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Shayvawn Webster

‘Happiness for Beginners’ Cast and Character Guide: Who Plays Who? (Photos)

Adapted from the 2015 novel by Katherine Center, Netflix’s “Happiness for Beginners” largely takes place in the wilderness, where different kinds of people are forced to bond while braving the elements as they hike the Appalachian Trail. Led by “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” and “The Office” alum Ellie Kemper, the gaggle of goofballs provides laughs of all kinds as well as some heartfelt moments.

Zealous camp guide Bennett (Ben Cook) keeps everything interesting, especially when he scolds Helen (Kemper) for her careless mistakes on the hike and praises Jake (Luke Grimes) for all of his perfect moves in setting up and taking down camp. Nico Santos and Gus Birney even more humor to this romantic comedy story.

Here’s who plays who in “Happiness for Beginners”:

Helen (Ellie Kemper)

Ellie Kemper portrays Helen, who wants to start over after she divorces her husband. She experienced infidelity and a miscarriage during their marriage.

See full article at The Wrap

7/29/2023
by Dessi Gomez
The Wrap

Happiness for Beginners Review

Plot: Helen has always lived her life as far from the edge as possible. Finding herself newly divorced and a little lost, Helen decides she needs a reset and signs up for the “Adventure of a Lifetime!” The adventure is a backcountry survival course hiking the Appalachian Trail with a group of oddball strangers. From the beginning, Helen’s plan to be the best hiker is tested and she finds more than just herself in the wilderness.

Review: Call them schmaltzy, cheesy, dopey, or whatever other of Snow White’s pals you like, but romantic comedies tend to earn a bad rap. For every classic romcom like When Harry Met Sally or Notting Hill, there are countless of cliche and rote takes on the genre out there. With the popularity of Lifetime and Hallmark original movies, it has become increasingly challenging for quality romantic films that are also funny to...

See full article at JoBlo.com

7/28/2023
by Alex Maidy
JoBlo.com

Happiness For Beginners Review: Ellie Kemper Leads Simple, Endearing Rom-Com

Editor's note: This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the [series/movie/etc] being covered here wouldn't exist.

Happiness for Beginners follows Helen (Ellie Kemper), a woman who hasn’t ever really lived life to the fullest. After a lifetime of maintaining a vast distance away from the edge, the newly divorced schoolteacher sets out on a survival course hiking an Appalachian Trail with a quirky band of characters, hoping the adventure helps her learn how to live and love again. Her ideal plans are somewhat disrupted when her younger brother's good friend, Jake (Luke Grimes), who obviously harbors feelings for Helen, also appears on the course.

Based on the novel of the same name by Katherine Center, Happiness for Beginners lives up to the charming reviews of the book. Many have touted it as a heartwarming page-turner,...

See full article at ScreenRant

7/27/2023
by Ferdosa
ScreenRant

‘Happiness for Beginners’ Review: Ellie Kemper Tries to Eat, Pray, Hike the Pain Away in a Hallmark-Worthy Netflix Movie

Vicky Wight’s “Happiness for Beginners” asks a question that it answers with more authority than just about any other film I’ve ever seen: Can something still be considered a Hallmark movie if it was made by Netflix? Legally, not so much. In every other sense, however, there’s no longer even a shred of doubt.

A flat and glossy film about a newly divorced woman who decides to walk the pain away on the Appalachian Trail (a two-week excursion that finds her tripping over tree trunks and falling for a hunky ex-doctor who looks like the human manifestation of a Home Depot), this veritable “Eat, Pray, Hike” leaves no trace of originality or dramatic consequence. The advantages it has over the likes of “We Wish You a Married Christmas” and “Royally Ever After” are twofold: A likable cast, and dignified source material.

“Happiness for Beginners” is the second...

See full article at Indiewire

7/27/2023
by David Ehrlich
Indiewire

‘Happiness for Beginners’ Review: Ellie Kemper Finds Love and a Fresh Start in a Listless Netflix Rom-Com

The premise of Vicky Wight’s Happiness for Beginners sounds like a promising invitation to indulge in an offbeat romantic comedy. It’s a Netflix offering with Hallmark Channel roots: A 30something woman embarks on a journey through the woods to recover from her divorce. What will she find on her sojourn? A renewed sense of hope? Confidence? Romance?

If we stick to the rules of the genre, our heroine Helen (Ellie Kemper) will have it all. Peace lies in the towering trees of upstate New York, where her wilderness survival course takes place. Hope looks like the bonds she makes with her fellow campers. Love takes the shape of a familiar face who helps her remember a past self. In exchange for our attention, we will be rewarded with a couple worth rooting for and learn some truths about life. We might even consider checking out Katherine Center’s novel,...

See full article at The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News

7/25/2023
by Lovia Gyarkye
The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News

Ellie Kemper & Luke Grimes in 'Happiness For Beginners' Netflix Trailer

"If you like him, just tell him." Netflix has revealed the official trailer for a romantic comedy "adventure" called Happiness For Beginners, made by an Irish filmmaker named Vicky Wright. Netflix will release the film streaming starting at the end of July, if anyone needs something light and fun for an emotional boost nowadays. Helen has always lived her life as far from the edge as possible. Newly divorced, she joins a quirky group of strangers on a survival course for the "Adventure of a Lifetime" with the hope of learning how to live - and love - again. She discovers through this experience that sometimes, you have to get really lost in order to find yourself. Happiness For Beginners stars Ellie Kemper, Luke Grimes, Nico Santos, Blythe Danner, Ben Cook, Shayvawn Webster, Esteban Benito, Gus Birney, and Julia Shiplett. This looks nicely easy going & uplifting to watch, especially with Kemper brightening up every frame.

See full article at firstshowing.net

6/29/2023
by Alex Billington
firstshowing.net

First Look: ‘Happiness for Beginners’ with Luke Grimes and Ellie Kemper

Luke Grimes as Jake and Ellie Kemper as Helen in ‘Happiness for Beginners’ (Photo by Barbara Nitke / Netflix)

Netflix has released the first official photos from the upcoming film adaptation of Katherine Center’s bestselling novel Happiness for Beginners. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt‘s Ellie Kemper and Yellowstone‘s Luke Grimes star in the comedy premiering on July 27, 2023.

Kemper and Grimes are joined by Nico Santos, Blythe Danner, and Benjamin Cook. Shayvawn Webster, Esteban Benito, and Julia Shiplett also star.

Describing her attraction to the project, Kemper told Netflix’s Tudum she believed it “was such a well-told story of one woman’s experience in getting to know herself better.” Kemper added, “I was immediately excited about the prospect of playing a woman whose outlook on life, when we first meet her, isn’t so sunny. I’ve played a lot of optimistic rubes, and Helen was neither.”

Vicky Wight adapted Center’s book and directs.

See full article at Showbiz Junkies

4/14/2023
by Rebecca Murray
Showbiz Junkies

Law & Order: Season 22, Episode 16: Nothing TV Show Trailer [NBC]

Law and Order Nothing Trailer — NBC‘s Law & Order: Season 22, Episode 16: Nothing TV show trailer has been released. Cast and crew Law & Order stars Jeffrey Donovan, Anthony Anderson, Camryn Manheim, Hugh Dancy, Odelya Halevi, Sam Waterston, Marcel Simoneau, and Shayvawn Webster. Dick Wolf created this television series and it is [...]

Continue reading: Law & Order: Season 22, Episode 16: Nothing TV Show Trailer [NBC]...

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