Another Happy Day (2011)

I was blown away by this movie when I first saw it a few years ago. It's one of my all time favorite movies, one that I can go back and watch repeatedly and enjoy it every time. Ellen Barkin is so amazing in this movie, it makes you wonder why she doesn't get more great acting roles these days like this one. Of all her movies I've seen, this is by far my favorite. This was the first performance of Ezra Miller that I had ever seen, from his character's dialogue at the beginning of the movie I could tell I was going to like him and his character. I can't imagine this movie now without him. He is a very talented actor especially for being so young. The performance that really surprised me and blew me away was that of Kate Bosworth. Her character in this is like nothing she as ever played before. She is great in her other roles, but she really shines in this playing a character like Alice, that is very insecure, wounded, and very fragile. She is definitely not a one dimensional actress and can play all kinds of roles. I think this movie deserves a much higher rating and much more respect from the critics. It shows you that you shouldn't always hold so much stock in the reviews and ratings of professional movie critics.

What a surprise this was. Wasn't expecting much, due to mixed reception, but immediately I realized this is not only a drama, it's a dark comedy, and added that to the description here at IMDb. The title "Another happy day" is completely ironical, something I can see some reviewers of this really haven't grasped. There's simply no happiness here.It's a story about an extremely dysfunctional family, the Helmans (as in Hell mans) and it's tragic, this family event, which makes everything come to the surface. This is a comedy filled with black humor, mixed with life tragedies and lots if irony, which obviously many must have had problems in understanding. Maybe you've got to know a dysfunctional family to appreciate this film, or even be a part of it. The film is a gathering if most common problems which may occur in lives, though it might be a big much since everything herd is within a family.Drug abuse, depression, self destructive behavior, therapy, domestic violence, alcoholism, difficult parents-children relations, adultery, Alzheimer's, neighboring conflicts, family secrets, suicidal tendencies... It's all here. The film resembles a couple of other tragic comic family disasters I've seen, like "Festen" ("The Celebration"), August: Osage County" and "Cabin fever"/("Når nettene blir lange"), "In bed with Santa"/("Tomten er far til alla barnen") and even "Hotel New Hampshire" though I haven't seen the latter since it came out. Well I tend to enjoy these kinds of tragedy portrays, and this is up among them.Maybe not great to watch either, if you're right in a family crises, if you don't then find this comforting. Someone always got it worse. Anyway, this is beautifully acted, not only by Ellen Barkin, which is perfect in a tragedy like this, but by the whole ensemble. I simply wax blown away by Ezra Miller and Kate Bosworth, Ellen Burstyn is as always great. I completely enjoyed the play with differences in a big family.The film is greatly summed up in the son Elliot asking the bartender to give him three scotch whiskeys. The bartender asks "How old are you?" before getting this answer: -I'm 17. This is my family, and this is Hell! The bartender serving the three drinks without any hesitation.Lovely dark comedy!

Actually on top form. Which begs the question, why isn't she playing more and bigger roles? It's quite interesting seeing her play this tough role and she is very convincing. She has a stellar cast of amazing people around her. And while I do understand that some people might have issues with the characters on display here, this was exactly the point of the movie. I guess many thought this was a comedy, but it isn't. It's a drama and if you accept that from the start, you might enjoy watching the movie a lot more.Sometimes you are in tune with others who vote here and sometimes, like with this film it seems you aren't. The story is great and I was feeling with the main character the whole time. Family gatherings are not easy. Watching this isn't easy either. Although a lot easier than some other movies I recently watched. Give it a try (but rent first before buying)

An absolutely emotionally drenching film highlighting dysfunction at its worst.By the way, George Kennedy is ailing through most of the film and is practically at death's door. Yet, he is able to go to his grandson's wedding? Come on.Ellen Barkin is the emotionally draining woman whose second husband makes the expression opposites attract most appropriate. Ezra Miller steals the show as the emotionally draining Elliot, her son from her second marriage. Intelligent but beset by problems leading to drug use and smoking, he spends much of the film in verbal outbursts with his mother. Both make excellent use of the four-letter word constantly and it's downright disgusting.Ellen Burstyn is in top form as the matriarch of this brood. She whines and bemoans the fact of what is going on.Thomas Haden Church plays Barkin's first husband who brought up their son Dylan, who is now getting married. His second wife is a memorable Demi Moore who is volatile and has a scene stealing scene with Barkin in the lady's room.This is a film of intense frustration, but yet predictable. Of course, family tragedy at the very end, may very well bring on stability.