Young New Yorkers Seek Greater Self-Awareness in Josh Radnor's Happythankyoumoreplease

My friend Dan is in town this week, and that always means a movie night or two. This time around, we headed for the video store with no clear idea of what we wanted to rent, and after half an hour or so of uninspired browsing, we finally decided to take a chance on 2010’s Happythankyoumoreplease, whose screenplay had received praise on a blog he reads. I’m glad we did. Written and directed by How I Met Your Mother’s Josh Radnor, who also stars, this movie with the rather cumbersome title is a gem of an indie about late 20-somethings in New York City trying to figure out who they are and how they fit into the world.

Radnor is Sam Wexler, a scruffy struggling novelist burdened with an idyllic childhood that’s left him insufficiently angsty. In addition to his lack of personal tragedy, he suffers from reluctance to commit that carries over into his writing. His short stories are brilliant, but sustaining one character for hundreds of pages proves a problem. Then something – or rather someone – comes along to challenge his M.O. On the subway ride to another meeting with an editor, he sees Rasheen (Michael Algieri), a young dark-skinned boy with a sullen, silent face, fail to get off with his family.

Moved in spite of himself, he takes the boy under his wing, only to eventually discover that the separation was intentional and that he is trying to escape from an abusive foster care situation. He knows he should turn Rasheen over to police, but the boy seems to need him, and he likes feeling so valued for a change. His discovery of Rasheen’s raw artistic talent furthers his reluctance to release him to a system that seems to have failed him.

During their first day together, Sam and Rasheen come into contact with three important people. One is Mississippi (Kate Mara), a bartender and cabaret singer who catches Sam’s eye. Neither has the best history of romantic relationships, but each is clearly interested in the other, and Sam proposes an unusual way to get to know each other.

Another is Mary Catherine (Zoe Kazan), a short, fiery friend of Sam’s from way back who is anxious to express her disapproval for his life choices. She is about to face a major decision of her own as her boyfriend, Charlie (Pablo Schreiber), returns home from a business trip and announces his intention to move to L.A. Can she follow the man she loves if it means giving up the places and people that have meant home to her for so long?

The third major character we meet here is Sam’s best friend Annie (Malin Akerman), a woman whose lifelong lack of hair has left her fragile and convinced that she is unworthy of genuine romantic love. Despite her history of being hurt by insensitive cads, there is a radiance to her countenance reflecting a strength of spirit no one can take from her. The depth of friendship she and Sam share is touching, though I found myself wondering why two people who care so deeply for each other never became romantically involved, an issue one of the deleted scenes addresses but never answers. Into Annie’s world steps another Sam, a coworker played by Tony Hale, who I know as Chuck’s deliciously irritating Emmett Milbarge. Sam #2, as he comes to call himself, admires Annie with an unsettling intensity, and the question of whether he is a creep or merely an unconventional suitor becomes one of the most intriguing of the movie.

All of the performances are excellent, from the somber quietude of young Algieri, making his film debut, to the dazed confusion of Radnor as a man who seems to be almost sleepwalking through life. Akerman’s gentle joy is mesmerizing, and Hale left the longest lingering impression on me. In addition to the actors, singer-songwriter Jaymay has a strong presence in the film through her folksy, acoustic songs, most of which manage to sound cheerful and melancholy all at once. This is particularly true when she harmonizes with herself, producing a sound that puts me in mind of my favorite duo, Simon and Garfunkel. Her sprightly melodies and pensive lyrics enhance many of the film’s scenes, and I’m glad the DVD includes a short featurette focusing on her role in the film. In fact, no sooner was the DVD out of the machine than I started searching YouTube for her music.

This movie is rated R for its adult language and situations. Mostly, that means a lot of bedroom scenes, though nothing really explicit, and a liberal sprinkling of a certain word beginning with the letter “f.” If it weren’t for that particular word’s use, I really see no reason why this couldn’t have been PG-13. While it mostly made me roll my eyes, I must admit I got a chuckle out of Sam’s outbursts in the company of Rasheen, to which he immediately adds the admonition, “Don’t swear.” It’s an oddly sweet demonstration of his struggle to make a change in how he relates to the world.

I’d never heard of this movie before last night, and if hadn’t been for our trip to the video store, I don’t know if it ever would have caught my eye. While I didn’t have any negative expectations going into it, I didn’t expect to find the film so moving. I’m happy I watched it, so thank you to Dan for suggesting it, and to Josh Radnor, I will simply say, “More, please!”