What's So Bad About Feeling Good?

This incredible film starring the late Mary Tyler Moore and the late George Peppard deserves a lot more attention than it received at the time of its initial release. It is difficult to locate today and that is a shame. Funny and profound, it offers wonderful entertainment for all ages. The story seems timeless in many ways. Although the plot might not please Madison Avenue, it perhaps reflects truths about a consumer economy. Yet its uplifting spiritual message and completely charming plot make it truly memorable. It seems to me this really overlooked gem of a movie sets a high standard. Very well acted and directed, beautifully written and filmed with visual power, it deserves a 10 in my opinion. Watch this film to spend an enthralling period of time. It is really, really, really excellent!

I remember this fun comedy as a kid and have been hoping and waiting for it to be released on Video & DVD...not yet. While silly on the surface, the ideas expressed were thought provoking. The crazy 60s style of the film would would lend it a current popularity promoted by films like Austin Powers.

With the coronavirus pandemic still creating havoc around the world, I thought it was timely to talk a little bit about What's So Bad About Feeling Good?, a light-hearted comedy about a very different type of virus, one that makes you happy and kind. A little known film, which unfortunately bombed upon its release and was quickly forgotten, it's now a perfect diversion for those feeling down and heavy because of Covid-19. When seen against the backdrop of the current outbreak, there are some surprising parallels between how the authorities react to deal with this 'feel-good' virus and the present situation, especially as the story is set in New York City, which has been particularly hard hit by the coronavirus. The premise is as original as it is ridiculous: good feeling is being spread by a toucan on the loose, and can be further transmitted upon contact (in much the same way as the coronavirus). It first hits a down beaten hippie community that has adopted lethargic depression as an existential philosophy and spreads throughout NY from there. While there does not seem to be any negative sides to the contamination (after all, what's so bad about feeling good?), the powers that be, led by a neurotic buffoon (delightfully played by Dom DeLuise), are bent on eradicating both virus and toucan, as you just can't have New-Yorkers running around feeling happy and polite, and not caring a damn about competing in the rat race...plus it's obviously a commie scheme to undermine the USA. In that respect, the film uses the spread of the so-called virus to make some fairly smart comments and mild criticism of modern society. There are also some amusing takes on hippie and beatnik culture of the time that contribute to the good-natured fun. Much of humor is silly, but George Peppard, Mary Tyler Moore and DeLuise manage to make the whole thing mildly entertaining. Unfortunately, the plot does not develop its premise in particularly inventive directions, ultimately focusing more on the efforts of the authorities to combat the infection than depicting its actual spread within the society writ large and the potentially crazy and amusing repercussions and situations that could have resulted. While Peppard and Tyler Moore are an engaging starring duo, there is limited development of their characters or their relationship. I was left with the feeling that this was a great idea that should have led to more entertaining possibilities. Still I found the overall result somewhat above average considering the originality of its starting point, some good jokes and satirical observations, and satisfying performances.

I almost can't find anything significant to criticize about this film. Amigo the toucan is as cute as can be, the humor is good, the mood is very positive, the scientific foundation is plausible, the political implications are right on target, the fragments of '60s psychedelic music are good, and there are deep philosophical issues underlying it all. Excellent!

The only part I regard as a minor fault is that after the drop-out philosophers become euphoric with the happiness virus, they want to cut their hair, get jobs, and get married. The implication is that American society's current conventions are the optimal route to happiness. Sorry, but I can't buy that. Other than that one lapse of insight, though, the film is well thought-out, charming, and humorous.

Some of the humorous high points are Liz (Mary Tyler Moore) giggling hysterically as the toucan hidden under her dress begins tickling her, Pete (George Peppard) putting on his German philosopher disguise in order to infect as many friends as possible with the airborne happiness virus, a morose beatnik lady called "The Sack" who lives with a sack permanently draped over her head, a hotheaded Greek freighter captain who undergoes a complete personality change, and the voyeuristic officials watching a couple on their honeymoon night via hidden cameras with suspiciously excessive eagerness.

In this era of explicit torture films and child murder films, it's practically a sin that such an upbeat, positive film about happiness isn't even available while all those other depressing movies are. This film is definitely among my top 20 favorite films of all time.

This is a distinctly old-fashioned comedy, created by middle-aged guys who'd written Marx Brothers movies and cute comedies like Miracle on 34th Street. In some ways, the movie feels antiquated and out of touch; its '60s nihilistic "East Village artists" are Beatnik throwbacks, and the writers believe that if people were happy, men would be clean shaven and wear suits, women would get their hair done, and everyone would get married.

But if the film is out of touch with the world it's set in, it is perfectly in touch with the Capra-esque sensibility it's aiming at. After a slow start, the movie becomes quite funny, and it has a charm and sweetness about it that was already long out of style by the time of its release.

I saw this movie decades ago and really liked it, and I'm happy to say that, all these years later, I still find its humor and positive message (and no, it's not a particularly subversive message, though it is a sweet one) compensate for its old-fashioned out-of-touchness.