Posted: 07/19/2005

Happy Endings

(2005)

by Anna Keizer

Are we punished for the secrets we keep when it comes to love and sex? According to Happy Endings, it certainly seems so. In this ensemble flick, we weave in and out of the lives of about a dozen characters, glimpsing into the peculiarities of their relationships with one another. Yet only those who finally reveal the lies that have bound them for years, perhaps even decades, are able to find a resolution and peace in their lives.

Apparently all of the characters in Happy Endings are messed up when it comes to love. Some have sex with their step-brothers; others have it with their future step-sons. Some are so scarred by sexual incidents that they get vasectomies at the age of twenty-one, while others who lack any real sexual experience instead get off to videotapes of their employers. It all sounds very sordid, doesn’t it? Yet the film pulls off the delicate balance of giving all the characters adequate screen time so that these unusual traits come off as just facets of a personality, not sick sexual quirks. Moreover, details are revealed at precisely the right moment, so that neither are we too confused by what’s going on or bored because we guessed the next twist twenty minutes ago.

The film’s strength, however, lies absolutely in its outstanding ensemble cast. Heading up the group is Lisa Kudrow as Mamie, a thirty-something woman whose closest relationship is with her masseur turned lover. When confronted with a secret from her past, she literally has no one else to turn to for help except this man. Kudrow is magnificent as a woman who has gotten very good with keeping people at a distance. Although some might look at her only intimate relationship as somewhat pathetic, Mamie wouldn’t have it any other way. With distance comes the comfort of not having to reveal herself to anyone. Until her secret literally shows up on her doorstep one day, Mamie had been able to maintain a life of anonymity, shielding her from a painful past.

Just as dynamic is Maggie Gyllenhaal, playing the carefree twenty-something, Jude. Jude is the definition of selfish, although in the most endearing way possible. She goes through life, pleasing any whim that might entertain her thoughts, regardless of whether it might cause pain or humiliation to others. Then she meets Frank. Initially eying this man as an easy conquest, Jude’s expectations are thrown when she actually falls for him. Bringing an understated but brilliant dignity to his role, Tom Arnold portrays Frank as a man with not only a big checkbook but also a huge capacity for love. Heart-broken by his wife’s death years ago, Frank has gone through a series of women in the last ten years, lavishing money on them in the hopes that he would receive some affection in return. When he first meets Jude, you cringe, expecting this poor schmuck to be taken for everything he’s got. In the end, though, Jude suffers the most significant battle scars.

I really could go on and on. No one in this film is a weak link. Although the film keeps moving from plotline to plotline, each actor nevertheless gives his or her character a depth that is rarely found in most ensemble films. Usually one or two stories are short-ended, and thus weaken the film as a whole. Happily, that is not the case with Happy Endings.

As mentioned before, this film is full of secrets. Some small, most huge. Now this isn’t exactly a negative here, but the film makes clear that the characters who voluntarily come clean are the ones who end up the happiest. It would really, well suck, if I gave away any of the endings, but there it is. A few keep their little lies to themselves, but make no mistake that these people continue to live a bitter, lonely existence. I said that this isn’t necessarily a negative, if only because it’s a kind of encouragement to just be yourself, live honestly and f*%k anyone who doesn’t like it. I definitely agree with that sentiment, but in the film it comes off as just a smudge preachy. And too simple. There are plenty of people who are absolutely honest about their lives, and they’re still miserable. I happen to know a couple myself.

But I digress. The written inter-titles that we get periodically throughout the film also bring it down- just a bit. They’re funny, yes, but completely unnecessary. Sure, I laughed when I read “He’s gay now. Who isn’t?” Or when one of the characters gets hit by a car, the audience is reassured with “She’s not dead.” Great. I’m so glad. Really, though, what I was thinking every time one of these explanations popped up was that the director, Don Roos, must not trust his audience- or his cast- for that matter. If he did, he would then realize that his actors are magnificent, and the film doesn’t need kitschy inter-titles to guide the audience along. We haven’t all been dumbed down by the mass-marketed crap that’s usually thrown to us. Give us a chance to think for ourselves. It’s good exercise.

So… what am I saying here? Happy Endings made me feel happy in the end. I guess that’s the most important thing here. I was riveted to each story, each character, each development. This film is a welcomed break from the summer blockbusters that are out in full swing right now. If you want to see quality acting and compelling, intelligent storylines, Happy Endings will not disappoint.

Anna Keizer is a film critic in Los Angeles.

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