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Happy Tears
The characters in Happy Tears are pretty stock for an indie drama/comedy, but you have to give the cast credit for attacking the material with gusto. Posey’s Jayne has escaped her lower-middle-class Pittsburgh roots, and now throws around thousands of dollars on a pair of boots. Jayne’s sister Laura (Moore, radiating a centered earth-mother vibe) has been less successful financially, and she’s clearly the one stuck in the caretaking role for their father Joe (Torn), who is sliding into terminal dementia. He’s shacked up with a woman (Barkin) who claims to be a nurse, but both sisters suspect she’s a crack addict (the broken stethoscope she drapes around her neck is one clue). The sisters spend a rough week trying to figure out what to do with dear old Dad and their childhood home. Quirkiness ensues. There are no real shocks here and some of the plot developments feel false and driven by screenwriting conventions rather than growing out of character.
Still, Posey and Moore do a very convincing two-act as sisters, playing off each other with easy assurance. And Torn could do the required mix of raging at the dying of the light and comic moments in his sleep. Barkin’s performance feels too broad in comparison with her costars. But the real focus here is on Moore and Posey, both playing to their strengths.
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