Main Cast: Tom Arnold, Jesse Bradford, Bobby Cannavale, Sarah Clarke, Steve Coogan, Laura Dern, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Lisa Kudrow
Release Year: 2005
Country: US
Run Time: 128 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
Three loosely interrelated stories of dysfunctional relationships are played for edgy laughs in this dark comedy drama from writer and director Don Roos. An unexpected assignation between stepsiblings Mamie and Charley results in Mamie becoming pregnant, with the child being put up for adoption shortly after birth. Twenty years later, Mamie (Lisa Kudrow) is approached by Nicky (Jesse Bradford), an aspiring filmmaker with an abrasive personality who claims to know where her long-lost son is living. However, there's a catch -- Nicky wants to shoot the reunion for the student film he's working on, and won't tell her about her child unless she agrees, though her lover, Javier (Bobby Cannavale), attempts to work out a compromise. Meanwhile, Charley (Steve Coogan), now out of the closet, has a longstanding relationship with Gil (David Sutcliffe), and the couple are involved in a legal battle over whether or not Gil's donated sperm produced a baby who has been adopted by a lesbian couple they know (Laura Dern and Sarah Clarke). And finally, Jude (Maggie Gyllenhaal) is a bohemian malcontent who becomes involved with Otis (Jason Ritter), a sexually ambiguous rock musician. Otis has a difficult relationship with his father, Frank (Tom Arnold), but when Jude meets Frank, she likes him fine -- in fact, she soon falls in love with him and leaves Otis for his dad. Happy Endings had its world premiere at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Jason Ritter - Otis; David Sutcliffe - Gil; Carol Androsky - Naked Woman; Amanda Foreman - Lane; Johnny Galecki; Nicole Tocantins - Tess; Kim Morgan Greene - Connie Peppitone; Hallee Hirsh - Mamie at 17; Mark Fite - Tess's Drunk Husband; Andrew James Trauth - Bill; Eric Jungmann - Tom; Soledad St. Hilaire - Dignore; Tamara Davies - Shauna; Lisa Hoyle - Woman Driver; Emma Hunton - Becca; Ramon De Ocampo - Alvin; Rayne Marcus - Annette; Caker Folley - Lauren; Ashleigh Darkbloom - Rain; T.R. Hopper - Chuck Peppitone; Rob Macie - Steve the Lawyer; Joe Milton - Musician #1; Dave Beyer - Musician #2; Randy Landas - Musician #3; Scott Sener - Karaoke Guy
Credit
Laura Smith - Associate Producer, Robert Melnik - Associate Producer, Donna Sloan - Associate Producer, R. Steven Evans - Boom Operator, David Schneider - Boom Operator, Kenneth Strain - Boom Operator, John Brace - Casting, Linda Lowy - Casting, Marc E. Platt - Co-producer, Bobby Cohen - Co-producer, Ali Forman - Co-producer, Peggy Schnitzer - Costume Designer, Eric Tignini - First Assistant Director, Don Roos - Director, David Codron - Editor, Tom Ortenberg - Executive Producer, Mike Elliott - Executive Producer, Nick Meyer - Executive Producer, Charlynne Hopson - Location Manager, Christopher Miller - Location Manager, Jon Kuyper - Line Producer, Nicole Tocantins - Musical Direction/Supervision, Dave Hnatiuk - Musical Direction/Supervision, Ramsay Adams - Musical Direction/Supervision, Alex Proner - Musical Direction/Supervision, Dan Turrett - Camera Operator, Richard Sherman - Production Designer, Clark Mathis - Cinematographer, Michael Paseornek - Producer, Holly Wiersma - Producer, Gary Raymond - Recording, Mark Agostino - Recording, Benjamin Patrick - Sound Mixer, Stan Barrett - Stunts, Ernie F. Orsatti - Stunts, Scott Waugh - Stunts, Denny Pierce - Stunts, Lisa Hoyle - Stunts, Nicole Basanda - Stunts, Casey Easlick - Stunts, Melissa Barker - Stunts, Ronn Surels - Stunts, Noon Orsatti - Stunts Coordinator, Jon Kuyper - Unit Production Manager, Don Roos - Screenwriter, Jordan Otis - Production Assistant, Ryan Reasor - Production Assistant, Anthony Rinella - Production Assistant, Richard J. Day - Production Assistant, Coll Anderson - Sound Effects Editor, Gentle Jungle - Animal Trainer/Wrangler, Chris Libby - Unit Publicist, MPRM - Unit Publicist, Perri Frank - Additional Editing, Brian S. Osmond - First Assistant Camera, Kelly Clear - Gaffer, Timothy E. Day - Grip, Jason Newton - Grip, Joseph "Jo Jo" Presson - Grip, Niel E. Williams - Grip, Glenn Fishel - Key Grip, John F. Cassidy - Key Grip, Mike Baber - Music Editor, John Carbonara - Music Editor, Jennifer Hwang - Post Production Coordinator, Carl Pedregal - Post Production Supervisor, Frank E. Errico - Production Coordinator, Karen Gorodetsky - Production Supervisor, Kathleen Kasinger - Properties Master, Andy Kris - Re-Recording Mixer, Peter Waggoner - Re-Recording Mixer, Diane Hassinger Newman - Script Supervisor, Hope Garrison - Second Assistant Director, J.D. Street IV - Special Effects Coordinator, K.C. Bailey - Still Photographer, Edward P. Scoppa Jr. - Still Photographer, Eric Lee - Still Photographer, Walter Thomson - Still Photographer, Bob Hein - Supervising Sound Editor, Alison M. Schmidt - Costume/Wardrobe, Natasha Walsh - Costume/Wardrobe, Lindsay Chag - Additional Casting, Lorin Flemming - Assistant Art Director, Wesley K. Hagan - Assistant Location Manager, Ron Shino - Assistant Location Manager, Nate Taylor - Assistant Location Manager, Meghan Glennon - Assistant Location Manager, Alexander Kalkines - Assistant Location Manager, Rob Roy - Assistant Location Manager, James Uribe - Assistant Production Coordinator, Jim Landis - Assistant Properties, Merdyce McClaran - Assistant Properties, Ana Katharina Drechsler - Assistant Properties, Akil Jelani Wilson - Assistant Sound Editor, Chris Culliton - Best Boy Electric, S. Toulouse Holliday - Best Boy Grip, James Casey - Best Boy Grip, Chris Friebus - Camera Loader, Michael Betts - Casting Assistant, Nicole Lorenzetti - Casting Assistant, Will Stewart - Casting Assistant, Terrence Harris - Casting Associate, Alaine Alldaffer - Casting Associate, Jacqueline Aronson - Costumes Supervisor, Stuart Stanley - Dialogue Editor, Tom Kempf - Dolly Grip, Pat Golden - Extra Casting, Keith R. Gunthorpe - Extra Casting, Bill Dance Casting - Extra Casting, Kristen Jackson - Extra Casting, Carrie Mae Jones - First Assistant Accountant, Katherine Fisher - First Assistant Editor, Nancy Cabrera - Foley Artist, Ryan Collison - Foley Editor, Kay Majerus - Key Hairstylist, Toni Garavaglia - Key Make-up, Sheree Morgan - Key Make-up, James S. Motyl - Leadman, Bree Bailey - Personal Assistant, Laura D. Smith - Personal Assistant, Erin M. Royer - Personal Assistant, Amy Roos - Personal Assistant, Christian J. Frank - Post Production Assistant, Bernadette Tanchauco - Production Accountant, Steve C. Marshall - Second Assistant Camera, Steven F. Beaupre - Second Second Assistant Director, Terry Adams - Set Dresser, Shawn Williamson - Set Production Assistant, LouAnn Wu - Set Production Assistant, Brian Yonck - Set Production Assistant, David Ruiz - Set Production Assistant, Kirk Huston - Transportation Captain, Geno Hart - Transportation Coordinator, Matthew Flood Ferguson - Set Decorator, Vernon Scott - ADR Loop Group, David Arnott - ADR Loop Group, David Randolph - ADR Loop Group, Ruth Zalduondo - ADR Loop Group, Doug Burch - ADR Loop Group, Vicki Davis - ADR Loop Group, Tracy Metro - ADR Loop Group, Jeffrey Todd Fischer - ADR Loop Group, Aynna Orona - Craft Service/Catering, Beatriz Baz - Driver, Christine A. Ervin - Driver, Steve Larson - Driver, Jody Bingenheimer - Driver, John L. Grissom - Driver, Carlos M. Serrano - Driver, Joseph Taggart - Driver, Curtis Edward Clark - Driver, Mark Garrett - Driver, Will Gardner - Driver, Keven Hale Simmons - Driver, Rick "Easy" Fese - Driver, Sr. Ray Nevin - Driver, Ray Nevin, Jr. - Driver, Noelle Penraat - Negative Cutter, Jeremy Crane - Production Secretary, Roy G. Irwin - Set Medic/First Aid, Susan Bannout - Set Medic/First Aid, Tom Seymour - Special Effects Technician, James R. Marchese - Swing Gang, Gerard A. Jordan - Swing Gang, Tony Maccario - Swing Gang, Dennis Green - Video Playback, Steven Hampoff - Video Playback, Barbara Harris - Voice Casting, Colby Enders - Assistant Editor, Jonathan Joseph Hanousek - Department Head Hair, Robin Siegel - Department Head Makeup
The film follows the lives of a diverse group of mostly middle-class Americans through the emotional ups and downs in their flawed yet very human lives, each loosely connected to each other through a restaurant.
The film follows three interconnected stories. In the first, a woman (Lisa Kudrow) reluctantly agrees to work with a would-be young filmmaker (Jesse Bradford) in order to locate the now grown son she secretly gave up for adoption after becoming pregnant from her stepbrother (Steve Coogan) (who is later found to be gay) 19 years earlier.
In the second story arc, her stepbrother and his domestic partner (David Sutcliffe) are deciding whether or not to confront their friends, a lesbian couple (Laura Dern and Sarah Clarke), regarding the paternity of their son.
And in the third, a young man (Jason Ritter) is involved with a band and trying to keep his father (Tom Arnold) from learning that he is gay, while also dealing with the seemingly gold-digging woman (Maggie Gyllenhaal) who inserts herself into their lives.
Director Don Roos wrote the part of Mamie expressly for Lisa Kudrow after directing her in his earlier film, The Opposite of Sex, which he also wrote.[1] Originally, the story concerned three sisters.[2] It took 18 months to find financial backing for the production.[3]
Maggie Gyllenhaal was not the first choice to play Jude. Gwyneth Paltrow was originally slated to play the part, but dropped out and was replaced by Jennifer Garner. After Garner left the project, Gyllenhaal was awarded the role. Maggie Gyllenhaal does her own singing in the film.
