Happiness is a 1998 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Todd Solondz, that portrays the lives of three sisters, their families and those around them. The film was awarded the FIPRESCI Prize at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival for "its bold tracking of controversial contemporary themes, richly-layered subtext, and remarkable fluidity of visual style," and the cast received the National Board of Review award for best ensemble performance. Trish Maplewood , the eldest sister, is an upper middle class housewife happily married to psychiatrist Bill Maplewood and has three children.... Unbeknownst to Trish, however, Bill is a pedophile. He develops an obsession with 11-year-old Johnny Grasso , a classmate of his son, Billy . When Johnny comes for a sleepover, Bill drugs Johnny and then sodomizes him while he is unconscious. Later, he learns that another boy, Ronald Farber, is home alone while his parents are away in Europe. Under the guise of attending a PTA meeting, Bill drives to the boy's house and rapes him.
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| Release date: | May 15, 1998 |
| Directed by: | Todd Solondz |
| Runtime: | 134 Minutes |
| Producer: | Ted Hope, Christine Vachon |
| Editor: | Alan Oxman |
| Music by: | Robbie Kondor |
| Cinematography: | Maryse Alberti |
| Screenplay by: | Todd Solondz |
| Estimated budget: | $3,000,000 |
| Genre: | Comedy |