It may have somewhat of a slow start, and even worse is the fear that you'll find Poppy (Sally Hawkins) annoying rather than endearing. After all, Happy-Go-Lucky opens with her shopping in a book store, trying futilely to cheerfully engage the employee in bubbly small talk. She is an instantly recognizable person in everyone's daily life. Luckily, as the film follows her at work, at home and in various situations and relationships, it becomes apparent that her character is a wonderful reminder about the best way to look at each and every day.
Great Characters Round Out Happy-Go-Lucky
Poppy is the lead, but there is no doubt the people in her life make the story even more colorful. She has two opposites in the story--one that meshes well with her and another that goes horribly wrong. Her best friend Zoe (Alexis Zegerman) is the perfect counterpart--Poppy has endless optimism but Zoe is the dry cynic. They have lived together for ten years and it's apparent what a great friendship they have. On the other hand, Poppy meets Scott (Eddie Marsan), her driving instructor, who reveals himself to be short-tempered, racist, and seemingly every drop as negative as Poppy is positive. Severe misunderstandings on his part add to his already loathsome character, culminating in a total meltdown.
Realism Behind Happy-Go-Lucky
The film sets out to portray various vignettes in an upbeat person's life. It's very realistic, since many of the situations range from bleak to depressing. Poppy's bike is stolen, her family has its share of dysfunction (mostly due to one sister in particular), and any single girl knows the woes of dating. As an elementary school teacher, she even has to deal with the despair of one child lashing out due to his home troubles. Everyone has ups and downs, but Poppy's choices in how to deal with the things that come are what make her unique.
Sally Hawkins' Character Embraces a Philosophy of Happiness
The pace of the film is a slower one, and there really isn't much of a central conflict. (The increasingly troubled driving instructor is the closest the story comes to one.) Happy-Go-Lucky, however, is a successful character study, and it's fairly unique in being both upbeat and realistic. There are days, no doubt, when Poppy may find the positive a little harder to come by, but it's apparent that she essentially refuses to give up. Zoe tells her at one point, "You can't make everyone happy," but Poppy realizes that. What's more important is that she's going to keep smiling.
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