Film Review: HAPPY TEARS
starring Parker Posey, Demi Moore, Rip Torn, Ellen Barkin, Christian Camargo
directed by Michael Lichtenstein
I remember when this was shooting in Philly (although you won't recognize any surroundings while watching) and at least five or six of my friends met or had Parker sightings. It drove me nuts!! Parker Posey, nicknamed Queen of the Indies, is the actor that I link to the time in my life that I discovered and fell in love with independent filmmaking. While she may pop up here and there in films like Superman Returns or Scream 3 (which she is brilliant in) the true nature of her gift is exposed when she stars in what she was meant to tackle - characters that are multi-dimensional and reflect real people. The independent spirit returns with this film, which I have been anxiously awaiting to be released. Posey and Moore play sisters who have their own very different, very twisted lives on opposite coasts and are forced to come together and make decisions about who is going to take care of their ailing father (Torn). The reunion of having everyone together under the same roof allows for a plethora of lunacy and unexpected content that you can only find in an indie movie. Unfortunately, for me, the big picture didn't lead up to all the hype I built up for myself. I loved the two leads together and think Moore was perfect to play opposite Posey, especially because she's an unlikely choice. In fact, all of the performances are great, but the characters they play and the project as a whole all feel under-developed. I didn't like the last act of the film very much, in fact, at this point I can't even really remember how it wrapped up. The first half of the film has a lot of laughs and entertaining scenes, but I was hoping I'd love this so much I'd be crying some happy tears of my own! At the end of the day, can Parker Posey really do wrong? Check out the link in this blurb for a pretty cool article reflecting Posey and how indie film has changed.
My Grade: B-
