Gravitas Ventures
There are problems many people go through that are universally relatable, but a subset of those are relatable only to a few. Sadly the women affected by postpartum depression are all too common but often hard to understand — for somewhere in the vicinity of 1 in 8 women, they experience an assortment of troubling symptoms that can seem alien to outsiders or even other mothers. And certainly, every day with a young crying baby can seem like the same as the one before it.
is the feature film debut from director/writer Nora Fiffer, starring Lauren Lapkus (a mostly comedic performer) as Joanna, a new mother in her 30s and a graphic designer/artist. For some reason, she finds herself unable to connect with the new bundle of joy, who feels like a stranger and, she keeps worrying, refuses to look at her. So naturally she considers herself a bad mom but also is getting sick and tired of only being around a baby all the time while her husband Lucien (Jean Elie) is too helpful at times (with paranoia about coffee and breast milk) while also having to be at work himself.
Joanna’s old boss Irene (Carrie Coon, a producer on the movie along with Lauren Lapkus) shows up for a brief cameo and to tell Joanna that they simply can’t hire her back on right now. And her friends only show up for moments at a time before they leave again. So Joanna is at her wit’s end, desperate enough to ask her own mother to come and help out — but her mom can’t do it, although she reminds her of a relative nearby — a woman named Miriam (Marilyn Dodds Frank) who was related to them by marriage.
So Joanna meets up with this mystery aunt, who is a struggling actress and a difficult person to deal with, but slowly the two form a bond, and Joanna eventually discovers Miriam has hidden psychological issues that threaten to destroy their fledgling relationship. As the story continues, we follow Joanna as she tries to salvage her friendship and somehow feel like a real person again.
This movie is one of those ‘drama comedies’ in that it’s mostly a drama with a few scenes of levity, mainly bolstered by Lauren Lapkus’ experience and skill as a comedian. But it’s more of a light drama than psychological thriller, a low budget look into a world of one person where the rest of the world flits by them.
It ultimately does go to places with a few dramatized moments and necessary resolutions, but it’s mainly about the connections — Joanna and Miriam, mother and child, and the disconnection to oneself. It’s depressing in parts, but can be funny in the moments of tension or repetitious childcare nonsense.
Don’t expect Carrie Coon to show up much, but she’s always great — the real stars are Lauren Lapkus (who I’ve certainly followed in multiple comedic roles and performances for years) and Marilyn Dodds Frank (who is a longtime character and theater actor, but I haven’t really seen her in anything I recalled before). Also don’t expect this to be a laugh riot or tearjerker, it’s more lying in the comfortable middle of things, small moments and bigger realizations. Sometimes that’s nice as a change of pace from the big blockbusters that nobody wants to see.
Another Happy Day has a run time of 1 hour 31 minutes, and is unrated.
Gravitas Ventures
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