Sally Hawkins and Mike Leigh on the set of Happy-Go-Lucky Courtesy of Miramax Films

Happy-Go-Lucky Premiere at the New York Film Festival

Critics and viewers are practically keeling over in shock at director Mike Leigh's latest film, and not because it features characters nearly dying from illegal abortions, raping each other, or binging and purging. It's because Happy-Go-Lucky is, well, just that. The main character Poppy, played by Sally Hawkins, is a pretty primary school teacher who favors brightly colored, mismatched clothes and plastic jewelry. Leigh's film leisurely follows her as she hangs out with her sisters and best friend Zoe, takes driving lessons with a particularly toxic little man, helps one of her students with troubles at home, and maybe even finds a little happy-go-lucky love of her own. The famous director, who is charming and quite emphatic in everything in he says, sat down with Premiere to discuss developing Poppy with Sally, why they're both so damn cool, and his favorite part of making a movie — getting drunk with the cast afterwards.

I read that you said, "I can't see what there is to be irritated by," in regards to Poppy. "It makes me think the people who dislike her are fucked up, not the film."
Well, I can't elaborate on that statement. That's what I think, basically.

Do you think different audiences will — American vs. British, or internationally — react differently to her?
No, I don't. Not at all. Any variation in reactions in that area are unrelated to what the territories or cultures. Film seems to be, from my experience so far, to talk to everybody, basically. But there is a minority of people, who... through causes of their own condition, seem to be irritated by [Poppy].

Right at the beginning of the film you could be forgiven for wondering whether you're gonna put up with this person [for two hours]. But, actually, that's only really when they've been clubbing, and she's with the girls, and they're being silly, basically. But even before that, you've seen her be very open in the street as she cycles around town, and, you know, she's doing no more than being humorous with the guy in the bookshop, and when you see her next ... when her bicycle's just been stolen, you know, she's simply, um, you know, she reacts in a very, very positive and healthy way. And in no time you get the hang of the fact that she is a grounded, sensible, focused, responsible citizen. She's a teacher. But she's got a great sense of humor, and a great sense of life. She's got an anarchic streak, which is healthy, and she's so full of beans, and she's got joie de vivre. And she's a loving person.

So I really do think that some people sort of get that feeling about it, and they hang on to it. They don't move with the movie, you know, and they don't go with her and find out. You know, it builds up a very three-dimensional picture of this character, actually, of all the characters I hope. And by the time she's dealt with the [bully] in the class and started a relationship, which is a very healthy one on the face of it, and the time she's run into a homeless guy in the middle of the night, being very open and unjudgemental and those things, and she deals with this neurotic driving instructor in a positive way... so by the time she's done that, she really, you know, you really have a very full picture of her, and how anyone can be irritated by her, defeats me.

One can only say that, you know, it's to do with what's in their soul, which is not open and not loving, because in the end, far from being irritated by her and not liking her, I think one the whole you kind of inevitably fall in love with her, really. That's what the film's about. That's what I would say.