Poppy Cross is an unforgettable character, a woman who is constantly upbeat, seemingly always happy. But you get the feeling, by small glimpses and conversations, that Poppy feels the despair all around her. And she knows she can either be happy, or she will be crippled by sadness.
Happy-Go-Lucky (2008) stars Sally Hawkins as Poppy, and she does a great job. As Poppy tries to learn how to drive, she meets Scott, the driving instructor who is terse, angry and mean. Her opposite almost completely. But Poppy will not change, and seems to see Scott as a challenge...can she get him to mellow out a bit?
As we see Poppy going through her daily life, as a teacher and with her girlfriends, we keep getting the glimpses of Poppy's choice to be happy. She is not dumb, she knows the crap that goes on around her, the child in her class being abused, the tragedies that plague our everyday lives. But she has chosen being happy, not out of ignorance or stupidity, but because she does not want to become like Scott. The two are like distorted reflections of each other.
Scott though, goes beyond the breaking point, and it leads to a confrontation between the two...a confrontation that is sad and scary and disturbing. But it confirms what choices Poppy has made on how to deal with life.
Poppy is a character that could easily be badly played, but Hawkins makes her heroic. And so makes the movie much more than a silly bit of fluff. Poppy will be remembered by anyone who watches this film. Remembered--- and appreciated for the choices she makes.
At least that is my opinion.
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