The Happy Poet
The Happy Poet
| 17 September 2010 (USA)
The Happy Poet Trailers

When Bill, the title character, secures a very small loan to start his dream business--a health food stand--his struggles as an idealistic micro-business owner begin.

Reviews
Interesteg What makes it different from others?
BroadcastChic Excellent, a Must See
Marva-nova Amazing worth wacthing. So good. Biased but well made with many good points.
Ortiz Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.
hollygearhart This is one of those little films that makes life bearable, like; Austin,TX, Lake Travis afternoons and a cold beer on a Summer day.The premise of the film is straight forward with the story as old as any Greek morality play-- the central characters are "people you know" in your personal life, staged in a familiar setting(any street America)these are the reasons the film works.The script, character development and direction could use some tweaking; the audience gets to "know" the characters but because there is so little back story on them it is hard to develop much empathy which is frustrating.The direction could be tighter but I can understand why and where the director *may* have made the decision not to corral his actor's movements or why much thought was given to "blocking".On the other paw..the film entertains, informs and its resolution climaxes well. Go see it-rent it now.
gemaria16 Terrific charming indie about a soft spoken but idealistic poet who wants to live green and start a healthy food cart business. I'm surprised this didn't have more press or reviews, but I was drawn to the title and the premise as a fan of indie flicks, a poet, almost vegetarian and dreamer who doesn't want to be, as the main character said, like "most people that hate their jobs". The tension is present from the opening scene: Will he be able to sustain his passion amidst hot dog eaters, doubters, debt, and unscrupulous employees? Director Paul Gordon is mesmerizing as his relatable protagonist Bill nods, mutters, and wraps eggless egg salad sandwiches his way through the business and dating world, earning sympathy and causing the viewer to root for him to find his voice, not just clear his throat. Johnny Mars stands out as the supportive but fallible sidekick who markets creatively, and Chris Doubek is convincing as Curtis, the random moocher whom offers just the right amount of encouragement for Bill to tolerate him and ends up being a guardian angel. Bill's romantic connection to a patient but frustrated Agnes, played well by Liz Fisher, seems just as promising but tenuous as his chances for success. Ultimately, the movie's message is uplifting and falls somewhere in the delicate balance of standing up for yourself and standing up for your dreams, which are not always in sync. As Curis in the movie said, ..."Just because you aren't writing doesn't mean you're not a poet...how you live your life is a work of art. This food is your art." Overall, a unique and enjoyable film with heart warming and laugh out loud moments. Highly recommended.
samnitebc As a person who eats healthy vegetarian foods, I was immediately drawn into the story about a below-average guy who sells vegetarian foods from a hot dog cart in a park. The humor in this movie isn't always obvious because of Paul Gordon's deadpan acting, which is top notch and sometimes infuriating because you want to reach into the television and shake the talking rock that he is. Don't get me started on his lack of skills when it comes to talking to the opposite sex.The script complemented Gordon's acting because of the excessive use of "cool", "yeah", and a few "uh's". Honestly, the writer must've consulted a slacker dictionary to create the dialog. But that's not a negative at all. It worked in this film and added to its charm.As an aside, that "Eggless Egg Sandwich" looked really good.
Bill Papadopoulos I saw the movie before two days in the festival of Thessaloniki. It has good performances , good actors. The plot was quick so during the film you will not get bored at all.The plot has some meanings also. You don't get use to watch movies with organic foods.In the beginning of the movie the first 10-15 minutes are a little confusing(not many action on the story) but later just getting better minute after minute. To tell the truth i was not expecting this movie to be good.. I think that Paul Gordon's and Liz Fisher's performances especially were very promised . The movie is a comedy and i can tell that it's a good one. I think that you cant get any better from a low budget movie!