is very effective in evoking a response. i would say this movie has a definite, almost rigid morality to it, as all of the characters are pretty much in a hell of their own creation. if you like challenging films and filmmaking, this is a great movie. if you like tv and simple answers, rent a disney movie.
Rating: 
Summary: NC-17 and why?
Review: First off let's ask the question why NC-17? I can understand why this is NOT for children and your bible thumping do-gooders but, to give it a NC-17 is very misleading. NOTE: THERE IS NO CHILD MOLESTATION VISUALS (this was the vague reviews and misleading rating that made me hesitant to watch it in the first place). Having already watched Solondz previous film WELCOME TO THE DOLL HOUSE, I already had a taste of his style. I won't explain the plot because it already has been done, plus I'm too lazy. Although the movie wasn't as good as I was hoping it would be it's worth watching. But to clearify things for those who think it may be to visauly taboo for there taste, it's really not. the NC-17 was probably given for the subject matter and not it's visuals.
Rating:
Summary: great film
Review: if there were more films like Happiness perhaps the world would be a better place
Rating:
Summary: Made me feel uncomfortable...
Review: I think everyone should be subjected to this film. It is in your face from the get go. This subject matter exists in America and viewing this movie forces the audience to acknowledge the fact. I suggest getting the "Non-rated" version.
Rating:
Summary: Not exactly a date movie!
Review: Just watched "Happiness" on video minutes ago and feel compelled to comment. Firstly, let me stress that in no way, shape or form is this a date movie! Do not let the cartoon cover lull you into a false sense of security! This film is rated "R" with a bullet! It contains confronting adult situations and observant dialogue that veers wildly from depressing to hilarious. Good cast - I recognized Philip Seymour Hoffman ("Almost Famous", "Boogie Nights") and Camryn Manheim ("Romy & Michele's High School Reunion"). I thought that this film was original and it's 140 minute running time did not drag at all. Well worth the rental but not for the squeamish. "Welcome To The Dollhouse" is also brilliant.
Rating:
Summary: Shocking, Disgusting & Unforgettable
Review: Rarely does a film leave me speechless. This one did. I'll never forget my thoughts as I watched it..."Man, this movie is so F'ed up!". It is the subject matter that I found hard to take in but it was also the same subject matter that made it difficult to press stop. I had to know how it ended. I gave this movie 4 stars because after the initial shock I started to feel cynical about Todd Solondz motives for making this film. After all just because a film takes risks and is shocking doesn't mean it should receive 5 Stars like others have given it. It is not a five star movie anyway, I struggle giving it 4 I should give it 3. There's a good reason why it is rated NC-17, it is truly not for immature kids under 18 years of age. I would recommend it to people who can handle caustic subject matter such as this but if you can't go rent E.T. or something. A truly F'ed up film and you will feel dirty after viewing it. :()~~~~~X
Rating:
Summary: Daring and original perspective
Review: How can a film that contains essentially very little nudity(if any that I can recall) and no outstanding violence still be rated NC-17? The answer to that question was unimaginable until I saw this very interesting approach. Todd Solondz goes overboard with shock in this lengthy and twisted comedy-drama. If you find yourself laughing at this film and then you feel guilty about it you are not alone. I stayed up one night until 2:30am attached to this film. It is horribly depressing and none of the characters are remotely likable but you relate to them nonetheless and eventually they manage to win you over. This film sticks in your head and is NC-17 for a reason. It takes a pedophile and a sexually harassing office worker (played brilliantly by Philip Seymour Hoffman) and it allows you to see a side of them that is just like yourself. You will find yourself relating to characters you hate and then you will find yourself feeling sorry for them. This film does something to the subconscious that can only be explained as disturbing. Solondz is one of my new favorite filmmakers.
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