H is for Happiness is a 2019 Australian family film directed by John Sheedy, written by Lisa Hoppe, and starring Daisy Axon, Wesley Patten, Richard Roxburgh, Emma Booth, Joel Jackson, Deborah Mailman, Miriam Margolyes, Alessandra Tognini.
| H is for Happiness | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Theatrical movie poster | |
| Directed by |
|
| Written by | Lisa Hoppe |
| Based on | My Life as an Alphabet by Barry Jonsberg |
| Produced by | Julie Ryan Tenille Kennedy Lisa Hoppe |
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Bonnie Elliott |
| Edited by | Johanna Scott |
| Music by | Nerida Tyson-Chew |
Production companies | Cyan Films The Koop Screen Australia ScreenWest Film Victoria Melbourne International Film Festival Premiere |
| Distributed by | R & R Films for Universal Pictures |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 103 minutes |
| Country | Australia |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $142,855 |
Premise
editA twelve-year-old girl with boundless optimism and a unique view of the world is inspired by the strange new boy at school and sets out to mend her broken family – whatever it takes.[1]
Cast
edit- Daisy Axon as Candice Phee
- Wesley Patten as Douglas Benson
- Richard Roxburgh as Jim Phee
- Emma Booth as Claire Phee
- Miriam Margolyes as Miss Bamford
- Joel Jackson as Rich Uncle Brian
- Deborah Mailman as Penelope Benson
Production
editThe script is based on the Australian young adult novel My Life as an Alphabet, by Barry Jonsberg, with the screenplay written by Lisa Hoppe.[2]
The film was shot in Albany, Western Australia from 12 November 2018 to 21 December 2018.[3]
Release
editThe film premiered at the Melbourne International Film Festival, where it won second place in the audience awards, and also screened at the Perth Festival.[4] It was distributed by R & R Films for Universal Pictures.[4][5]
Reception
editReview aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported that 77% of critics reviewed the film positively, with an average score of 6.7/10, based on 31 reviews. The site's critical consensus reads, "A feel-good family film that's as visually vibrant as its sunny outlook, H Is for Happiness finds a universal message in its young protagonist's journey".[6]
Alissa Simon of Variety said that the film, "Provides feel-good entertainment for the entire family without pandering – and definitely without sacrificing style or substance".[7] David Stratton wrote, "What could have been trite and mawkish turns out to be really rather engaging".[8]
Dov Kornits of Filmink called the film, "incredibly generous hearted, embracing the rich, the poor, the normal, the damaged, the eccentric, the humanity in equal measure".[9]
Andrew F. Peirce of The Curb said, "I can say with complete certainty that I have not smiled this hard after a film in a very long time."[10]
Conversely, Paul Byrnes of the Sydney Morning Herald argued, "Sheedy never finds the right tone for this ambitious project. Candice's florid language is great on paper, one of the main attractions of the book, but it's almost impossible to translate to the screen."[11]
Leigh Paatsch of the Herald Sun said, "Some nice work does continually surface during H is for Happiness, but so too do its niggling inconsistencies. A less-is-more approach might have been the better way to go."[12]
Box office
editBox office sales were disappointing on its opening weekend, taking only A$96,000 across 158 screens; it was outdone in its pre-release screenings, taking A$117,000.[4]
References
edit- ^ "H is for Happiness". IMDb.
- ^ "THEATRICAL RELEASE: H is for Happiness". FilmInk. 17 January 2020. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
- ^ Fielding, Ashleigh (3 January 2019). "It's a wrap for Happiness". Great Southern Weekender. Retrieved 26 February 2020.
- ^ a b c Groves, Don (10 February 2020). "Little joy for 'H is for Happiness' opening weekend". IF Magazine. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
- ^ "Cinema". R&R FILMS. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
- ^ "H Is for Happiness". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
- ^ Simon, Alissa (23 February 2020). "'H is for Happiness': Film Review". Variety. Retrieved 26 February 2020.
- ^ Stratton, David (7 February 2020). "David Stratton has 'rarely seen a film this powerful'". The Australian. Retrieved 26 February 2020.
- ^ Kornits, Dov (28 January 2020). "H is for Happiness". Filmink. Retrieved 26 February 2020.
- ^ Peirce, Andrew (4 September 2019). "H IS FOR HAPPINESS CINEFEST OZ REVIEW – AN IMMEDIATE AUSTRALIAN CLASSIC". The Curb. Retrieved 26 February 2020.
- ^ Byrnes, Paul (5 February 2020). "Smiles wear thin in new Australian film H is for Happiness". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 26 February 2020.
- ^ Paatsch, Leigh (6 February 2020). "H IS FOR HAPPINESS? A IS FOR AVERAGE". Herald Sun (Australia). Retrieved 26 February 2020.