Happily is different enough to keep you intrigued, but asks a lot of the audience in the interpretation, which can be a good thing.
“After 14 years of marriage, Tom (Joel McHale) and Janet (Kerry Bishé) still can’t keep their hands of each other. When they discover their friends are resentful of their constant public displays of affection, the couple starts to question the loyalty of everyone around them. Then, a visit from a mysterious stranger (Stephen Root) thrusts them into an existential crisis, leading to a dead body, a lot of questions, and a very tense couples’ vacation in this dark romantic comedy.”
Happily opens at a party in which married couple Tom and Janet make it no secret of how in love they are with one another, even after 14 years of marriage, by slipping off to have sex in an empty room. With their friends creeped out by their relationship, they finally confront the couple about it, basically telling them how weird it is to be so happy with one another, and uninviting them to a couples’ retreat they were supposed to go on. Before Tom and Janet have much time to reflect on this revelation, they receive a visit by a strange man in a suit, who tell them that they aren’t ‘normal’ and don’t experience the diminishing returns that all other people do, especially when it comes to their relationship. Inside a case he has brought with him are two syringes filled with glowing liquid, which he claims will fix them and make them be like everyone else. Not wanting to lose her source of constant happiness, Janet bashes the visitor in the head, and the two bury the body. The next day, they are called by their friends and re-invited to the couples’ retreat, raising suspicions that one of them may have something to do with the mysterious visitor, and they agree to go, unraveling a deeper mystery as they go.
If that sounds a bit strange, you’re not alone. The film explores different views of healthy relationships and people’s expectation of them. While Tom and Janet are very much in love after a long period of time, people around them for some reason have a problem with that, mainly because they see happiness in them that they don’t have in their relationships, and because of that, they have to tear it down. The strange visitor and mysterious syringes could just be used as a metaphor, for a lot of things honestly, like the apple that Eve eats in the Garden of Eden. They are tempted with money, and the acceptance of their peers by fitting in with everyone else. As much as you want answers to the strange things happening around them, the strange visitor, and his final end game, you come to find out that it doesn’t matter all that much, but boils down to the fact that humans are horrible creatures. The ending may not satisfy a lot of people, but if you examine the deeper meaning behind it all and what it means to you, it can be rather thought provoking.
Happily has a great cast attached to it, and while it isn’t a grandiose film by any means, taking place in only a few locations, everyone is able to play off of each other’s characters nicely in a very organic way. Although the couples are very diverse, they all fall prey to one common denominator: unhappiness, which infects them all as they feel the need to spread it to others. With the majority of the film taking place in a house with these five couples, there are some very interesting sequences that explore the nature of healthy, unhealthy, and very unhealthy relationships, which these actors are all able to embody brilliantly.
Saban Films produces some hit-or-miss films. They’ve done extremely well in the horror genre, releasing some genuinely good content. As far as some of their other genres go, it really depends on the taste of the viewer, but this foray into dark comedy is a welcome introduction. The film really does succeed at presenting a thought-provoking film that leaves the majority up to interpretation. But, if you’re someone who wants everything tied up in a nice bow and gifted to you, this won’t be the film for you. Questions aren’t answered, and really not much happens, but for me, the existential exploration of happiness and relationships was enough to hold my interest and keep me thinking about its ramifications the next day.
Video
Happily is presented on DVD only in Standard Definition Widescreen. You get what you expect with DVD, which I believe hurts the accessibility of the film to a wider audience. The set does come with a Digital Code, so if you purchase this film, that’s the best way to watch this to see it in High Definition.
Audio
The audio is presented in Dolby Audio on the DVD. This track sounds good, with a nice balance between the surrounds and center channel, as the majority of this film’s track will be in the form of dialogue from the center channel.
Special Features
The only benefit to having this on DVD is the inclusion of the Director’s Commentary, which can really open up questions about the film and its meaning.
- Director’s Commentary
Happily is a very strange film, strange enough to keep you thinking about its meaning long after you watch it. It’s not for everyone, and while you may be interpreting the meaning yourself, it’s thought provocation makes it an interesting watch. Worth checking out if you have some spare time free of distractions.
