Another Happy Day

Definitely worth seeing. Watched it tonight, bottle of wine, low expectations, as I hadn't heard of the film at all....full of great acting, good script, believable characters, some fine comedic moments and very touching at times. Mind you, with Ellens Barkin and Burstyn in it, it must have something going for it, don't you think? Both wonderful, and also great to see George Kennedy, too. The young actor playing Elliot is definitely one to watch, too. I can't believe that this film is rated a 5 out of 10, given some of the garbage I've seen lately. Watch this - you wont be disappointed. I hope. Some comments say the characters aren't believable. I beg to differ.

"Another Happy Day" is an independent/low budget film from newcomer director Sam Levinson that focuses on a middle aged woman Lynn (Ellen Barkin) and her incredibly troubled family coming together for her eldest son's wedding.

The family ties here are quite complicated; Lynn has three sons and a daughter. Dylan, the groom and her eldest son was mostly raised by ex- husband Paul (Thomas Haden Church) and conniving second wife Patty (Demi Moore), Lynn's daughter with Paul is Alice (introduced halfway in the film by Kate Bosworth), who was raised by Lynn and is suicidal and prone to self harm. The younger sons are chronic drug addict Elliot (Ezra Miller) and an Asperger's sufferer Ben (Daniel Yelsky). It doesn't stop there, Lynn has two unbearable sisters you want to strangle (Diana Scarwid, Siobhan Fallonn Hogan) and her mother (Ellen Burstyn), as proper and respectable as she is, lacks any warmth or support for her daughter.

The film is a depressing and an emotionally draining experience. At times it is almost unbearable especially in Lynn's position as everyone around her is either against her or verbally and mentally attacking her to shreds. Burstyn's character makes a point one night of "Why ME!?" , as she reflects on the deterioration of her husband, but the audience's sympathy should be applied to Lynn, she is continually on the verge of a major breakdown but continues to pay no attention to how bad her state is and tries to soldiers on in this "joyous" family occasion.

Despite the film's miserable tone throughout and the lack of any resolution in the end, the film offers fantastic performances all around. In particular Ellen Barkin as the lead is simply stunning and should be recognized for her work here, her career has somewhat stalled in the last 10 years but hopefully with this performance and her recent Tony win we can see more performances of this caliber in the future. Another standout is the very engaging performance of Ezra Miller who plays the son from hell in another 2011 film this year (We Need to Talk About Kevin), and we shall hopefully see a lot more of him in the future. Ellen Burstyn was her usual wonderful self, her scene in the kitchen late at night with Barkin is incredibly intense and realistic, she take your breath away. Kate Bosworth, Demi Moore (a real bitch in this) and Thomas Haden Church are also at their best. Gloomy film, but wonderful cast, and recommended.

Lynn (Ellen Barkin) is coming back to the family home with his sons Elliot (Ezra Miller) and Ben (Daniel Yelsky) Her eldest son Dylan (Michael Nardelli) is getting married. Her daughter Alice (Kate Bosworth) is also coming. She's a fragile mess. Elliot is a cynical trouble maker who causes havoc. Lynn struggles with her parents (Ellen Burstyn, George Kennedy), her sisters (Siobhan Fallon, Diana Scarwid), her ex-husband (Thomas Haden Church) and his second wife Patty (Demi Moore).

This is Sam Levinson's directorial debut and a writer as well. The cast list is very impressive. That may have something to do with the fact that Sam is the son of Barry Levinson. The great actors do some big performances here. Besides the big names, Ezra Miller also gives a good performance. However the whole movie is a chaotic mess of excessive drama with too many characters. More is not always better. The amateur directions never really allow the film to settle down and find a member of this family that we can root for.

At the time of writing this review 308 users have given a weighted average vote of 4.9. Note that 92 voters gave a 10 and 39 voters gave a 1. That indicates Another Happy Day must be a controversial movie. Let me add that it is a controversial quality movie. You may or may not like the story, if you don't then view this movie as a demonstration of good acting. Ellen Barkin is superb. And then there is Ellen Burstyn, at first I did not recognize her ( excellent make-up job ) but Doris and Sarah Goldfarb in Requiem for a Dream are both played by Ellen Burstyn. Demi Moore plays the part of a woman you should instantly hate and she does that very well. I simply forgot she was 'Demi Moore'. - I don't want to say much about the movie except this line, as I remember it. "I got upset because they called me autistic while I am only diagnosed as bipolar." - "Did they say that while you were there?" - "No, but I have exceptionally well hearing, I can hear frequencies as low as 20 Hertz."

I went into the Savannah Film Festival screening of this film not really expecting much. Of all the movies I saw at the film festival, this one resonated with me the most, and came closest to my heart.

Sam Levinson has woven a dark dramedy of epic proportions as Lynn (Oscar-worthy performance by Ellen Barkin) drives her two sons to her mother's house for the eldest son's wedding. Through it all the audience witnesses the public and private meltdowns and sentimentality's of this flawed, and deeply human family.

From Lynn's confrontation of her divorcé husband (Thomas Haden Church), to her drug-addled, caustic-mouthed son Elliot's (genius performance from Ezra Miller) flirtation with grandpa's meds, to catty quips from Lynn's sisters, past trauma, guilt, and resentment flow onto the screen. What rises from this fertile emotional landscape are frightening moments, and hysterically funny scenes. For the audience it's an event, but Lynn and her boys it's just 'Another Happy Day.'

Humor is the pallet cleanser for this hearty cinematic meal. The viewer fears for Elliot's life after he nearly OD's on the bathroom floor; then breaks into hysterics as Elliot tries to hide his blue lips with mom's rouge, the following morning. It's all so funny, and so smart. You will be cry as much from laughing as you will from the sorrowful scenes.

Performances cut deep with their stark realism. From Ellen Barkin's Lynn, Ezra Miller's Elliot, Ellen Burstyn's Doris, down to 14 year old Daniel Yelsky's Ben - someone is going to get an Oscar nomination here. And if not, then the critics aren't ready for Levinson's dark blend of laughs and tears.

Highly recommended: 9 out of 10.