Shortcut to Happiness

2003 "The devil is in the details."
5.4| 1h46m| PG-13| en| More Info
Released: 13 July 2003 Released
Producted By: Yari Film Group
Country: United States of America
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website:
Info

In Manhattan, the aspirant writer Jabez Stone is a complete loser: he is not able to sell his novels, he lives in a lousy apartment and he does not have success with women. When one of his friends Julius Jenson sells his novel for US$ 190,000.00 to an editor, Jabez fells envy and promises to sell his soul to the devil for success and accidentally kills a woman with his typing machine. The Devil knocks on his door, fixes the situation and seals a contract with Jabez. His low quality novels have bad reviews but become best-sellers; Jabez enriches; has success with women, but has no time for his friends. Jabez meets with the publisher Daniel Webster who offers him a chance to break the contract with the devil.

Genre

Fantasy, Drama, Comedy

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Director

Alec Baldwin

Production Companies

Yari Film Group

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Shortcut to Happiness Audience Reviews

Executscan Expected more
Micransix Crappy film
Casey Duggan It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny
Fatma Suarez The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful
vitachiel Again, here we have a movie that tries to be a commercial success by trying to serve everyone by trying to be many or most things. It cannot be classed because it is more than one kind of movie: black comedy, moral tale, emotion-driven drama, fantasy, post noir, court drama… And it fails miserably on all accounts. The cast is perfectly cast: Kim Cattrall as the vain impresario, Anthony Hopkins as the wise old guy, Jennifer Love Hewitt as the femme fatale, Dan Aykroyd as the imposing yobo and Alec Baldwin as the struggling man of a certain age. Hence, a perfectly TYPE-CASTED cast. What more to say about 'A Shortcut to Happiness'? Not much. It is boring, self-indulgent and over-ambitious. If you like those kind of movies, do not hesitate and watch it immediately.
elshikh4 It is not a coincidence that the 2 words painless and penniless resemble each others. Pain makes our greatness, no doubt about that. However, in today's world, some people just proved the opposite. This movie comes to say that meaning with good intentions, talking – in rare time – about many writers who have big success out of soulless works (the rest of books that Daniel Webster published away from the few great ones he really respects). It didn't forget to mention the big yet empty Hollywood blockbusters also, that earn millions while not saying a thing, or be totally forgotten later. Selling without soul does sound like selling the soul for what end up as cheaper matters in comparison. So would you live paradise on earth without soul? Well, the real question is : could you? Obviously (The Devil and Daniel Webster) is another Faust that asks and answers that, yet done so poorly.Defending this movie is a lost cause. It seemed like a long episode of (Amazing Stories), and without the wit of that show too. Baldwin did direct it lifelessly and tastelessly. The important situations were done non-importantly (The agreement's scene for little instance). For one, so unfortunate, time I witnessed Anthony Hopkins acting badly, OH MY GOD, the great man was doing his job indifferently like it's a cold rehearsal all along. You have to suspect, or be sure, that this is an outcome for the "no" efforts of the man behind the camera this round. Baldwin must have been shy to direct the Hopkins himself !Jennifer Love Hewitt was unbelievably miscast to historical extent. I mean WHY ???!!!!! If the devil is that ugly, then fighting it would be so easy job! Look at the scene where she has to take her coat off, seducing the lead to sell his soul; then rewind but replacing Marilyn Monroe instead. Actually I don't need to do that to know HOW AWFUL HEWITT WAS! The moment of her saying "when was the last time you woke up on the bed with a girl like **me** ?!" is whether a hint about Baldwin as a virgin, or it is one of the most comic moments ever ! (I know that I laughed a lot after it !). Yes, there are some smart points, like transforming the contract into sex. But the death of the friend, the second friend, was a bit fabricated or just too metaphoric (the end of the true writer inside the lead?). Then the stroke. The major pain. The basic crap. And I do mean the climactic sequence. While being the movie's highest point at all, it has the poorest acting, directing, and writing. Surely the speech of Hopkins's character didn't persuade me even for a second, the devil's one was stronger and truer. As you see, this movie doesn't know how to save its lead, or itself !As I read at the Trivia section; after filming was completed in 2001 the movie has been shelved for nearly 6 years due to lack of funds. Then it was extensively re-edited after coming into the possession of Bob Yari Productions, and no longer bears any resemblance to its original form or to Stephen Vincent Benet's short story. So Baldwin has since requested that his name be removed from the credits as director and producer. According to what I watched, I couldn't agree more ! So whatever it's Baldwin's, Bob Yari Productions', or even the devil's fault, the weak effect that (Shortcut to Happiness) achieved, especially after so pale and unexplained finale, does make you remember it – at best – as "not bad" movie. There weren't enough elements to eventually call it "good". Simply good intentions can't make a good movie alone.
Ai-Hi The first time I saw Alec Baldwin and Antony Hopkins together was in "The Edge", a magnificent movie about basic things like survival, our true nature and our goal in life. "Shortcut to happiness" is very close to it as a message. This is a story about our true path in life, about genuine things we must do and how different is world now. Different from our true role in life, set by mother Nature, how we have substituted what is wright for something we suspect is rather wrong. Philosophical subject that provokes all of us to think what we have to do with our carrier and our personal life. The play of Alec Baldwin and Sir Antony Hopkins is with no doubt perfect and appealing in every aspect. So is the screenplay, the only concern I have is about the staging, it could be more solid and so I expected. This is not a big issue though and overall the movie is just excellent!
annepietro "The Devil and Daniel Webster" gets 9 enthusiastic stars and 2 thumbs up for me."The Devil and Daniel Webster" is one of those films that will make keep your attention from start to finish. With talented stars, a script that has something for everyone and legendary characters, "The Devil and Daniel Webster" is a movie to watch."The Devil and Daniel Webster" is a remake of an earlier Academy Award-winning film of the same name which was released in 1941. In "The Devil and Daniel Webster", the Devil takes human form (Jennifer Love Hewitt) as she comes to "help out" a failing writer, Jabez Stone (Alec Baldwin). However, after Stone accepts her offer, he soon realizes that his deal wasn't quite what he expected it to be. Anthony Hopkins adds his superstar status as the wise sage, which he plays so convincingly.There is only one result that can come from inserting two of the most talented actors in a film that has a good script. Hopkins stars alongside Alec Baldwin and Jennifer Love Hewitt in one of the best classic fantasies that I have seen in a long time.When I heard Hopkins was starring as a part of the film, I immediately thought of the amount of credibility he would give toward "The Devil and Daniel Webster"" Hopkins is the type of actor like Robert De Niro and Morgan Freeman whose mere presence on film will alert the viewer that they will be watching an excellent film. Hopkins brought integrity, intelligence, and honesty to this role."The Devil and Daniel Webster" is truly a movie with a classic story of good over evil. Alec Baldwin's approach was enjoyable to watch as he seemed to pull it off with such innocence. It was like he is learning life's lessons all over again from scratch. Also, Jennifer Love Hewitt's performance is like a mirror image to that of Hopkins.Hewitt is a vision to behold in "The Devil and Daniel Webster" as her beauty radiates off the screen with such sexiness. Hewitt showcases her true ability to capture the essence of her character and portrays it with cleverness and believability. Audiences will enjoy the surprises Hewitt has in store for them."The Devil and Daniel Webster" gets 9 enthusiastic stars and 2 thumbs up.