1998 film directed by
Todd Solondz. There isn't a single happy thing in this movie. Like
Welcome to the Dollhouse, Solondz's last film, Happiness is harsh, and cringe-inducing. It tells the story of three sisters: One is married to a
pedophile; another dates men who use her; and the third is carrying on a phonesex relationship with a
crank caller.
To quote a friend, the film is unrelenting. Solondz portrays the pedophile character as an otherwise normal guy who happens to enjoy drugging and raping his son's friends, and it's torture to watch -- it would have been easier if the guy had been some kind of greasy, disfigured monster.
A notable feature of the film is its depiction of semen -- I've never seen so much outside of a porn flick. Philip Seymour Hoffman plays a sweaty, twisted pervert who calls up women on the phone while masturbating and verballly abuses them. (After ejaculating, he hangs up and sticks pieces of paper to his wall with his spooge.) When he gets one of the sisters on the phone, she turns out to enjoy the abuse.
The third sister, in comparison, is easier to watch: she's simply a spinless, unhappy woman who dates men who steal from her.
There's plenty more to this movie to make you cringe -- imagine all the angst of a depressing German movie honed to a really sharp point and drilling in to your forehead for the entire duration of the film.
This film was not rated in the United States, and Blockbuster has declined to carry it.