Drama

The Happy Ending

- Marriage is a 30 billion dollar business! And that's just to get married.

The triumphs and failures of middle age as seen through the eyes of runaway American housewife Mary Wilson, a woman who believes that ultimate reality exists above and beyond the routine procedures of conscious, uninspired, everyday life. She feels cheated by an older generation that taught her to settle for nothing less than storybook finales, people who are disillusioned and restless and don't know why, people for whom life holds no easy answers.

Release Date : 1969-12-21

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Pax Enterprises

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : Mary Wilson

Original Name : Jean Simmons

Gender : Female

Character Name : Fred Wilson

Original Name : John Forsythe

Gender : Male

Character Name : Flo Harrigan

Original Name : Shirley Jones

Gender : Female

Character Name : Sam

Original Name : Lloyd Bridges

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mrs. Spencer

Original Name : Teresa Wright

Gender : Female

Character Name : Harry Bricker

Original Name : Dick Shawn

Gender : Male

Character Name : Agnes

Original Name : Nanette Fabray

Gender : Female

Character Name : Franco (as Robert Darin)

Original Name : Bobby Darin

Gender : Male

Character Name : Helen Bricker

Original Name : Tina Louise

Gender : Female

Character Name : Marge Wilson

Original Name : Kathy Fields

Gender : Male

Character Name : Divorcee

Original Name : Karen Steele

Gender : Female

Character Name : Betty

Original Name : Gail Hensley

Gender : Male

Character Name : Ethel

Original Name : Eve Brent

Gender : Female

Character Name : Minister

Original Name : William O'Connell

Gender : Male

Character Name : Handsome Man

Original Name : Barry Cahill

Gender : Male

Character Name : Cindy

Original Name : Miriam Blake

Gender : Male

Character Name : Marge as a Child (uncredited)

Original Name : Erin Moran

Gender : Female

Reviews

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2023-06-03

The interesting topic for this film just about gives it enough steam to sustain the almost two hours of screen time. Jean Simmons ("Mary") is suffering from a long-term ennui with husband "Fred" (John Forsythe) and after trying drink and drugs to stimulate her existence, she absconds to the Bahamas (pawning her watch to fund this) on the evening of their wedding anniversary. It's on the plane that she encounters old friend "Flo" (Shirley Jones) and her pal "Sam" (Lloyd Bridges) and upon arrival they take the now penniless "Mary" in charge. It doesn't take long for the disillusioned lady to start to release that the grass is never really any greener, but her time in this idyllic location does allow her to recalibrate her priorities and sense of self (as well as to evaluate how her own life bears comparison with those of her friends). Simmons reminded me a little of Liz Taylor in this film. She has a confidence to portray a middle aged woman with demons and doubts; flawed and envious but kind and lonely too. Jones is good, also, as the friend whose life adds up to little more than series of relationships with wealthy men who have delivered fun and luxury, but little of substance. It falls to Bobby Darin's ("Franco") to finally help the penny to drop. Sadly, the film also focusses on the other half of this partnership a little too much, as Forsythe just had no weight as actor. Sure he was debonaire and had a certain class about him, but even at his ostensibly most impassioned in this film, his characterisation of the loving husband was more akin to that of a caring doctor. There was nothing remotely visceral about his effort, and that - I felt - really compromised the overall value of the film. Lloyd Bridges was never my favourite actor either, and here he contributes little of value by way of a foil to the kindly but selfish Jones. Plenty for us to get our teeth into, with a good strong story (though I didn't much like the ending) directed with a pace that suited the star. The dialogue is wordy, and sometimes a little melodramatic, but it is still a vehicle for fans of Jean Simmons to enjoy. Could have been much better, though.