Happiness for Beginners movie storyline. A year after getting divorced, Helen Carpenter, thirty-two, lets her annoying, ten years younger brother talk her into signing up for a wilderness survival course. It’s supposed to be a chance for her to pull herself together again, but when she discovers that her brother’s even-more-annoying best friend is also coming on the trip, she can’t imagine how it will be anything other than a disaster.
Happiness for Beginners is a 2023 American romantic comedy film starring Ellie Kemper and Luke Grimes, an adaptation of the Katherine Center 2015 novel of the same name. The novel was adapted for the screen and directed by Vicky Wight. The film was released by Netflix on July 27, 2023.
The film is directed by Vicky Wight from the 2015 Katherine Center novel, with the project announced in October 2021. Wight has a co-writing credit with Center on the project and previously directed an adaptation of another Center novel, The Lost Husband (2020). Center has an executive producer credit on the film, along with Jeff Sackman and Larry Greenberg while Wight also produces, with Geoff Linville and Berry Meyerowitz
About the Story
Divorcée Helen books a beginners’ Appalachian Trail survivalist course. While seeking her brother Duncan to give him keys to housesit, she sees her brother’s friend Jake. Helen’s ex Mike calls, reminding her their sixth wedding anniversary would have been today, so she has a flashback. Both Jake and Duncan were at the wedding, disapproving of the clumsy Mike.
Helen pops in to see Gigi, the grandmother who’d raised them, on her drive from Pittsburgh. Staying in the designated Connecticut motel, the next morning the young hiking guide Beckett gives them their trip orientation. Introducing themselves, 40+ Helen discovers she’s one of the eldest participants, which fellow older hiker Hugh happily notes. Then she is shocked to see Jake.
Confronting Jake afterward, as he won’t leave, Helen suggests they not interact and keep their connection quiet. Shortly after the bus drops the group off at the 50+ mile hike’s starting point, Helen immediately gashes her leg. Jake, a doctor and designated EMT, dresses her wound and congratulates her on her divorce.
Soon after, Helen gets scolded for stepping on a log, one of many rules they should have memorised. They learn how to put up a bear hang to protect them and their food. Helen’s tentmate Windy is ‘crushing on’ Jake, but Helen only sees him as immature.
The next morning, Helen asks Jake for help with blisters as she has the wrong footwear and didn’t prevent them. Beckett partially blames Mason, the Wall Street hiker, for not being a team player by pushing everyone.
Windy tries to promote positive thinking. Everyone gets to know each other, Hugh sharing that he had been an aspiring actor but now sells insurance. When they are next alone, Helen confronts Jake about his staring and hovering. He says he simply fears her returning to Mike, as he’s not good enough for her.
After hiking for ten days, Beckett has them rehike a route, grouped according to speed. He insists Mason go with the slower hikers to promote team-building. Before leaving, Beckett has a fit when he finds Helen’s personal goal list, which she had accidentally dropped. No one claims it, but Jake quietly shows he knows, then hands her something to read later.
In Helen’s hiking group, they gossip about Jake and Windy, suggesting chemistry, as a quick kiss is mentioned. While everyone else is checking the map, Hugh foolishly plays balance beam on a rotten log. Breaking his leg, as Mason freezes, Helen goes for help.
Helen catches up with the lead group after nightfall, so they decide to go find them at dawn. Sharing a tent with Jake, she tells him about her middle brother Nathan. He drowned when Helen was six, which she felt responsible for. The family unraveled, as their dad, then their mother, left them. They both act jealous: Jake over her accepting Mike’s constant messages and Helen over his kiss with Windy, although it was during a game of Truth or Dare.
Happiness for Beginners (2023)
Directed by: Vicky Wight
Starring: Ellie Kemper, Luke Grimes, Nico Santos, Blythe Danner, Ben Cook, Shayvawn Webster, Julia Shiplett, Gus Birney, Esteban Benito, Alexander Koch, Mary Neely, Joel Blum, Asher Shovilin
Screenplay by: Vicky Wight
Production Design by: Diz Jeppe
Cinematography by: Daniel Vecchione
Film Editing by: Suzanne Spangler
Costume Design by: Deirdra Elizabeth Govan
Set Decoration by: Jade Goheen
Art Direction by: Lily Bolles
Music by: Sherri Chung
MPAA Rating: None.
Distributed by: Netflix
Release Date: July 27, 2023
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