Film Review: "HappyThankYouMorePlease"

"HappyThankYouMorePlease" is a textbook example of an indie comedy. Winner of the Audience Award at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival, it took the film over a year to find a limited release in a few cities before being unceremoniously dumped out on home media. That's a shame, because it's a very well-done film headed up by writer-director-star Josh Radnor, star of the CBS sitcom "How I Met Your Mother."

The film tells three stories of various interconnected twentysomethings living in New York City. Sam (Radnor) is a struggling author who sees a boy left on the subway and takes him in. Sam eventually finds out that the boy's name is Rasheen (he's played by Michael Algieri) and that he's been bouncing around foster homes for all of his life. Sam decides to take Rasheen in, ignoring the potentially serious legal complications. But he's not above using Rasheen to help him get the attention of a pretty waitress named Mississippi (Kate Mara). Another story follows Sam's friend Mary Catherine (Zoe Kazan), a young woman who works in a library and has to decide whether to follow her boyfriend Charlie (Pablo Schreiber) to Los Angeles. The third story follows another friend of Sam's, Annie (Malin Ackerman). Annie suffers from a neurological disorder that causes her to be bald, and as a result has serious commitment and self-image issues.

On the surface, "HappyThankYouMorePlease" doesn't seem to have any deep meanings or messages; it's simply a story about the lives and struggles of these six people. But as the film progresses and you get to know these characters better, you realize that Radnor really has an ultimately uplifting message about persevering through struggles, being willing to take risks, and really just being able to let yourself be happy. All the performances are fine, though with Sam at the center of the story, Radnor stands out the most. His script is great, with quite well-developed characters, and a few laugh-out-loud one-liners. This is a small comedy, so there's certainly nothing fancy in terms of filmmaking, but Radnor definitely has a cinematic eye, with a couple of very impressive shots. He's also great at creating chemistry between some of the characters; the scenes between Sam and Mississippi practically ooze with sexual tension. As with many indie comedies, there's a great, catchy soundtrack.

"HappyThankYouMorePlease" is a film that will probably appeal to a pretty specific audience. I think I'm squarely in that audience, as someone in my twenties who can identify with many of the struggles these characters face. But ultimately, for anyone who loves quality cinema, this is a film worth checking out.

"HappyThankYouMorePlease" is rated R for language.
Running time: 100 minutes.
Released domestically on March 4, 2011, by Anchor Bay Films.
3 stars out of 4.