Susan Granger’s review of “Happy Endings” (Lions Gate Films)
Writer/director Don Roos (“The Opposite of Sex”) interweaves several stories about sex and its consequences and the search for the contentment that comes between two lonely souls who connect. And even though the film begins with a car crash, he assures us, “No one dies in this movie, not on screen. It’s a comedy, sort of.” I’d say it was more of a comedic drama, sort of. There’s Mamie (Lisa Kudrow), an abortion-clinic counselor who, as an unmarried teen, gave up her baby boy for adoption. Her Latino immigrant boyfriend, Javier (Bobby Cannavale), is living a double-life. And Nicky (Jesse Bradford), a sleazy documentary filmmaker, threatens to expose him and extort her if she refuses to allow him to film a reunion between her and her son. Meanwhile, Mamie’s British step-brother Charley (Steve Coogan) is involved with Gil (David Sutcliffe), who socks a lesbian mother Pam (Laura Dern) and her partner (Sarah Clarke) with a custody suit over Max, their two year-old. Then there’s the free-spirited aspiring pop singer, Jude (Maggie Gyllenhaal), who seduces young Otis (Jason Ritter), a closeted gay drummer, in order to meet his wealthy widower father Frank (Tom Arnold), as she manipulates one against the other. Curiously, all of these contrived characters are interconnected as their convoluted stories overlap. Complicated? Yes. Compelling? Somewhat – if you’re not annoyed by Roos’ persistent observations that serve as glib, yet intrusive commentaries. The ensemble cast meshes – with the most memorable performances delivered by Maggie Gyllenhaal and Lisa Kudrow, who once again successfully sheds her “Friends” image. On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “Happy Endings” is a wryly heart-tugging 7. To paraphrase Shakespeare, all’s well that ends well.
