Friends see each other for the first time in a long while and have to decide if they want to discuss the hard subject, one that may kill their friendship.
Written and directed by Ted Malawer, Happy for You starts off as you’d expect with two longtime friends reuniting, going through the updates and small talk, spending some time together, being friendly and cordial, until that one subject comes up. One friend wants to keep it closed for discussion to preserve the friendship while the other needs it out in the open for the same reason. This disconnect is where things start to show stress, and the already damaged friendship starts fracturing further. The writing here is solid, and the direction works with it beautifully well. The friendship at hand is already in peril at the start of the film, but no one seems more the wiser, something the Malawer shows with the basics being there, friendliness, a bit of good ribbing, but something feels off. The delicate nature of the subject in the middle of the potential friendship ending, the way feelings are handled at first which gradually changes, show that the writing here is well thought out, well planned, carefully done, and brought to the screen by the direction in just the right way.
The leads here have just the right chemistry for this, with Mallory Portnoy playing Abby, the friend who is hosting, and Phillip James Brannon playing Mark, the guest who has something he doesn’t really want to share. These two are great here, playing these flawed characters, these very human characters just right for the needs of the film. Are they people you’d agree to hang out with by the end of the film? Probably not. However, they bring humanity and realism to their characters and the slowly degrading friendship between them. Joining them are Mark Junek who gets basically just a bleep of a part, so hard to tell anything about his acting here and Jamie Brewer as Ali, the sister to the lead while giving a great performance in just a few minutes.
The cinematography by Ryan De Franco is simple and works great for the film. Every scene is clear, every angle just right, no big flourishes here, but none needed. The work fits the story and that is all we ask for as an audience with this type of story. Very similarly, the score by Fitz Patton is good but not one that particularly stands out; it’s right for the story and does not try to overtake it.
Happy for You is a sold short about a friendship where a secret risks killing it. The writing, direction, and acting are on point with solid supporting cinematography and score. It’s an effective short film about adult friendship and secrets as well as the importance to be able to communicate openly no matter the subject.