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Alexis Bazos
Dr. Erin McLaughlin
Multimedia Writing & Rhetoric
10 October 2016
The Film Happy & How it Aids In Your Own Personal Search For Happiness
Researchers have become acutely aware that over the past decade, Americans perceived
happiness has been on the decline. In 2011, in an attempt to further our understanding of the
global meaning of happiness and how this relates to happiness in America, director and writer
Roko Belic created the film Happy. Through real life stories, professional opinions, and concrete
data, the film Happy both directly and indirectly argues that happiness stems not from ones
ability to dodge conflict, but rather from the rate at which one can recover from controversy.
Richard J. Davidson outwardly supports this claim when he states, One of the key ingredients to
happiness is being able to recover from adversity more quickly (00:23:19-00:00:23:26). Many
of the personal stories of interviewees included in the film portray poor living circumstances or
devastating tragedies. In keeping with the films initial claim that only 10% of ones happiness is
determined by his or her circumstances, the interviewees were shown leading happy lives despite
their conditions (00:06:23-00:06:36). The film also emphasises the importance of relying on
close social connections during difficult times. The idea that you can recover more quickly from
tough times with the support of others is prevalent in almost every scenario. It is evident that
rhetorical strategies were utilized in an attempt to convey this message to Belics audience.
Happy utilizes specific rhetorical strategies, namely the types of stories included, the
cinematography, and the sequence of the compilation of each segment, in order to effectively
portray how the many interviewees in the film overcame adversity with the support of their

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respective communities; moreover the filmmakers successfully persuade the audience to look
closer at their own lives in an effort to be more appreciative of all that they have.

The film includes a segment on Melissa Moody, who is living proof that happiness is not
created by what happens to you, but rather by how you choose to live despite your set of given
circumstances. Prior to her accident Moody, was leading an almost picture perfect life. Many
would have envied her luxurious lifestyle (00:16:52-00:23:10). Viewers, subconsciously or not,
would likely expect there to be a direct correlation between Moodys beauty and her happiness as
it seemed that much of her lifestyle was provided through the fact that she was a debutant. When
Moodys face was destroyed after being run over by a truck, viewers would expect to see a
downfall in her happiness levels. Interestingly, after recovering from her injuries, Moody stated
that she is happier now than ever before. Her injury taught her who and what really mattered in
life. Moody explains how her husband left her after her face was irreversibly damaged. This
speaks to the films idea of leaning on only those you can trust will support you in times of need.
This segment makes members of the audience question who should be included in their own
supportive social network.

The cinematography of Moodys story enhances the message of regaining happiness

despite unfortunate circumstances because it focuses on the element of surprise which invites a
more dramatic emotional response from viewers. The filmmakers intentionally included both
images of Moody prior to and following her accident (00:20:45). The contrast between these
photographs would lead viewers to believe that Moodys life took a dramatic turn for the worse.
The juxtaposition of the two images (one of Moody as a featurely flawless woman, and the other
of Moodys battered, post-accident face) makes a lasting impression on viewers. Judith

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Lancioni, an Assistant Professor at Rowan University, introduced this idea in her work entitled
The Rhetoric of the Frame, in which she claimed, The visual object invites certain responses
and discourages others (106). Viewers are reacting to the images even prior to hearing Moodys
first person account. After seeing the dramatic change in Moodys appearance, it is probable that
viewers begin to reflect on how they themselves would be able to recover from such a situation.
It was not until Moody began speaking about her newfound love and happiness that viewers
could appreciate her remarkable recovery and positive outlook on her situation. The hope is that
with the viewers deep understanding of how substantial Moodys injuries actually were, he or
she can have an even greater appreciation for Moodys ability to use her accident as a mode of
transforming her life for the better. This would hopefully lead to the viewer feeling more capable
of overcoming their own personal hurdles.

Because the filmmakers of Happy included stories about individuals living less well off
than the average American, viewers are inadvertently encouraged to search for a new
appreciation of their own lifestyles. Many of the real life stories included were told from the
perspective of individuals who live drastically different lives from United States residents. The
fact that these individuals remained happy despite their lack of amenities or basic life necessities,
shows viewers that they should be more appreciative of their possibly more mundane, yet
relatively lavish lifestyles. The film opens with an account of a man living in an impoverished
Indian village. He describes his daily work as the camera follows him throughout his laborious
day. Even though he is obviously struggling as he pulls a carriage full of people through his
town barefoot, a smile never leaves his face as he describes how he manages to cope through the
monsoons and brutal winters. Before his shack is shown on film, he mentions living in a good
house (00:01:26-00:04:00). With our own ideas of what a good house is fresh in our minds,

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we are brought to an image of his house, which more closely resembles a wooden frame draped
with tarps. The filmmakers knew their audience and knew that they likely live in houses
dissimilar to this mans. James A. Herrick, an American Professor, speaks about the relationship
between rhetoric and audience in his book The History and Theory of Rhetoric. Herrick states,
Rhetoric is planned with some audience in mind (8). Because of the filmmakers attention to
this concept, viewers are forced to think of their own house, and how this one likely pales in
comparison. This begs the question of whether or not our expectations are too high in America.
If we assessed our lifestyles using the same scale as this man, there is no question that every
aspect of our life would be very highly rated. We know this is not the case, because the film goes
right into saying that this mans happiness level matches that of the average American. Gretchen
Rubin, an American author, addresses the danger of taking her good fortune for granted when
writes about her big fear in her book The Happiness Project. Gretchen states, I do not want to
look back, at the end of my life or after some great catastrophe, and think, How happy I used to
be then, if only Id realized it' (3). Rubin acknowledges that her life is likely far superior to
many others, but struggles with being able to fully recognize the full worth of her good fortune.
It is possible that seeing this segment of the film would aid her in her search for greater
appreciation. Although the filmmakers of Happy do not explicitly tell viewers to feel blessed
because of their potentially mundane yet satisfying American lives, through their stories of
individuals in poor living situations, they do encourage the average American to take a closer
look at all that they have.

Because we have learned that recovering from adversity is so important, it may be helpful
to recognize that Belic hints that one can improve his ability to do so by surrounding oneself
with people to whom they feel closely connected. While each of these people were presented

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with different challenges, every individual had ultimately recovered from their despair and regained happiness. Being surrounded by loved ones and a supportive community was a central
theme in obtaining this happiness. In Happy, a family living in Louisiana embodies this concept.
The family essentially has very little; they are not blessed with money nor a nice place to live,
and they go crabbing in an effort to provide cheap dinners for one another (00:25:39-00:27:58).
All of these inconveniences, which could lead to ones unhappiness, become insignificant when
the family members are surrounded by one another. It is the close social ties that they have to
one another, the memories shared, and the weekly get togethers that make these people so
consistently happy. The man living in an impoverished Indian village further proves this point
through one of his quotes, My neighbors are good. We stay together and that makes us happy
(00:03:52-00:03:54). A similar situation is presented in the form of a recently divorced woman
living with her children in a communal home in Denmark (00:38:54-00:00:43:47). This woman
was able to regain happiness because the supportive community in which she now lives. She
states, If I had to live in a flat alone, I would go down, I would be depressed. Being able come
together over meals, and share normally tedious responsibilities with a small group of people
allowed this woman to focus on all the good in her life. The filmmakers of Happy did an
excellent job of portraying this communal home in a positive light. Every snapshot contained
people of all ages smiling, working, and growing together. Upbeat music was played in the
background, which creates a light mood without pulling the direction away from the story being
told. It was the combination of the womans personal account with the addition of the
enlightening film choices that made the segment so convincing. In all of these examples, we see
how an individual with reasons to be unhappy finds happiness through the comfort and support
of other people.

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From another perspective, some would argue that connections, although nice, have very
little to do with happiness as long as the individual is independently wealthy. In America
especially, people place a huge emphasis on the perceived direct correlation between money and
happiness. In the film, when a man is asked what will make him feel successful, he replies with
money (00:24:07-00:24:16). While this is a belief held by many, it has been proven that it is
simply a misconception. Tim Kasser states, in the last 50 years, economic growth has gone up
in America, for example we are about twice as wealthy as we were 50 years ago, but nationally
representative surveys of happiness show that happiness has remained stagnant (00:24:2400:24:41). Happy also states that once an individuals basic needs are met, money does not buy
happiness (00:25:00-00:25:10). To an even more extreme extent, the film shows how Japan is
literally being overworked to death (00:29:56-00:32:03). This extra work, which likely leads to
extra income, is having quite the negative effect on the Japanese population. The
cinematography was powerful done throughout this scene. Tired looking people were shown
moving quickly, yet in slow motion. After watching men sleeping on trains, a sign with the
question Be Happy!? appeared through the windows (00:34:52-00:36:00). This sends a
powerful message to all viewers, and makes them look further at the question of whether or not
money leads to happiness. While some might continue to argue differently because they still
yearn for the extra material goods, the film shows time and time again how it is the emotional
connections in life that allow one to achieve an ultimate feeling of success.
Because of Happys careful consideration of their audience and effective usage of
rhetorical filming techniques, viewers might be left with even more questions than the film
answered. These are questions that can be directed both at the community in which we live, and
ourselves. For example, does the recovery from hardship actually lead to happiness? If this is

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true, is it possible for us to discover a newfound appreciation for our lifestyles without
experiencing some traumatic event? Furthermore, can the people with whom we surround
ourselves really make us feel more successful? Belic likely does not expect viewers to have the
answers to these questions. However, if he is able to make one think about such topics
throughout his or her daily life, he has achieved the goal of assisting Americans in their search
for happiness. Thus, his film has served a purpose.

Works Cited
Belic, R. "Happy [Film]." New York: Wadi Rum Productions (2011).
Herrick, James A. History and Theory of Rhetoric: An Introduction. Routledge, 2015.
Lancioni, Judith. The Rhetoric of The Frame. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.
Rubin, Gretchen. The Happiness Project: Or Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning,
Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun. New
York, NY: Harper, 2009. Print.