For some, a post-divorce reset means getting a drastic new haircut. But in Happiness for Beginners, Helen (Ellie Kemper) deals with the end of her marriage in a more creative way: by enrolling in a backcountry survival course hiking the Appalachian Trail.
Written and directed by Vicky Wight, this adaptation of Katherine Center’s novel of the same name follows Helen as she and her quirky group of fellow hikers test themselves against nature. As it turns out, though, bear traps and blisters might be easier to deal with than the arrival of handsome newcomer Jake (Luke Grimes). Will Helen find more than mosquitoes in the wilderness?
Get a first look at Kemper and Grimes as Helen and Jake in the trailer above, and keep scrolling for more information on Happiness for Beginners.
Helen has always played it safe. But now, newly divorced, she joins a course promising the “adventure of a lifetime” with the hope of learning how to live — and love — again.
“I thought it was such a well-told story of one woman’s experience in getting to know herself better,” Kemper tells Tudum about what drew her to the film. “I was immediately excited about the prospect of playing a woman whose outlook on life, when we first meet her, isn’t so sunny. I’ve played a lot of optimistic rubes, and Helen was neither.”
Nico Santos, Blythe Danner, Ben Cook, Shayvawn Webster, Esteban Benito, Gus Birney and Julia Shiplett join Kemper and Grimes on this woodsy adventure.
“The cast was an absolute dream and they all became good friends during our shoot,” Wight says. “Not only did everyone shine individually but each actor was an exceptionally generous and inventive scene partner. They were improvisational and trusting with one another and me, which added so much chemistry on-screen.”
Speaking of chemistry: “Ellie and Luke really set a lovely, inclusive tone and they were both a joy from start to finish,” Wight adds.
Yes. The film is based on the 2015 novel by Katherine Center. In fact, Happiness for Beginners is Wight’s second adaptation of a title from Center’s oeuvre. In 2020, she released The Lost Husband, based on Center’s 2013 novel of the same name.
But whether you’re already a fan or coming in fresh, Wight warns she has some surprises planned ahead. “Katherine is the perfect novelist when it comes to adaptation because she’s hands off,” Wight says. “She understands that the novel can’t go word-for-word on-screen so she’s very supportive about the process of reshaping the story while keeping the integrity of her source material. There’s a reason novels are credited as ‘based on’ or ‘inspired by’ when they’re adapted, and Katherine truly gets it.”
Mark your calendars! Happiness for Beginners will stream on Netflix on July 27. “I hope it feels like an escape and a little adventure with friends,” Wight says about the film. Until then, she offers a piece of wisdom: “Happiness is all about letting go of the past and being where your feet are.”
Check out Wight’s 2020 film The Lost Husband or lose yourself in some of the romantic comedies currently streaming on Netflix below:
