The Albany backdrop is so beautifully put together by the production design team, and yet the film is equally unwavering when it comes to showing the darker side of the story - and there is plenty of it. IN 2013, Australian Barry Jonsberg published a book called “My Life as an Alphabet” about 13-year-old Candice. With happiness being good for everyone, it's no surprise why a happiness movement has begun. H is For Happiness has a lot of tonal shifts; some of which work, some don't. H is for Happiness | Review. Reviews of H Is for Happiness 2019. Smiles wear thin in new Australian film H is for Happiness. H is for Happiness is my pick of the festival so far. H Is For Happiness Movie Review. Film Review - H is for Happiness September 16, 2020 “H is for Happiness” is an adaptation of the book “My Life as an Alphabet” by Peter Jonsberg, and it’s a bit of a miracle that an American production company didn’t get its hands on the material for a film adaptation. Film Reviews . Candice's worldview is captivating in 'H is for Happiness'. Candice is 12 years old and eternally optimistic but she is having trouble getting her family on board with being happy following a family tragedy. VIEWS. MaryAnn’s quick take… Offbeat portrait of an unconventional girl is all over the place, sometimes detouring into the cringeworthy, as it tries to depict the emotional familial confusion its tween protagonist is navigating. Review; This was published 10 months ago. If H is for happiness, it should also be for heartwarming and heartfelt. Full Review | Original Score: 1/5 With Daisy Axon, Wesley Patten, Miriam Margolyes, Emma Booth, Richard Roxburgh. A field of science called "positive psychology" has sprung up. The Pursuit of happyness is my all time favourite movie. Read full review. Image courtesy Universal. What a fabulous family film featuring Miriam Margolyes, Emma Booth and Joel Jackson. H is for Happiness employs a twelve-year-old girl to lead the story and keep audiences engaged for nearly two hours. This movie has taught me many life lessons. Facebook; Twitter; WhatsApp; SMS; Email; Candice’s heart, and her town, is full of rhymes, sweet shops and even a magical costume shop, set to an effervescent score of childlike joy in the movie "H is for Happiness." Highest First; Lowest First ★★★½ Watched by tildewatches 26 Jul, 2020. damn this film was so cute and then it got real dark and then it got real cute again. 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. This stunning piece of work deserves all the kudos it receives. Its meticulous visuals do frequently tip into preciousness, yet this cuteness is offset by the movie’s refreshingly direct take on depression and despair. It took me a long time to warm to the Australian family comedy H Is for Happiness. Happiness, who’d have it, eh? Theatre director John Sheedy makes his feature début with this filming of Barry Jonsberg’s young adult novel My Life As An Alphabet, and the result shoots for a little of the gratingly surreal whimsy of Girl Asleep, but there’s a harder, sadder emotional core. Watched ; Liked ; Rated ; Reviewed ; Sort by. Share on Facebook Share on Twitter. Review: H is for Happiness Barry Jonsberg’s H is for Happiness is a reissue of My Life as an Alphabet, published early 2013. It also reminds one of that period of the past, when Australian films tended to focus on the endearing oddball. by Rachel Wagner. Tue Sep 22 2020, 07:49pm | 0 comments. H Is for Happiness is that rare film that exceeds all expectations despite anything you may have heard about it. In this equation, H is defined as authentic/enduring happiness, S is your set range, C is the circumstances in one’s life, and V represents factors under your voluntary behavioral control. The themes of teen angst, dysfunctional families, young romance and coping with tragedy are not exactly new territory for indie films. by MaryAnn Johanson. It is a coming-of-age comedy set in a colorful Australian coastal town. H is for Happiness is rated NR. It is generous hearted, embracing the rich, the poor, the normal, the damaged, the eccentric, the full breadth of humanity. Some are:- Believe in yourself even if others don't believe in you. Available on Demand. It follows the exploits of Candice Phee (Daisy Axom), a 12 year old girl living in charming Albany, Western Australia, as she tries to repair her broken family after a tragedy. H is for Happiness is one of our favorite movies of 2020. Nearly all of its characters (including the unusual teacher Miss Bamford: an always interesting Miriam Margolyes) are likeable; but the goodhearted inventiveness of its child protagonists, Candice Phee (Daisy Axon) and Douglas Benson (Wesley Patten),… 3 min read 0. Save. 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. H is for Happiness has to be one of the most enjoyable family films to come out of Australia since Babe. FILM REVIEW - H IS FOR HAPPINESS. By Paul Byrnes. 24. According to Seligman, the S variable is, in part, genetically predetermined. No violence and no obscene language. Luna Palace Cinemas Recommended for … Written by Lisa Hoppe. [REVIEW] ‘H is for Happiness’ and A is for Adorable. Who has the energy for it? David Stratton reviews Joker - Duration: 2:14. 98 minutes. It seems to have been ages since a film about the young pains of growing up has been as successfully rendered as H Is For Happiness. This unusual children’s film may be fussy, but to its credit, it is not frivolous. One wouldn’t expect a sweet family film from… Candice (Daisy Axon) is a red-haired, spunky, and very smart teenager whose remarkable resilience has served her well following the crib death of her little sister. 6 February 2020 by DM Bradley. Read our parents' review for details on sexual content, violence and strong language to find out why. It won the 2013 Gold Inky, the Children’s Peace Literature Award, the 2014 Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards, and was short-listed for the CBCA Awards in 2014, and a string of other awards. Helped along by her new friend, Douglas Benson from another dimension, she manages to weave her way through the intricacies of life and win out in the end. H is for Happiness is so assured and confident with what it wants to be, managing to execute its intentions perfectly, that it can't help but be an immediate modern Australian classic. Unlike Girl Asleep, H is for Happiness plays much younger, and should appeal to family audiences (lookie here, it’s not even the end of January and we have a second local family film to embrace), despite slightly dark themes. Mel Campbell Thursday 6 February, 2020. H is for Happiness - Behind The Scenes - Duration: 5:44. Screen Australia 2,674 views. H is for Happiness is based on the award-winning book, My Life as an Alphabet. I went to the premier in Melbourne and then saw it again in Geelong at Pivotorian Cinema. H Is for Happiness movie review: Q is for Quirk, F is for Forced. She exudes innocence, happiness, and realism. Film Review: H is for Happiness. Renown Australian theatre director John Sheedy crafts an elegant and uncompromising picture. Teo Bugbee Sep 17, 2020. Silly, quirky, optimistic, colourful and buoyant, the Australian family comedy H is for Happiness will delight younger kids and offer just enough dramatic tension to ensure adults don’t get too bored. Movie Nation Roger Moore Sep 17, 2020. 70. “H Is For Happiness” (PG) *** and a half. This Is Happiness is published by Bloomsbury (£16.99). Submitted Photo. Movie Reviews TV Reviews Roundtables Podcasts 'H Is for Happiness': Film Review . When Reviewed; Review Activity; Review Rating. To order a copy go to guardianbookshop.com or call 0330 333 6846. Read full review. Staggering out of Hector and The Search For Happiness, I had the impression of having witnessed an unequivocal fiasco, a film no human being would be likely to enjoy. Unrated. 5:44 . ‘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. Directed by John Sheedy. MOVIE REVIEW: H is for Happiness By Simonie Wilson; Sep 18, 2020 Sep 18, 2020; 0; 1 min to read. by Andrew Parker September 17, 2020. written by Andrew Parker September 17, 2020. February 5, 2020 — 12.00pm . Free UK p&p over £15, online orders only. Film Review: 'H is for Happiness' is delightful Refreshingly earnest, this warm and playful family film caught critic Mel Campbell by surprise. H for Happiness Director John Sheedy. H is for Happiness has to be one of the most enjoyable family films to come out of Australia since Babe. When Reviewed. Eclectic youth"Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way." That it accomplishes this while still being situated in a comfortably G rated world is a plus for the parents. September 23, 2020. in Live Action, Reviews. Axon, however, surpasses any expectations that viewers, including myself, might have had. Its a movie which can be seen any number of time. 50. 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