Dysfunctional family dynamics are in full swing in All Happy Families. The engaging dramedy, headlined by Josh Radnor (How I Met Your Mother, Hunters) and directed by Haroula Rose, finds one family in major flux. Suddenly, all at once, it’s as if everything in life has changed. Perhaps more challenging to accept is the fact that they, too, must change if they’re ever going to emerge gracefully from significant life transitions.
Joining Radnor is Chandra Russell (South Side), Becky Ann Baker (Ted Lasso, Freaks and Geeks, Girls), John Ashton (the Beverly Hills Cop films), and Rob Huebel (Transparent, Arrested Development). The film’s premise finds the Landry family’s collective life angst converging around the same time. One of the most refreshing aspects of the film is that it delivers a rare achievement: delivering an adult coming-of-age story, which proves that not every major life transition just happens between the ages of 11 and 18.
To that end, the filmmaker, who also co-wrote the film with Coburn Goss, suggests that life will always give us opportunities to grow. At some point, as one pivotal moment shows us, that “adulting” can even be fun and liberating. Despite spinning a few too many storylines, All Happy Families, much like its dysfunctional family movie cousins, Little Miss Sunshine and The Kids Are Alright, this indie charmer manages to find its way into your heart.
When Everybody Must Change All At Once
The film’s title hops off Leo Tolstoy’s novel Anna Karenina, which gave us, “all happy families are the same, but every unhappy family is unhappy in its own unique way.” The malaise is a shared yet unwanted dilemma for most of the Landrys.
There’s Graham (Radnor), a yet-to-be middle-aged screenwriter/actor who can’t shake the fact that nobody has discovered him. Meanwhile, brother Will (Huebel) has garnered attention on an insipid yet oddly super-popular television series. Will’s unexpected visit back to the family home raises eyebrows, but the man insists he wants to spend time with his family. Graham isn’t so sure, but since Graham has been left to manage, and now repair, the childhood home he and his brother bought together, he could use him around.
But even that becomes triggering because Will’s success just reminds Graham of what has always been beyond his reach. Still, lurking behind Will’s façade is a potential Hollywood scandal that may affect his career. Radnor and Huebel make for a good pairing here, and while it’s a stretch to believe these two are related, you cannot deny the actors’ chemistry. Where Will comes across as charming and confident, Graham, forever in disheveled mode, can’t seem to get it together.
Tracking Several Story Arcs in the Dramedy
The dramedy sets up several creative spinning plates from there. Papa Roy (Ashton) has wandered emotionally and could be heading into another gambling dilemma. Dana (Russel) quickly enters the picture as Graham’s former classroom crush and rising chef. Dana may become a new tenant for the family’s rental, and it’s just a matter of time before Graham leans into the possibility that they can explore a possible relationship. Dana’s all too aware of Graham’s limitations, but she’s open to it.
The vibe is very indie and very natural. Throughout the film, it’s apparent we’re dipping into these people’s lives when everybody seems to be at crossroads. It requires patience to allow the film move through the tale and connect the dots, but the story keeps you engaged, rather than pushing you away. Thankfully, the film has one secret weapon that nobody would have suspected.
Becky Ann Baker Is Having a Moment
That would be the remarkable Becky Ann Baker. The actress has a long list of supporting roles — from playing Hannah’s (Leah Dunham) mother, Loreen, in HBO’s hit Girls, to starring opposite Radnor himself in Hunters. As matriarch Sue, the performer is one of the best things about All Happy Families, and her character’s storyline becomes the most appreciated and relatable in terms of standing up for oneself. That’s surprising, considering Baker is the costar and Sue’s story arc isn’t pumped up to be as significant as Graham’s.
Watching Baker walk through an emotional minefield as her character tries to determine the best way to respond to a former boss inappropriately touching her at a retirement party is pure magic. There are key moments, too, where Baker comes to terms with herself and her own family. “How is this my family?” she crows, looking around at the sorry lot. But that very question sparks potentially new possibilities for her.
And that’s the true winning component of All Happy Families. There’s hope amidst the chaos, opportunity waiting just beyond the mental mud. Whether all the characters featured here take that opportunity is an entirely different matter. But it’s great entertainment watching it play out. Filled with indie-film charm, thoroughly relatable, and capturing the best scenic spots of Chicago, All Happy Families satisfies a certain craving for uplifting (well, ultimately) family dramedies. Catch All Happy Families in select theaters September 20.
