Demi Moore in ANOTHER HAPPY DAY (Phase 4 Films)

Written & Directed by Sam Levinson
Produced by Ellen Barkin, Pamela Fielder, Johnny Lin, Michael Nardelli, Salli Newman, Celine Rattray & Todd Traina
Released by Phase 4 Films
USA. 115 min. Rated R
With Ellen Barkin, Ezra Miller, Kate Bosworth, Demi Moore, Thomas Haden Church, George Kennedy, Ellen Burstyn, Siobhan Fallon & Michael Nardelli

…And the award for the most emotional collapses in one film goes to… Ellen Barkin. Or is it Ellen Burstyn? Together at last, the two actresses whose names I always mix up. In Another Happy Day from writer-director Sam Levinson—son of Barry—these two fine actresses couldn’t have given more contrasting performances as daughter and mother.

Lynn (Barkin) has returned to her parents’ estate for her eldest son’s wedding, and her family is a ruthless, passive-aggressive bunch. She resumes her role as a target to their taunts, whether or not her constant self-pitying attitude deserves the verbal abuse. Lynn has had nothing but domestic troubles in her life, and the grim psychological states of her three youngest children are a testament to that. Barkin’s portrayal of this walking disaster, I’ll admit, is compelling, but she practically renders the phrase “over the top” meaningless. It’s like Melissa Leo doing Kirsten Dunst from Melancholia impersonating Shelley Duvall from The Shining. Crazy, I know, but I guarantee this film will make you feel worse than you’ve ever felt in your life. The title is facetious.

Ellen Burstyn, on the other hand, is masterfully understated (not that Barkin isn’t good, just maybe so good that she’s bad? Does that happen?). She’s captivating yet hard to decipher during her opening scenes, but she becomes ever more intense toward the middle of the film. By the end, you’ll be on your feet. Doris’s red state conservatism combined with her distaste for Lynn’s perpetual victimhood is frightening, yet Burstyn finds a remarkably magnetic woman in there somewhere.

The other roles in this ensemble are filled out with a lot of my favorites, including Thomas Haden Church as Lynn’s abusive ex-husband, the always surprisingly indelible Demi Moore as his second wife, rising star Ezra Miller as Lynn’s teenaged addict son, and brilliant character actress Siobhan Fallon offers some hilarious moments as Lynn’s catty sister.

They are all great, but honestly this film isn’t much more than a walking show reel. I’m not able to care too much about any of the characters’ final emotional resolutions when they have a new one in every scene! I was exhausted by the second act. If you wanna see the emotional depths this ensemble is capable of, fine. If you’re the type to become angered at award bait and sarcastic titles, you’d better hold off.