Another Happy Day Parent Guide

Joanna (Lauren Lapkus) feels like a failure. A sleep-deprived, moody failure. The birth of her first child has left her with a bad case of post-partum depression, manifested in crying jags, irrational fears, and trouble recognizing reality.

Desperate for help, Joanna reaches out to her mother and asks her to visit. Unable to travel to Chicago, her mother instead puts her in touch with Miriam (Marilyn Dodds Frank), her uncle’s ex-wife. But Miriam is incapable of providing the emotional support Joanna needs, and she soon finds herself helping the irascible elderly woman. Maybe, just maybe, helping someone will give her faltering sense of self-worth a boost.

Another Happy Day is an unsatisfying film for many reasons. It has some unbelievable plot issues and some unpleasant characters but, critically, it fails to adequately address post-partum depression, which is the core of the plot and a vital issue in women’s health. Since I experienced post-partum mood disorders after the births of both my children, I expected to find this movie hard to watch, but it wasn’t. It was just annoying.

The story starts off well, with Joanna, anxious and sleep deprived, reluctant to see her husband (Jean Elie) leave for work. Another day stretches before her in all its isolation and boredom. Her attempts to improve her lot fail, and she’s soon crying on a park bench. All relatable. Moms who find bonding to newborns difficult will also appreciate Joanna’s trouble in seeing herself as a mother or in feeling a sense of connection to her child, who she semi-jokingly refers to as “a parasite”. I wish the film had explored these feelings in more depth instead of just sending Joanna back to Miriam. It’s never believable that Joanna would keep returning to someone who treats her so badly. She has other options and I wish the script spent more time on her quest for relatable friends.

The biggest head-scratcher in this tale, though, is the fact that nobody ever suggests that Joanna see her doctor. Post-partum mood issues are common, and many new mothers will find assistance through medication, counseling, or a good support group. (I tried all three and found counseling the best resource, but different mothers have different needs.) Watching this movie studiously avoid the most obvious resource a mom has is like watching a thriller set on a plane where nobody radios for help. It’s simply inconceivable.

From my perspective, Another Happy Day is a lost opportunity to tell a believable story about one of the biggest transitions of a woman’s life: becoming a mother. There are some decent performances, several highly relatable moments, and a few wry chuckles. What there isn’t is a strong story that will make this a classic film.