People in a music club dance, and a musician onstage wiggles his hips toward the audience. A twelve year old girl with boundless optimism and a unique view of the world, is inspired by the strange new boy at school and sets out to While we read all emails & try to reply we do not always manage to do so; be assured that we will not share your e-mail address. A boy and a girl go to a forest in several scenes and we hear tall trees groaning and creaking as the boy talks about climbing a very tall tree to jump back to his dimension. If you chose to provide an email address, it will only be used to contact you about your comment. ► A boy and a girl hold hands. A woman hugs a girl tightly and we hear the girl’s breast enlargements pop (they are beach balls). A teacher yells at students in a classroom and a girl falls out of her chair onto the floor. Our ratings and reviews are based on the theatrically-released versions of films; on video there are often Unrated, Special, Director's Cut or Extended versions, (usually accurately labelled but sometimes mislabeled) released that contain additional content, which we did not review. What does it all mean for Hector and Clara? ► A woman has a condition that causes one of her eyes to move uncontrollably and children in her classroom tease her. A man tells a girl that she is too young to make financial decisions. ‘H Is for Happiness’: Film Review This delightful coming-of-age dramedy provides feel-good entertainment for the entire family without pandering — or sacrificing style or substance. “H Is For Happiness” won’t appeal to older teens or cynical adults, but for families with kids of the appropriate age, it’s a charmer.••• Daniel M. Kimmel is a veteran movie critic and author of a host of film-related books. This is a pretty mild R overall. A girl talks about waiting for “progress in the chest department.” How does the movie depict drinking? Because even though many of its takeaways won't necessarily be enlightening (like the sixth item on Hector's list -- "Avoiding unhappiness is not the road to happiness"), that doesn't necessarily mean that they aren't true, or at least helpful. ‘H Is For Happiness’: Melbourne Review By Sarah Ward 2019-08-10T07:55:00+01:00 A can-do teenage heroine tries to fix her family’s problems in this sparky Australian debut A boy tells a man that he wants to marry the man’s 13-year-old daughter. Who do you think those messages are most intended to reach/impact? Oh My God, Oh God, God Knows Where, God, Jesus). H is for Happiness is a cute and family-friendly film that is sufficiently entertaining. A husband and his wife dance briefly until she cries and leaves the room. A boy and a girl kiss several times in different locations. – A girl remembers waking to find her infant sister dead and she screams in a dream about it. A horse defecates on a stage during a performance and we see a pile of feces. See our. Common Sense Media, a nonprofit organization, earns a small affiliate fee from Amazon or iTunes when you use our links to make a purchase. See something that needs to be addressed? We want children to learn from an early age principles that can lead to lasting happiness. A man grumbles at a girl and tells her, “Get off my lawn.” A boy talks about having had a blow to the head and that he has memory loss. We've gone through several editorial changes since we started covering films in 1992 and older reviews are not as complete & accurate as recent ones; we plan to revisit and correct older reviews as resources and time permits. It isn’t anything special, and it is too formulaic throughout. Second, they generally agree that the bottom of that U hits some time in the early 50s. Man's quest for meaning has some swearing, risqué moments. $3.99 Rent. Read our parents' review for details on sexual content, violence and strong language to find out why. How can he be when he's phoning it in at work and unsure of where his relationship is headed? We want children to learn from an early age principles that can lead to lasting happiness. There's also an extended sequence in which a man is shown in a jail cell, clearly terrified, beaten (both physically and emotionally), and on the edge of his sanity. A girl dresses up like Dolly Parton and has padding in her blouse to resemble large breasts. This, and the enchanting 2016 coming of age dramedy Girl Asleep , … It is a coming-of-age comedy set in a colorful Australian coastal town. There aren't any reviews yet. Set in the colourful Australian coastal town of Albany, H IS FOR HAPPINESS is a classic feel-good film for all ages that will make you laugh, cry, and cheer with delight. I’d recommend H is for Happiness for kids ages 10 and older. While searching for a word to give an indication of how H is for Happiness affects the audience, a fellow critic remarked that it was “whimsical”. We are a totally independent website with no connections to political, religious or other groups & we neither solicit nor choose advertisers. He hits her, and she hits back. W hen I first heard about little Australian dramedy H Is for Happiness, I was all in.An offbeat look at an unconventional tween girl? In one scene, a man talks about how money buy happiness -- sort of. “H Is For Happiness” (PG) *** and a half IN 2013, Australian Barry Jonsberg published a book called “My Life as an Alphabet” about 13-year-old Candice. A boy tries to kiss a girl and she pulls away. A man flies a remote controlled plane and it crashes into a tree. David Stratton Reviews: H is for Happiness ... award-winning theatre director John Sheedy makes his feature film debut with a charming coming-of-age tale about a … H is for Happiness feels like a rare film. H is for Happiness movie reviews & Metacritic score: A twelve year old girl with boundless optimism and a unique view of the world, is inspired by the strange new … A man and a woman argue behind a closed door and their daughter cries outside the door. – A woman takes a pill and calls it a “happy pill.” A man and a woman drink champagne at a restaurant. Move sliders from 0-10 in any combination, check and uncheck MPAA ratings and use keywords to further filter results -- please let us know what you think. A man becomes frustrated and says that he is going to visit his estranged brother and “Give him a piece of my mind.” Two men argue bitterly in a restaurant and one accuses the other, saying, “You robbed me.” A girl tells a boy, “I might die a violent death.” A man holds a cooking pan that is in flames and he says, “Man the pumps.” A man talks about having been too late for his daughter’s delivery. What to Watch, Read, and Play While Your Kids Are Stuck Indoors, Common Sense Selections for family entertainment, Check out new Common Sense Selections for games, Teachers: Find the best edtech tools for your classroom with in-depth expert reviews, Practicando la gratitud durante las fiestas, Which Side of History? We're updating our reviews to better highlight authentic stories and accurate, diverse representations. A girl cuts her finger in the kitchen several times (we see no blood and we see bandages on her fingers). – Families are fragile and you have to find your own happiness. ► We hear an adult voice say, “No kissing” in a schoolyard. ► A man and a woman argue and the woman says, “Get it together” as she pulls on his arm. Move sliders from 0-10 in any combination, check and uncheck MPAA ratings and use keywords to further filter results -- please let us know what you think. In this manner, the movie is able to avoid focusing much on institutional racism and how that factors into achieving the Dream. znscr.parentNode.insertBefore(zergnet, znscr); The first-ever United Nations happiness report finds that the U.S. ranks high but not highest in happiness and life satisfaction, with Finland, Denmark and Norway often dominating the top ranks. It’s become the basis of the feature-film debuts of director John Sheedy and writer Lisa Hoppe and I’m bound to … Your privacy is important to us. Our ratings are based on child development best practices. Sure, this is a kids film, but you’d be hard pressed to find anyone of any age not rolling in the aisles with laughter. And it's important to be aware of your own issues, or you won't be able to change for the better. And for the first few minutes of the film, I was onboard. The film deals with the American Dream from a particular perspective, focusing, as the title implies, on the constitutional right to "pursue" happiness, rather than the right to be happy. However, it is a visually pleasing film with plenty of heart, soul, and (you guessed it) happiness. Bright color and outstanding supporting characters balance the eccentric with the melancholy. Directed by John Sheedy. 1. what amazes me most is the performance of Daisy Axon, the main character actress, shes among the best in her class,. ► We hear a horse’s hoofs in a forest and a girl says that she is afraid of horses; a small horse appears and disappears in several scenes. I didn't know much about 'H is for Happiness' going into this film, bar that it premiered at MIFF 2019, and that it's based off the award-winning young adult novel 'My Life as an Alphabet' by Barry Jonsberg. 98 minutes, Rated PG (Mild themes and coarse language) Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners. It’s become the basis of the feature-film debuts of director John Sheedy and writer Lisa Hoppe and I’m bound to … ... "Introducing the Dwights" is a heartfelt comedy about a mother who tries to come between her son and his coming of age. var znscr = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; Sometimes funny movie is more dramatic/boring, 5 Tips to Make Family Movie Night a Success. September 18, 2020 H Is For Happiness won't appeal to older teens or cynical adults, but for families with kids of the appropriate age, it's a charmer. Just go to our search page or use the search bar, with or without a keyword, from the top navigation menu. A family goes to a cemetery to visit the grave of an infant and the man and the woman cry. The themes of teen angst, dysfunctional families, young romance and coping with tragedy are not exactly new territory for indie films. 1. We display the minimum age for which content is developmentally appropriate. ‘H Is For Happiness’: Melbourne Review By Sarah Ward 2019-08-10T07:55:00+01:00 A can-do teenage heroine tries to fix her family’s problems in this sparky Australian debut Social drinking and the like. Thank you for your support. A boy climbs a tree and jumps off; we hear a loud crunch but see no injuries. Rent AU$6.99 Buy AU$24.99 Searching for streaming and purchasing options ... Common Sense is a nonprofit organization. After designing and facilitating the course: The Art and Science of Happiness at the college level, Donovan and Faith Thomas have decided to put these principles into a book for children. Students in a classroom glare at one student when she asks questions. Move sliders from 0-10 in any combination, check and uncheck MPAA ratings and use keywords to further filter results -- please let us know what you think. "https:" : "http:") + '//www.zergnet.com/zerg.js?id=67437'; Rating… H is for Happiness is rated NR. It’s also one that kids can watch. It's a wonderful feeling when a film really takes you by surprise. (function() { H is for Happiness is available on VOD September 18. Did you know you can now filter searches by any combination of ratings? The peppy Candice (Daisy Axon), 12 year old protagonist of Lisa Hope and John Sheedy’s (writer/director) Australian kid’s comedy H is for Happiness, that’s who.Candice, who, with her vivid titian hair and primary coloured wardrobe, looks like a cartoon character come to life, is also an eternal optimist. Parents: Set preferences and get age-appropriate recommendations with Common Sense Media Plus. Are there realistic consequences? $9.99 Buy. A prostitute propositions a man at a bar. A girl yells at her mother about needing to start living their lives three years after her infant sister died; her mother yells at her and throws a cup that shatters on a wall next to the girl (she pulls a small shard of ceramic out of her neck and we see blood on her finger). And an alternative way to h for heaven, than have a look at this one. While we read all emails & try to reply we don't always manage to do so; be assured that we will not share your e-mail address. Based on the book My Life as an Alphabet by Barry Jonsberg, and directed by feature film debutant John Sheedy, H is for Happiness is a whimsical portrayal of one girl’s pursuit of restoring happiness to her broken family. var zergnet = document.createElement('script'); A girl talks about not living with her father and that her mother brings men home regularly. A girl kisses a boy on the cheek. Set in the colourful Australian coastal town of Albany, H IS FOR HAPPINESS is a classic feel-good film for all ages that will make you laugh, cry, and cheer with delight. But overall, a very very good movie. What does it all mean for Hector and Clara? Award-winning short film director John Sheedy (Mrs McCutcheon) directs newcomers Daisy Axon (Judy & Punch) and Wesley Patten in this Australian domestic drama based on Barry Jonsberg's young adult novel, My Life as an Alphabet. If you think what we do is worthwhile, please donate or become a member. H is for Happiness even dabbles in overhead food photography – another distinct Andersonism. Of teen angst, dysfunctional families, young romance and coping with tragedy are exactly. Have a look at this one mean for Hector and the search for Happiness a! Her finger in the early 50s, than have a look at this one bloodied... We will accept compliments too be able to avoid focusing much on institutional racism how... 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