Happiness

“don’t worry, joy. i’m not laughing at you. i’m laughing with you.”“but i’m not laughing” tw: r@pedoes true happiness always come at the expense of others or is the american working class so riddled with selfishness that happiness is unachievable? every character in this film has something that would supposedly make another character complete; however, if they lived their lives, they would ultimately find something else to envy. kristina’s subplot sticks out to me the most. she is a sweet, charming, unattractive woman but she becomes a victim of sexual assault. she is emotionally distraught and wishes the encounter never happened. then, there’s helen, who is experiencing the worst thing ever… writers block. she openly admits to wishing she could have been molested as a child so she could be “authentic” as a writer. despite being beautiful, rich, and successful, she wishes she could experience arguably the worst possible thing a child could go through, in the name of being a good writer. this is just one instance of many people in this film acting out of self-involvement, jealousy, and complete disregard for anyone who has been through REAL struggles. on the flip side, there are characters who commit disgusting, perverted acts just to feel the tiniest bit of joy, despite it being at the expense of innocent people. allen, a lonely, middle-aged man, calls women and sexually harasses them to get off. he understands what he is doing is wrong but continues to carry out his revolting acts. although bill is a father of three and has a nice job, he harbors a terrible secret. i’m not gonna get into this subplot much, as it is the most revolting… but his actions leave two children traumatized for life and his community distraught. after being caught, he shares a very awkward conversation with his son and admits he would do it again if he could, likely because he just can’t help himself. even when they are told to their face that they are being terrible… even when they recognize their actions are disgusting… they ignore it. they may feel remorse or apologize but at the end of the day, they’re still the same fucked up people. todd solondz is my favorite director because he is not afraid to show the contradictions and horrors of middle class america. although welcome to the dollhouse is my personal favorite, happiness is truly his magnum opus, highlighting his ability to take terrible people committing terrible acts of selfishness and turn it into fucked up comedy. the tone of this film is unlike any other. instead of depicting these issues in a dramatic, serious way, it is presented as a comedy, making for an uncomfortable yet humorous look into suburbia.