Smiley Face (film)

Smiley Face is a 2007 comedy film directed and co-produced by Gregg Araki. Written by Dylan Haggerty, it stars Anna Faris as a young woman who has a series of misadventures after eating cupcakes laced with cannabis. The supporting cast includes Danny Masterson, John Krasinski, Adam Brody, Jayma Mays, Marion Ross, Jane Lynch, and Roscoe Lee Browne in his final film.[2] Smiley Face was the ninth feature film directed by Araki.

Smiley Face
Theatrical release poster
Directed byGregg Araki
Produced byGregg Araki
Steve Golin
Alix Madigan-Yorkin
Kevin Turen
Henry Winterstern
Written byDylan Haggerty
StarringAnna Faris
Danny Masterson
John Krasinski
Adam Brody
Jayma Mays
Marion Ross
Jane Lynch
Music byDavid Kitay
CinematographyShawn Kim
Edited byGregg Araki
Production
companies
Anonymous Content
Desperate Pictures
Distributed byFirst Look International
Release date
  • January 21, 2007 (2007-01-21) (Sundance)
  • November 16, 2007 (2007-11-16)
Running time
84 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$179,381[1]

Plot

The story describes an eventful day in the life of Jane F, an unambitious young actress who enjoys smoking cannabis and lives in a Los Angeles apartment with her nerdy, somewhat disturbing roommate Steve. Jane's fateful day begins when she unknowingly consumes an entire plate full of cannabis-laced cupcakes. Realizing her mistake, she makes a list of tasks she must achieve, and how she plans to make them happen. What follows is a relentless stream of disasters caused by Jane's intoxication.

Cast

Reception

Smiley Face premiered at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival, followed by a very small theatrical release; in Los Angeles it had a week long run at the Nuart Theatre in Santa Monica.[3] The film was released to DVD on January 8, 2008.[4] Nathan Lee in his review for the Village Voice wrote that "...100 percent sober when I watched it, I can say with some authority that Dylan Haggerty has written an eleventh-hour candidate for the funniest movie of 2007, that Gregg Araki has directed his finest film since 1997's Nowhere, and that Faris, flawless, rocks their inspired idiot odyssey in a virtuoso comedic turn."[5] It also toured around British cinemas in the summer of 2008 as part of the 22nd London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival.

In his review for The New York Times, Matt Zoller Seitz praised Faris' "freakishly committed performance as Jane F. [that] suggests Amy Adams’s princess from Enchanted dropped into a Cheech and Chong movie".[6] Andrew O'Hehir wrote in his review for Salon, "Smiley Face, has a wonderful performance by Anna Faris and one of the all-time great stoner monologues in movie history".[7] In her review for Cinematical, Monika Bartyzel wrote, "Araki's comedy gives us the best of many comedic worlds in an incessantly funny, easily-quotable serving. From discussions of Marxism to love of lasagna, Smiley Face serves it all — with some weed and a very, very stoned smile".[8] The review of the New York Daily News states that "Not since Sean Penn's Jeff Spicoli in Fast Times at Ridgemont High has an actor so thoroughly dominated the screen while pretending to be in a chemically altered state."[9] In the review of Los Angeles Times it is argued that "Gregg Araki's delirious "Smiley Face" is an unabashed valentine to Anna Faris, an opportunity for the actress to show that she can carry a movie composed of often hilarious nonstop misadventures. No matter how outrageously or foolishly Faris' Jane behaves, she remains blissfully appealing—such are Faris' fearless comedic skills."[10]

However, S. James Snyder, in his review for the New York Sun, wrote, "If this is meant as a lighthearted change of pace for Mr. Araki, after Mysterious Skin, then perhaps he took things too far in the opposite direction. This isn't just light and fluffy; it floats away".[11]

As of June 2020, the film critics aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes listed the film receiving 67% favorable reviews, based on 36 reviews with an average score of 5.89/10; the consensus reads, "Although many of the jokes have been done before, Anna Faris's bright performance and Gregg Araki's sharp direction make Smiley Face more than your average stoner comedy."[12] Faris won the "Stoner of the Year" award at High Times magazine's Stony Awards, in Los Angeles, on October 13, 2007, for her role in Smiley Face.[13]

References
  1. Smiley Face at Box Office Mojo
  2. Zoller, Matt (2010-11-01). "Retrieved on 2009-03-31". Movies.nytimes.com. Retrieved 2011-04-20.
  3. Campbell, Christopher (September 26, 2007). "Araki's Smiley Face Goes Straight to DVD". Cinematical. Retrieved 2008-08-30.
  4. Carroll, Larry (September 26, 2007). "Smiley Face Turns Into A Frown: Anna Faris Comedy Going Straight To DVD". MTV News. Retrieved 2008-08-30.
  5. "High Times" by Nathan Lee in the Village Voice
  6. Seitz, Matt Zoller (December 26, 2007). "Sunshine Daydream, With Pointed Point of View". New York Times. Retrieved 2008-08-30.
  7. O'Hehir, Andrew (January 23, 2007). "Beyond the Multiplex". Salon.com. Retrieved 2008-08-30.
  8. Bartyzel, Monika (September 16, 2007). "TIFF Review: Smiley Face". Cinematical. Retrieved 2008-08-30.
  9. Anna Faris is high point of 'Smiley Face' by Jack Matthews at New York Daily News
  10. "Give Anna a 'Smiley Face' " by Kevin Thomas in the Los Angeles Times
  11. Snyder, S, James (December 26, 2007). "This Is Your Movie on Drugs". New York Sun. Retrieved 2008-08-30.
  12. "Smiley Face Movie Reviews". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved June 1, 2020.
  13. "Seth Rogen is Stoner of the Year". celebstoner. Archived from the original on 2008-01-20.
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