FairWays to Happiness

An erratic but satisfying documentary, FairWays to Happiness follows Doug Morrione as he attempts to discern why some folks are more content than others – with Morrione’s search for answers assisted by statistics and interviews. It’s intriguing subject matter that’s employed to hit-and-miss yet often eye-opening effect by Morrione, as the filmmaker delivers a palpably padded-out endeavor that admittedly does grow more and more interesting (and ingratiating) as it progresses – with the movie’s opening stretch, which feels like a promotional video for Dubai more than anything else, certainly doing little to initially draw the viewer into the proceedings. There’s little doubt, then, that FairWays to Happiness benefits from a midsection that’s brimming with compelling tidbits and anecdotes (eg the differences between hedonic and longterm contentment), and it’s clear, as well, that some of Morrione’s subjects have undeniably intriguing, engaging things to say about the topic at hand (eg one person, spurred on by a deadly car crash, explains what he thinks will be important in the moments before death). And although Morrione’s efforts at filling a feature-length running time does result in a handful of less-than-enthralling tangents, FairWays to Happiness is, by and large, generally an effective piece of work that leaves the viewer with plenty of food for thought (ie the movie rattles around in one’s mind long after it’s concluded).

**1/2 out of ****