Happiness Runs

Fantastic movie... if you've experienced countercultures. If you haven't, you might not get it. This film makes no effort to bring in uninformed audience members. (In sharp contrast to Saving Private Ryan, where a war journalist character, for our sake, knows nothing about war.)

It's human nature to compete and/or differentiate ourselves. This commune homogenizes everything, removing traditional channels of competition and expression. (I've lived in a town like that!) If this film had shown character development, it would have been forced and faked. What it does explore is how how self expression prevails, albeit in a warped and perverted form, despite these constraints. It's a very interesting film.

I enjoyed this film. It gave a pretty good view of what it is like growing up in a cult. The confusion and power structures were really well explored in this movie. I cant believe it only has a rating of 4.9, that is far far lower than the rating this movie deserves.

The focus of the movie centers on the youngsters involved in a cult, whose inhabitants are tucked away in what could be anywhere in middle America. The acting is superb considering their age. There is a nice magic realism type feeling to this that rings true. I recommend it for anyone wanting a teenager's view on growing up in a cult.

Victor (Mark L. Young) is a young man growing up in a hippie commune. His mother (Andie MacDowell) gives all of her fortune to the group led by guru Insley (Rutger Hauer). Victor has a crush on the sexual Becky (Hanna Hall). She hangs out with Chad (Jesse Plemons) doing and selling drugs. Jake and others are also pushing into the drug trade. Victor wants to take Becky away from the chaos.

This indie has three good young actors. Mark L. Young is a fine lead. Hanna Hall has a dangerous charismatic sexuality. Jesse Plemons has a great edge to him. He's not overly menacing but he has an interior explosiveness. With these and other solid actors, writer/director Adam Sherman needs to construct a narrative and cohesive story around them. The rambling chaos takes over and the movie functionally fails.

This is possibly one of the worst movies I have ever seen. I rented it because Strand Releasing usually has some interesting movies. I can not believe they optioned this piece of junk. The story is about some kid living in a commune who wants to get out. The protagonist is not even likable, wearing the same look on his face throughout the movie. The gratuitous nudity starts at the beginning of the credits and does not stop. The massive amounts of drug scenes are so unbelievable as are the scenes with Jack Danials and beers when all the character's are looking for money. Andie McDowall was in another movie. This is the reason why Indie films are so hard to get made. This was just a culmination of stupid dream sequences, stupid characters and horrible acting.

Utopia becomes Dystrophy.

Free love becomes sex without meaning or commitment.

Drugs become a means of not insight and enlightenment, but of dulling the daily grind of meaninglessness.

The Commune, the group, becomes isolated loneliness. You all say you are together, but without meaning, commitment, or attachment, you are alone in a crowd.

Reality becomes someone else reality, and your own disconnect from reality.

This is not a comedy. This is not an action movie. This is not a Hollywood blockbuster. This is a dark gritty drama, and if you like that sort of thing, which I do on occasion, then you will like this movie. But ...no... it is not for everyone, and absolute not for the 'blockbuster' crowd.

This is grim cold reality. The movie does not have a lot of highs and lows, though there are certainly moments of drama. I guess one could call it a "Slice of Life", but as mentioned, it is a grim empty life wearing the cloak of Utopia.

Excellent job by the lead character - Mark L. Young as Victor. He conveys the desperateness and detachment of Victor very convincingly. And very good jobs by the supporting characters. On acting alone this movie is worth a look. I expect powerful things from Mark Young in the future.

So, whether this movie is for you, only you can tell. If you like the dark and gritty, and something off the mainstream, then you will be satisfied. But if you are locked into 'blockbusters' and 'teen sex romp comedies', I feel this movie will be a bit too grim for you.