H Is for Happiness

All too often we watch movies and come out feeling heavy, angsty and drained. This is movie that is the polar opposite - it replenishes, uplifts and puts a smile on your face - and a little warmth in your heart.

It blends: fantasy, quirkiness, wonderfully saturated cinematography and an evocative score that transports you away from your reality - whilst grounding you gently in the reality that is life.

Favourite scene has to be the final on-stage performance. It was a master-stroke and left me laughing and crying.

This movie CHANGED MY LIFE. wow. the twists and turns were so unexpectedly amazing and smart. candace played an important roll of a moody but amazing girl changing through her life in middle school. and don't even get me started on DOUGLAS BENSON FROM ANOTHER DIMENSION. 100% my absolute FAVOURITE character. i was sitting in the movie cinema with no thought of what was to come from this movie. but every little detail brightened up my day. not ever did i think i would get out of bed to see "H is for happiness." i think the plot was amazing. although some parts were a tad weird it really did brighten up the movie for me. thank you so much for creating this tremendously beautiful movie it changed me in so many ways for what's to come in the future.

I seldom enjoy Australian films. This one was quite decent. It's certainly not a 9/10 or 10/10 like the other reviews suggest, but I also didn't regret watching it.

Candice Phee is an outspoken 13 year old who gets ridiculed by the rest of the class especially mean girl Jen Marshall. Despite her aggressive happiness, her home life is dysfunctional. Her mother is depressed after the death of Candice's baby sister three years earlier. Her father is angry at his rich brother whom he believes to have stolen his great idea. New kid Douglas Benson believes that he's from another dimension and falls for Candice right away. Their wonky-eyed teacher assigns the class project Life as an Alphabet.

This is cute. I don't recognize any of the actors although Emma Booth seems familiar. The kids are newcomers. Daisy Axon has the eagerness even if she's unpolished. The acting is generally fine with good sincerity. The story is a little over-stuffed. It seems every character has a story in this movie. This is cute, sweet, and sincere. The filmmaking is good. With so many things going on, the emotional arc gets a bit muddled but the sweetness is never far away. That has a lot to do with little Daisy.

It's a new kind of Parent Trap! Candice does not fit in with the other kids, she's very literal and loves school. People call her odd. Douglas is also odd. Meeting him inspires her to try something miraculous- to reunite her grieving family and get her parents back together. A huge adventure that starts with meeting the new kid and getting a new homework assignment! This is a cute family comedy!

Parents should know that there is a family death that's central to the storyline as well as a lot of bullying around special needs. For more parent info, check out our full review on down the hobbit hole blog dot com. Based on the popular Australian YA Book- My Life as an Alphabet (released in the US as The Categorical Universe of Candice Phee). It's a great movie/book combo for 10+! A dramedy with a lot of heart!