
In the opening sequence, we see Helen (Ellie Kemper) at a party, alone. Surrounded by people who are talking, laughing, drinking, and dancing, no one pays any attention to her. Out of boredom, she takes out a piece of paper to check her goals for a Happiness for Beginners upcoming hiking trip. These include the likes of: “ Find a deeper connection to nature”, ‘Rise from my ashes like a freaking phoenix,” and “Earn a damned certificate.”
Helen’s brother Duncan is the host of the party, and she is only there to hand him her house keys so he can look after her place. Unfortunately, he left with his girlfriend and so she handed the keys over to Duncan’s friend, Jake (Luke Grimes from “Yellowstone”). He tells her “You used to be so much fun. Why don’t you stay?” “I’m like so much fun you wouldn’t be able to comprehend it,” she responds bristling. Even before we are shown Helen giving her brother a laminated to-do list for house-sitting, we can already tell that her life has transformed into a prison due to a lack of fun.
The divorce and its accompanying discontent are the figurative ashes Ms. Munoz seeks to emerge. However, I don’t presume many films have been consumed by her as it is easy to predict that she will come to accept some other amiss-sha-crushes from her past throughout the trip, and I am not trying to be mean. Further, when the guide, Beckett (Ben Cook), claims that this hike, which spans 81 miles of the Appalachian Trail in Connecticut and New York, is going to be “daunting but beautiful”, he is talking about life and everything that all of us have to contend with and all of us have to look forward to.
There is a lot more to appreciate here, like the needle drop of Poppy and the picture-perfect views of New England with the beautiful fall colors by Daniel Vecchione, and Pablo Neruda’s magnificent poetry. “All of us are more than we appear to be,” is the description of some of the characters by one of them. They all have the opportunity to astonish us and in the process surprise themselves as well. The ever so lovely and positive Shayvawn Webster plays the upbeat wind which possesses one of the most important scenes in the title of the film. I think Gus Birney makes the most surprising performance as the seemingly shallow Kaylee. Even Beckett, the Boy Scout-aged leader, shows us another side. The pre-credit scene has one of his most comical attributes. Blythe Danner is a delight to watch as she plays the grandmother of Helen, always a treasure and a pure delight.
At the center of it is Kemper’s Helen, and indeed, this part seems like a perfect match. As opposed to some of the more cheery parts Kemper has played, Helen gives more scope for nuance and complexity. One does not have to look hard to discern her fundamental glow which even in the non-made-up scenes on the trail or the ‘bare’ hiking sections, she does have. Kemper cannot tell her tale without including a childhood memory, and even so, she has to work hard to portray the uncomfortable range of emotions evoked by loss. What many people are often astonished by is the range of joy, particularly soft or fleeting joy and grief she can conjure up for the story’s beginning, and sorrow, shame, anger, and the sheer effort that has gone into so many years of suppressing these memories into a box, she can portray during the middle and the end of the tale.
Grimes’ performance is true of a more traditional role; the phrase casual observer comes to mind when trying to encompass the scope of the word. But even as he has this big revelation it is good news for all. However, Jake’s character brings forth a much-needed sense of dry mirth. His affection for Helen is remarkable, and it becomes evident even before she does. More crucial, at that instant, we hope that she has some awareness of them.
The renowned work by Center has been transformed into a self-sustaining source of material for writer and director Vicky Wight, and along with their previous venture together on “The Lost Husband,” here she manages to keep a brilliant but allows for gentle moments.
The audience will certainly take the opportunity to appreciate the fact that the first step into a happy life is gratitude. So, some of you might gather courage and start hiking the Appalachian Trail.
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