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What's After the Movie?
Sci-fi comedy

How to Become Happy (1986): Cast & Plot

How to Become Happy (1986) movie poster

How to Become Happy is a 1986 sci-fi comedy directed by Yuri Chulyukin, starring Tatyana Pelttser as Lida's grandmother, Lev Durov and Nikolai Karachentsov. It runs 1 hour 29 minutes.

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How to Become Happy (1986) movie poster
Release year
Runtime
1h 29m (89 min)
Director
Yuri Chulyukin
Genres
Sci-Fi , Comedy
Original language
Russian
Studio
Mosfilm
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

What Is How to Become Happy About?

The premise of How to Become Happy without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

On New Year’s Eve, photojournalist Gosha encounters a mysterious old man who claims to be an inventor. The man carries his final invention in a suitcase—a device that can measure each person’s innate talent and its magnitude. Using it, he tells Gosha he is destined to be a clown, a prediction Gosha dismisses, choosing instead to continue his career in journalism.

How to Become Happy Themes & Keywords

· 11 tags
  • psychology
  • happiness
  • sculptor
  • clown
  • winter
  • new years eve
  • inventor
  • year 1990
  • rio de janeiro brazil
  • tap dance
  • man
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Cast & crew

How to Become Happy Cast & Characters

Tatyana Pelttser leads the cast as Lida's grandmother, with Lev Durov and Nikolai Karachentsov. Directed by Yuri Chulyukin; 14 actors are credited in all.

From the director

More from Yuri Chulyukin

More films directed by Yuri Chulyukin: How to Become Happy and The Girls.

Full filmography
Plot

How to Become Happy Plot Summary

What happens in How to Become Happy from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 11 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 2-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

In 1980, in the small town of Lesogorsk, a humble physics teacher unveils a remarkable device that can reveal a child’s hidden potential and suggest suitable paths across a wide range of professions. He travels to Moscow to present this invention, hoping it might help young people discover their talents early. In the capital, however, the reception is cool and cautious; the people he meets treat the idea with skepticism, unsure whether such a gift could be real or reliable.

Full summary

The whole story of How to Become Happy, scene by scene

Read the full summary
Quiz

How Well Do You Know How to Become Happy?

10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.

Question 1 of 10

  1. Question 1: not answered
  2. Question 2: not answered
  3. Question 3: not answered
  4. Question 4: not answered
  5. Question 5: not answered
  6. Question 6: not answered
  7. Question 7: not answered
  8. Question 8: not answered
  9. Question 9: not answered
  10. Question 10: not answered

What is the profession of the inventor who creates the remarkable device?

Details

How to Become Happy Also Known As

3 alternative titles, including “Wie man glücklich wird” and “Я знаю, как стать счастливым”.

Also known as
  • Wie man glücklich wird
  • Я знаю, как стать счастливым
  • Kak stat schastlivym

Seen How to Become Happy?

FAQ

How to Become Happy FAQ: Cast, Runtime & Release Date

Runtime, release date, director, cast, post-credit scenes and language of How to Become Happy, each answered in a sentence.

How long is How to Become Happy?

How to Become Happy runs 1 hour 29 minutes (89 minutes).

When was How to Become Happy released?

How to Become Happy was released in 1986.

Who directed How to Become Happy?

How to Become Happy was directed by Yuri Chulyukin.

More films by Yuri Chulyukin

Who is in the cast of How to Become Happy?

How to Become Happy stars Tatyana Pelttser as Lida's grandmother, Lev Durov and Nikolai Karachentsov, among 14 credited actors.

Does How to Become Happy have a post-credit scene?

No. How to Become Happy has no extra scene during or after the credits.

What language is How to Become Happy in?

The original language of How to Become Happy is Russian.

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