In today’s age, it’s unusual to see a movie as demonstratively sappy as Hector and the Search for Happiness. In fact, it makes no bones about attempting to eke every emotion from its viewer. At times, it’s even grating. Yet while every instinct repels me from this type of movie, the work of the cast manage to make it more tolerable than it has any right to be.
Based on the book by Francois Lelord, Hector (Simon Pegg) is an emotionally stunted psychiatrist struggling to find happiness. When girlfriend Clara (Rosamund Pike) suggests making their long-term relationship official, Hector breaks the news of his gloomy disposition. To tackle his problem, he takes a lone trip around the globe to study and apply approaches to living a contented existence. Hector travels to China, Africa and America, making new friends as well as catching up with old ones. Along the way, he learns that some deep-seated personal issues may be play a part in his own unhappiness.
As one might expect, it’s an episodic journey as Hector meets and interacts with various people from all over the world. And each seem have different opinions and ideas on the subject both positive and negative. In Shanghai he befriends a terse executive named Edward (Stellan Skarsgård), who espouses the importance of wealth. In Africa, he meets an angry drug cartel named Diego (Jean Reno) who uses power to his benefit (although the reasons for this are soon made clear). Finally, he visits Los Angeles-based Professor Coreman (Christopher Plummer) and past flame Agnes (Toni Collette), who are literal in their study of emotion the it effects on the brain.
As each episode unfolds and Hector interacts with others, he takes brief notes detailing helpful concepts to maintaining happiness. For example, one trick he learns to maintain happiness is to avoid comparison with others. It’s clear that the morals are simple and superficial at times, but then again so is the character. The longer the film runs, the more obvious it becomes that Hector is still a little boy… emotionally, at least.
With a less talented cast, this could have a complete disaster. Thank goodness that Pegg is such a likable and engaging presence – he makes Hector a sweet and innocently awkward doofus who is impossible to dislike, even when the movie is piling on the sentiment. Pleasingly, Hector’s interactions with businessman Edward come off very pleasingly. They’re two completely different personalities with contrasting views and it’s enjoyable to see the two bicker and play off of each other. And overall the film is an awfully pretty travelogue with impressive shots of bustling cities and wild African savannas.
While there are other strong moments some sequences are far more obvious, attempting everything imaginable to pull at the heartstrings. And yes, even with the protagonist’s motivations made clear the barrage of extreme situations result in scenes that are overly manipulative and forced – it will feel suffocating to many.
This is a movie so earnest that viewers can practically see its heart beating on its sleeve. It’s an old-fashioned approach to storytelling in many respects and the filmmakers may have been wiser to have taken a more subtle approach. Regardless, Pegg is exceptional and every now and then the movie hits its sweet spot – usually when it isn’t trying so hard to make an impact.
Truthfully, the cornball shenanigans of Hector and the Search for Happiness probably deserve a rating of C or C+, but its heart is in the right place and it is sporadically effective. This reviewer certainly isn’t going to treat its overall message with contempt. It’s just not for any person with even a microbe of cynicism in their bodies. In the end, those who don’t mind a syrupy gush of feel good sentiment every now and then should appreciate this effort.