Family reunions can be a joyous time, but it can also be a contentious time, where hidden drama and interpersonal politics can rear their head. Unresolved issues can reach boiling point at the supposedly merry occasion typically reserved for frivolity and merriment. In 2011, following the spy-filled antics of Operation: Endgame, Sam Levinson turned the simmer down and heated some family drama in Another Happy Day.

The Dylans are briefly reunited when the eldest son of Lynn Dylan, is about to be married, with the separated halves of the clan sharing one accommodation. Immediately, this situation causes grave anxiety for Lynn, who is divorced and will be seeing her ex, and his new partner at her parent’s home for the first time. From Drug abuse to general dysfunction, the Dylan family will have to face head-on as the big day looms ever closer. With all the drama and dysfunction, will the Dylans make it through the weekend?

A family wedding is a good melting pot of conflict, as That’s My Boy so succinctly managed to exploit for comedy, The interpersonal dramas are going to be doing a lot of the heavy lifting. There’s a certain efficiency about getting the interesting characters set up and established in 5 minutes. We learn of the rocky relationships that lie ahead of us. Ranging from Eliot’s fictitious stay in Sweden (despite knowing next to little about the country) to Lynn coming face to face with her ex, and his new partner. As opposed to Operation Endgame, Sam Levinson is in the director’s chair here, so his artistic vision remains largely unaltered. How much of the Dylans’s lives reflects his own life is uncertain but you can spot the similarities from the stories he has made public about his experiences in the past, especially in Eliot’s plot.

Much like Operation: Endgame, Another Happy Day features another dynamite cast for Sam Levinson to work with. The Dylans themselves consisting of such recognisable stars like Ezra Miller, as does George Kennedy, Demi Moore, and Thomas Hayden Church are just some of the more recognisable names here. The cast does return the favour, giving strong performances that I haven’t seen in a while. Even if the result feels very Warts and All, it is not exactly repeat bingeing material, but certainly offers characters and performances that benefit from at least one viewing.

Dialling down the zany stakes of Operation: Endgame, Sam Levinson returns with a compelling family drama, one that feels pretty close to a lot of the submerged drama that runs deep through a lot of families. However, with the pathos comes comedy that the film manages to delve into. There is a sense of humanity that comes from the performances and the characters. While it may not be a film that you put on time and time again, you might want to make a calendar date with the Dylans for Another Happy Day.

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