HAPPY NOW

UK, 2001, 97 minutes, Colour.

Ioan Gruffud, Paddy Considine, Emmy Rossum, Robert Pugh, John Henshaw, Richard Coyle, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Susan Lynch, Om Puri, Alison Steadman.

Directed by Philippa Cousins.

Happy Now is a rather ironic title for this Welsh story. It begins with a beauty pageant in the local town, the winner, her relationship with her father, his pride, giving her the gift of a car, its breaking down, help from a local tramp, two young men – and her death and disappearance.

While the drama focuses on various aspects of the town, the aftermath, 14 years later, has one of the young women who has left the town for Alaska returning with her daughter who more than resembles the dead beauty queen. Audiences will guess who is the father. And she is played by Emmy Rossum in both roles.

The film also shows the young men responsible for the young woman’s death, Richard Coyle as the nervous real estate agent (who even has recourse to a self-promoting would be psychic, Jonathan Rhys Meyers in an early role) but, more tellingly, the aggressive man in the past now running a bank, married, standing for office – strong performance by Paddy Considine.

Into the town comes a policeman who has baulked in his previous career, Ioan Gruffud, who takes an interest in the past case – with a number of strong British actors in supporting roles led by Robert Pugh as the father, Om Puri as the tramp, Susan Lynch as the woman, John Henshaw as the old policeman, and a cameo by Alison Steadman.

It builds up to a violent climax.

1. The title, ironic? Happiness for which characters?
2. The Welsh setting, the town, homes, streets, pubs, the countryside? The musical score?
3. The opening and the tone, the beauty contest, Jenny, proud father, the gift of the car, driving, the breakdown, the encounter with Tin Man, his going to get help, kindness, the phone call to her father, his being knocked down by Glen and Joe, their encountering Jenny, Joe and his timidity, Glen and his advances, teasing Jenny, her fall, the injury, the disappearance?
4. The court case, Tin Man and the evidence, the judgements, Glen in the court, the father in the court?
5. Years later, Joe as a real estate agent, but still timid? Haunted by the memories? The secrecy? The contrast with Glen, marriage, family, bank, standing for election, campaigning, smug and arrogant?
6. Max, the police, his past and his story about freezing, the transfer to the town, at the boarding house, the encounter with Tina and Nicky, the interactions with Pete and the memories of the past? The issue of Jenny’s disappearance? His response to Joe and Glen?
7. Tina, returning to town, years in Alaska, her daughter, the resemblance to Jenny, the effect on everyone? Nicky and her being puzzled? The resemblance to Jenny and the audience realising who her father was?
8. Mark Wraith, place in the town, his room, superstitions, violence, Joe consulting him, wanting Nicky destroyed, Mark taking her, Max confronting, Glen and the attack, killing Mark?
9. Tin Man, getting out of jail, the kindly woman giving him a job, her place being trashed? Losing his job, Max taking up his cause, the explanation to the father, getting the job, Glen getting his hair cut, walking out?
10. Tina, the attack, in hospital? Max and his concern?
11. Joe, his life, dependence on Glen, the abduction of Nicky, Max, the pursuit, the father and Tin Man, the return to the original scene? Tin man, abducted, getting out of the car boot? The phone call? Desperation?
12. At the scene, the decision to kill Nicky and bury her? Yet wanting to dig up the body of Jenny, the hand in the air, suggestion of buried alive? The talk, Nicky’s fear, Joe with the rifle, shooting Glen? Nick his escape?
13. The combination, Joe and his confession, the father bonding with his daughter, Tin Man vindicated?