Ana Cristina Simon

I saw two films last week that on the surface may not have much to do with the other, but wound up being connected in surprising ways. First up was "Hector and the Search for Happiness" (2014), something Andy rustled up on Saturday night while scrolling through Netflix. It stars Simon Pegg, whom I love both for his goofy good looks and his irrevere... nt sense of humor, which is best on display in "Shaun of the Dead" (2004). Pegg handles a completely different type of role in "Hector," but he does so with great depth and yes, a bit of the same irreverent humor. As the titular hero, Pegg plays a psychiatrist who's found himself in a bit of a rut. His days are marked by routine and simplicity, but rather than finding solace in the mundane, as he once did, Hector finds himself suddenly straining against it, ultimately deciding to go on a trek around the globe in search of happiness. His journey takes him from England to China, Africa, and California, meeting all sorts of different people along the way. He takes notes in a travel journal his girlfriend Clara gives him before he leaves, writing down these sort of epiphanies on the nature of happiness. Things like: "Sometimes happiness is not knowing the whole story." In one of my favorite exchanges in the film, Hector is speaking to a monk about the elusive nature of happiness. It goes a little something like this: Hector : You've been a fugitive. You've been in prison for your beliefs, you've lost family and loved ones. I mean, you've just been through so much. How is it you're so happy? Old Monk : Because I've been through so much. Hector : I mean, searching for happiness is one thing, but making it the goal, it just doesn't work, does it? Old Monk : Higher than that, Hector. More important than what we are searching for is what we are avoiding. Hector : Like unhappiness. So, don't make unhappiness *not* the goal? Old Monk : Higher than that. Hector : Avoiding unhappiness is *not* the road to happiness. Old Monk : You hold all the cards, Hector. This resonated with ...Read More