Happy Endings (film)
| Happy Endings | |
|---|---|
|
Promotional poster | |
| Directed by | Don Roos |
| Produced by |
Michael Paseornek Holly Wiersma |
| Written by | Don Roos |
| Starring |
Tom Arnold Jesse Bradford Bobby Cannavale Steve Coogan Laura Dern Maggie Gyllenhaal Lisa Kudrow Jason Ritter |
| Cinematography | Clark Mathis |
| Edited by | David Codron |
| Distributed by | Lions Gate Entertainment |
Release dates | July 29, 2005 |
Running time | 128 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $1,311,633[1] |
Happy Endings is a 2005 American film written and directed by Don Roos and starring Tom Arnold, Jesse Bradford, Bobby Cannavale, Steve Coogan, Laura Dern, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Lisa Kudrow and Jason Ritter.
The expression "happy ending" is a colloquial term for the practice of a masseuse offering sexual release to a client.
Plot
The film follows a diverse group of mostly middle-class Los Angelenos through the emotional ups and downs in their flawed yet very human lives, each loosely connected to each other through a restaurant.
In the first story, Mamie (Lisa Kudrow) reluctantly agrees to work with a would-be young filmmaker (Jesse Bradford) in order to locate the now grown son she secretly gave up for adoption after becoming pregnant from her stepbrother Charley (Steve Coogan) – who is later revealed to be gay – 19 years earlier.
In the second story arc, her stepbrother, and his domestic partner, Gil (David Sutcliffe), are deciding whether or not to confront their friends, a lesbian couple (Laura Dern and Sarah Clarke), regarding the paternity of their son.
And in the third, a young man, Otis (Jason Ritter), is involved with a band and trying to keep his father, Frank (Tom Arnold), from learning that he is gay, while also dealing with the seemingly gold-digging woman, Jude (Maggie Gyllenhaal), who inserts herself into their lives.
Cast
- Lisa Kudrow as Mamie Toll
- Steve Coogan as Charley Peppitone
- Tom Arnold as Frank McKee
- Jason Ritter as Otis McKee
- Maggie Gyllenhaal as Jude
- Bobby Cannavale as Javier Duran
- Jesse Bradford as Nicky Kunitz
- David Sutcliffe as Gil Palmer
- Laura Dern as Pam Ferris
- Sarah Clarke as Diane
- Johnny Galecki as Miles (uncredited)
Production
Director Don Roos wrote the part of Mamie expressly for Lisa Kudrow after directing her in his earlier film, The Opposite of Sex, which he also wrote.[2] Originally, the story concerned three sisters.[3] Maggie Gyllenhaal was not the first choice to play Jude. Gwyneth Paltrow was originally slated to play the part. Gyllenhaal does her own singing in the film. Ray Liotta turned down the role of Frank McKee.
It took 18 months to find financial backing for the production.[4]
Reception
Happy Endings received mixed reviews from critics. Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a 54% rating from 106 critics.
Awards and honors
Happy Endings received nominations for:[5]
- 2006 Independent Spirit Award for "Best Supporting Female" – Maggie Gyllenhaal
- 2005 Satellite Awards
- for "Outstanding Actor in a Supporting Role, Comedy or Musical" – Tom Arnold
- for "Outstanding Actor in a Supporting Role, Comedy or Musical" – Steve Coogan
- for "Outstanding Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical"
- for "Outstanding Screenplay, Original" – Don Roos
See also
- Hyperlink cinema – the film style of using multiple inter-connected story lines
References
Notes
- ↑ "Happy Endings (2005) - Money". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
- ↑ InterviewsResults
- ↑ "Don Roos returns with "Happy Endings"". nwsource.com. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
- ↑ Happy Endings DVD commentary, Don Ross
- ↑ "Awards" on IMDb.com
External links
- Official website
- Happy Endings at the Internet Movie Database
- Happy Endings at AllMovie
- Happy Endings at the TCM Movie Database
- Happy Endings at Rotten Tomatoes
- Happy Endings at Metacritic