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 flat-mate Zoe (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 (Roulkin) enters her life.

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.