Happiness is...

We had the privilege last night of not only dinner with friend/coworker Alberto but also a sneak preview of an almost completed movie our neighbor Sjon has been working on. The film, titled "Happiness Is" for now, is directed by the same guy who made "Before the Music Dies," a SXSW darling in 2006. "Happiness Is" was set to premiere at this year's SXSW. But the film has piqued the attention of some big wigs in New York, so they are holding off so, among other things, Sjon can take his time on the final edit. Sjon was gracious enough to look at the unfinished product.

You should really take a look at the trailer. It's as powerful as the movie itself, which features John Mellencamp, the Dalai Lama and Willie Nelson and puts "The Secret" to shame.

It will probably come out later this year, and it's really an opportune time. It's become cliche to point to Sept. 11 when talking about where we stand as a nation, but the collective grieving we all experienced and then the different paths of recovery we've taken are absolutely fascinating to me. And how those paths now adversely affect one another. Initial shock to sadness led some to extreme anger and retaliation in the form of wars that continue today, which of course have led to such profound shock and sadness again and even more hatred of America than before Sept 11. What a disgusting, vicious cycle.

But the movie is not about Sept. 11 and it's not about war. (And it has nothing to do with politics, so even if you disagree with mine, you should still watch the trailer.) The movie really captures this chapter of American history. This time during which many millions of people are realizing that their country of stuff, their quench for perfection, their pursuit of more are the root of what's making them dissatisfied and unhappy. Their bubble of "Well, if only I had ____, I would be happy" has burst.

The chapter after the chapters of the 1950s and 60s and then the chapters of the 70s and 80s, during which such distinct changes happened across the board to Americans. Good and bad. From oppression to freedom (not to say that oppression against blacks and women doesn't still exist). From Joseph McCarthy to Ron Paul. From radio to Radiohead. From the Cleavers to the Bradys to the Huxtables to the Friends and now the freaking Kardashians. It's like that movie, Pleasantville. Life went from black and white to color on many levels, which has had its many consequences. Now that we have this color palette to chose from, we can't get enough. We still want more. How else can you explain a Wal-Mart Supercenter in Aurora, Mo. (pop. 7,000) or the jump in suicide rate around the holidays or bratty little kids screaming because they want another Bratz or the out-of-touch parents who keep buying houses they can't afford.

Diving into the subject of what is happiness, either for art or for commerce, isn't new by any means. But I think this movie, which points out the money to be made in helping the unhappy, does a really good job of painting a picture of what the pursuit of happiness is like in America in 2008.