If you were breathing and watching indie movies in 2010, you probably remember the specific brand of "New York City angst" that saturated the Sundance Film Festival. It was a time of skinny jeans, acoustic soundtracks, and stories about twenty-somethings trying to find a soul in a concrete jungle. Right in the middle of that wave came happythankyoumoreplease. It wasn't just a movie with a long, run-on title; it was Josh Radnor’s attempt to break out of the Ted Mosby shadow while How I Met Your Mother was still at its peak.
Critics were divided. Some loved the earnestness. Others found it a bit too precious. But honestly? Looking back at it now, the film captures a very specific kind of urban yearning that feels almost nostalgic. It’s a movie about the terrifying transition from being a "young person" to being an actual adult who has to give a damn about other people.
The Story Behind the Title
The phrase itself—happythankyoumoreplease—sounds like a frantic prayer or a mantra whispered into a pillow at 3 a.m. Radnor didn't just pull it out of thin air. In the film, the character Annie (played by a very charming Malin Åkerman) explains it as a grateful acknowledgement of the universe. The idea is that when something good happens, you don't just say thanks. You say you’re happy, you say thank you, and you ask for more.
It’s bold.
Most people are taught to be humble or to wait for the other shoe to drop. This movie argues for the opposite. It suggests that wanting more joy isn't greedy; it’s necessary for survival.
A Cast That Actually Worked
You've got Josh Radnor playing Sam, a struggling writer who finds a lost kid on the subway. It’s a premise that could easily turn creepy or saccharine, but it mostly stays on the right side of the line because of the chemistry between Radnor and the young Michael Algieri.
Then there’s the supporting cast.
- Kate Mara and Pablo Schreiber: They play a couple at a massive crossroads. Their storyline feels the most grounded, dealing with the friction of one partner wanting to move to Los Angeles while the other is rooted in New York.
- Malin Åkerman: As Annie, she deals with Alopecia areata. This wasn't just a quirky character trait; it was a way to explore vulnerability and beauty standards in a way that felt surprisingly raw for a lighthearted indie flick.
- Tony Hale: Before he was being yelled at on Veep, he was here, playing a guy who is genuinely "too nice," which is its own kind of social hurdle.
The film won the Audience Award at Sundance. That’s a big deal. It means that while the professional reviewers were busy picking apart the dialogue for being too "wordy," the actual people in the seats were crying and nodding along.
Why We Still Talk About happythankyoumoreplease
We live in a deeply cynical era now. Everything is meta-ironic or detached. Re-watching happythankyoumoreplease feels like a weirdly refreshing slap in the face because it is so unashamedly sincere. It wants you to feel things. It wants you to believe that people can be better than they currently are.
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Radnor wrote and directed this when he was still figuring out his own voice. You can see the influences of Woody Allen, sure, but there’s a lack of cynicism that Allen never quite mastered. Sam, the protagonist, is kind of a mess. He’s self-sabotaging. He’s arguably a bit of a jerk at the start. But the movie doesn't let him stay there.
There’s a specific scene where Sam is trying to explain his writing to a girl he likes, and he’s being incredibly pretentious about it. It’s painful to watch. But it’s also real. Who hasn't been twenty-five and tried to sound smarter than they actually are to impress someone?
The "Manhattan Indie" Aesthetic
Visually, the movie is a love letter to a version of New York that might not exist anymore—or at least, a version that has been priced out of existence. It’s all brownstones, cluttered apartments, and bars where people actually talk to each other instead of staring at iPhones.
Since the movie came out in 2010, the "indie" genre has shifted toward horror or hyper-stylized A24 vibes. happythankyoumoreplease represents the tail end of the "earnest dramedy." It’s about the small stakes. Will the writer finish his book? Will the girl with the shaved head find love? Will the kid find his family?
In the grand scheme of the universe, these are tiny blips. But the movie treats them like the center of the world. That’s why it works.
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Breaking Down the Criticisms
It wasn't all sunshine. Some critics, like those at The New York Times, felt the movie was a bit self-indulgent. And look, they aren't entirely wrong. It’s a movie written by, directed by, and starring the same guy. There’s a level of "look at me" inherent in that.
However, the "nice guy" trope that Radnor often gets accused of perpetuating is actually challenged here. Sam gets called out. He gets told he’s being selfish. The movie isn't just a vanity project; it’s a bit of a self-critique.
The pacing is also a bit wonky. It meanders. It takes its time. But isn't that what life in your twenties feels like? A lot of wandering around and hoping you’ll bump into the right person?
What You Can Take Away From It
If you’re looking for a deep cinematic masterpiece that changes the way films are made, this isn't it. But if you want something that makes you feel like maybe it's okay to be a work in progress, happythankyoumoreplease hits the mark.
It teaches a few things about the human condition:
- Gratitude is a muscle. You have to practice it even when things feel like a disaster.
- Vulnerability is a superpower. Annie’s journey with her hair loss is a reminder that the things we hide are often the things that connect us to others.
- Responsibility changes you. Sam taking in a child isn't about the kid; it’s about Sam finally having to care about something other than his own ego.
Basically, it's a "coming of age" story for people who are already technically adults but haven't quite finished the job yet.
Making the Mantra Real
How do you actually apply the happythankyoumoreplease philosophy? It’s not about being toxicly positive. It’s about a three-step cycle of acknowledgement.
First, you admit you’re happy in a moment. That’s harder than it sounds. We usually realize we were happy only after the moment has passed.
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Second, you say thank you. You acknowledge that you didn't do it all alone.
Third—and this is the controversial part—you ask for more. You give yourself permission to want a good life. You stop waiting for the punishment you think you deserve and start expecting the goodness you want to cultivate.
Josh Radnor went on to direct Liberal Arts after this, which followed a similar tonal path. But there’s something raw about this first attempt that sticks with you. It’s imperfect. It’s a bit messy. It’s exactly what it needs to be.
Practical Steps to Revisit the Vibe
If you want to dive back into this world or capture some of that 2010 indie energy, here’s how to do it:
- Watch the film with a skeptical eye. Don't just take it at face value. Look at where the characters fail and where they actually grow. It's more complex than a "feel-good" movie.
- Listen to the soundtrack. It features Jaymay and other indie-folk artists that defined that era. It’s a great time capsule of the "twee" movement.
- Practice the mantra. Next time something even mildly good happens—like getting a green light when you're in a rush—actually say it. "I’m happy, thank you, more please." See how it shifts your internal monologue.
- Read Radnor's later work. He’s written plays and stayed active in the creative scene. Seeing how his voice evolved from this movie to his later projects provides a cool perspective on artistic growth.
The movie might be over a decade old, but the desire to be happy, to be thankful, and to want more out of this weird life is pretty much evergreen.