What It's About:

No matter what life throws her way—a stolen bike, a cutting remark—chipper, 30-year-old primary-school teacher Poppy (Hawkins) always sports a smile. Content as a single gal, Poppy enjoys the camaraderie of her best friend and flatmate Zoe (Alexis Zegerman), with whom she shares an especially intimate bond. But her encounters with sour, angry driving instructor Scott (Marsan) challenge Poppy’s natural effervescence, especially once a kindly social worker (Samuel Roulkin) enters her life.

Why I Love It:

Don't miss this Oscar-nominated film from Mike Leigh, about a free-spirited working-class British gal confronting a truly noxious soul. Ever the optimist, Poppy can’t help but try to change Scott’s malignant, borderline psychotic attitude- but can she ever succeed? The appealing Hawkins turns in a star-making performance here, and in the most unsympathetic of roles, Marsan is also superb. Funny, sad, and life-affirming in equal measure, "Happy" is a perceptive slice of-life drama that stays with you.