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Happy

Happy

2011

NR

Director

Roko Belic

Runtime

75 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

Synopsis

Happy is a 2011 feature documentary film directed, written, and co-produced by Roko Belic. It explores human happiness through interviews with people from all walks of life in 14 different countries, weaving in the newest findings of positive psychology. Director Roko Belic was originally inspired to create the film after producer/director Tom Shadyac (Liar, Liar, Patch Adams, Bruce Almighty) showed him an article in the New York Times entitled "A New Measure of Well Being From a Happy Little Kingdom". The article ranks the United States as the 23rd happiest country in the world. Shadyac then suggested that Belic make a documentary about happiness. Belic spent several years interviewing over 20 people, ranging from leading happiness researchers to a rickshaw driver in Kolkatta, a family living in a "co-housing community" in Denmark, a woman who was run over by a truck, a Cajun fisherman, and more.

Where to Watch

Diversity & Representation

Overall Score

6.7/10

Good

Category Breakdown

LGBTQ+ Representation

Fair

The film maintains a neutral stance toward LGBTQ+ identities. It does not center queer narratives or offer specific critiques of heteronormativity within its global scope.

Gender Representation

Fair

Male and female voices are balanced across professional and domestic roles. Women are presented with agency as subjects of sociological importance rather than through traditional domestic tropes.

Racial & Ethnic Diversity

Excellent

The documentary disrupts Western-centric perspectives by centering voices from Costa Rica, Bhutan, Iceland, and India. Diverse ethnic groups are foundational to the film's thesis rather than tokenistic.

Religious & Cultural Diversity

Excellent

The narrative deconstructs Western capitalist structures by contrasting US material wealth with social cohesion in developing nations. It prioritizes communal connection over individual consumerism.

Disability Representation

Fair

Resilience is explored through subjects like a woman who survived a traumatic accident. The film avoids inspiration porn, treating her experience as a legitimate psychological study.

Strengths

  • Strong global perspective that disrupts Western-centric narratives.
  • Meaningful inclusion of non-Western voices and diverse ethnic groups.
  • Effective critique of consumerism and capitalist success metrics.
  • Balanced gender representation across various social spheres.

Areas for Improvement

  • Lack of specific focus on LGBTQ+ identities and queer narratives.
  • Limited exploration of disability as a primary thematic pillar.
  • Missed opportunities to explicitly subvert traditional gender hierarchies.

AI Analysis

Happy succeeds by dismantling the Western-centric gaze, replacing it with a global tapestry of human experience. By prioritizing voices from Bhutan to India, the film proves that happiness is not a commodity tied to GDP. While the film excels in cultural and racial breadth, it remains somewhat neutral regarding specific identity politics. It lacks a dedicated focus on LGBTQ+ narratives or explicit gender subversion, opting instead for a broad sociological lens. Ultimately, the documentary's strength lies in its ability to treat diverse human experiences—from Cajun fishermen to survivors of trauma—as essential data points in a universal study of well-being.

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