Another Happy Day - red band trailer review
Directed by: Sam Levinson Starring: Ellen Barkin, Ezra Miller, Kate Bosworth, Demi Moore Rating: R Release Date: November 4, 2011
TRAILER SCORE: 8/10
Thoughts by TSR: Family gatherings are often love/hate affairs, and that is one thing this trailer for Another Happy Day captures nicely. There is a messiness, a certain level of ‘who knows what’s going to happen next?’ to this trailer that I really appreciate. Between the music playing under the action, and the various conflicts at play, this is a surprisingly effective trailer for a film I had little interest in until now.
Another thing the film really has working in its favor is an excellent cast. Ellen Barkin is certainly a stand out, but Ezra Miller looks equally good as Barkin’s son who has been in rehab multiple times. I’m beyond excited to see what he does in We Need to Talk About Kevin later this year, and thanks to this trailer I’m eager to see his work in this as well. He and Kate Bosworth share one of my favorite exchanges in the trailer. Bosworth asks, “When are you going to grow the f*** up?” to which Miller replies, “Oh, you know, sometime near the end." The darkly comedic tone Miller (and the rest of the cast) captures throughout is something I really hope carries through to the entire film.
Ellen Burstyn, Demi Moore, Kate Bosworth, and the rest all get good moments throughout the trailer. I especially look forward to seeing Barkin and Moore come to blows. One of my favorite character actors, Jeffrey DeMunn – best known for being a frequent Frank Darabont collaborator – pops up for a few seconds, which just goes to show how strong the cast is from top to bottom. With a cast this large there is a danger of some of the characters getting ignored, so I hope the finished product proves that writer/director Sam Levinson struck a good balance.
I remember hearing about Another Happy Day from Sundance, but (foolishly) wrote it off as just another dysfunctional family movie. This trailer has given me hope that it could manage to rise above that, and I’ll gladly watch this on-screen family through the good and the bad. I’m just thankful I don’t have to be part of it.