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Happiness is a american film of genre Drama directed by Todd Solondz released in USA on 16 october 1998 with Jane Adams
Happiness (1998)
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Add to a movie listReleased in USA 16 october 1998
Length 2h14
Directed by Todd Solondz
OriginUSA
Themes Films about children, Films about families, Films about sexuality, Rape in fiction, Films about pedophilia
Rating76%
Happiness is a 1998 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Todd Solondz, that portrays the lives of three sisters, their families and those around them. The film was awarded the FIPRESCI Prize at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival for "its bold tracking of controversial contemporary themes, richly-layered subtext, and remarkable fluidity of visual style," and the cast received the National Board of Review award for best ensemble performance.
The film spawned the pseudo-sequel Life During Wartime which premiered at the 2009 Venice Film Festival.
Synopsis
Trish Maplewood, the eldest Jordan sister, is an upper middle class housewife happily married to psychiatrist Bill Maplewood and has three children. Unbeknownst to Trish, however, Bill is a pedophile who is obsessed with 11-year-old Johnny Grasso, a classmate of their son, Billy. When Johnny comes to the Jordan house for a sleepover, Bill drugs and rapes him. Later, Bill learns that another boy, Ronald Farber, is home alone while his parents are away in Europe. Under the guise of attending a PTA meeting, Bill drives to the boy's house and rapes him as well. After Johnny is taken to the hospital and found to have been sexually abused, the police arrive at the Maplewood residence to question Bill. After alerting his wife to the police presence, Bill begins by asking the two detectives, "You said something about Ronald Farber?" The two detectives, looking puzzled, say nothing. Bill then stammers, "I mean, Johnny Grasso." Out on bail, he tearfully admits to Billy that he "fucked" the boys, that he enjoyed it, and that he would do it again. When Billy asks, "Would you ever fuck me?", his father replies, "No... I jerk off instead.Actors
Jane Adams
(Joy Jordan)
Elizabeth Ashley
(Diane Freed)
Dylan Baker
(Bill Maplewood)
Lara Flynn Boyle
(Helen Jordan)
Ben Gazzara
(Lenny Jordan)
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Suggestions of similar film to Happiness
There are 167 films with the same actors, 8 films with the same director, 92962 with the same cinematographic genres (including 35 with exactly the same 4 genres than Happiness), 9964 films with the same themes (including 7 films with the same 5 themes than Happiness), to have finally 70 suggestions of similar films.If you liked Happiness, you will probably like those similar films :
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