Chasing Happiness
{{Short description|2019 documentary film by John Lloyd Taylor}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Chasing Happiness
| image = Chasing-Happiness-poster.png
| alt = The image depicts the Jonas Brothers (from left to right: Kevin, Joe and Nick Jonas) smiling. The title is showcased at the center and the Amazon logos are at the top and bottom center.
| caption = Official release poster
| director = John Lloyd Taylor
| producer = {{Plainlist|
- Reece Pearson
- Grant Macdowell
}}
| writer =
| screenplay =
| story =
| based_on =
| starring = {{Plainlist|
}}
| music = Jonas Brothers
| cinematography =
| editing =
| studio = {{Plainlist|
- Amazon Studios
- Philymack
}}
| distributor = Amazon Prime Video
| released = {{Film date|2019|06|04}}
| runtime = 96 minutes
| country = United States
| language = English
| budget =
| gross =
}}
Chasing Happiness (also known as Jonas Brothers: Chasing Happiness) is a 2019 American documentary film that follows the American pop rock band Jonas Brothers and their lives since the band's break up in 2013, until their reunion in 2019. It was directed by John Lloyd Taylor, produced by Reece Pearson and Grant Macdowell, and released to Amazon Prime Video on July 4, 2019.
A follow-up, Happiness Continues: A Jonas Brothers Concert Film, chronicles the brothers as they travel the world to perform for the Happiness Begins Tour.
Synopsis
After the Jonas Brothers break up in 2013, the band members chased their individual projects. In 2019, they discuss the details of what drove them apart, and what made them want to reunite as a band once more.
Background
On April 22, 2019, the Jonas Brothers announced their then-upcoming reunion album Happiness Begins (2019), which was set to be released on June 7, 2019.{{Cite web |url=https://www.eonline.com/news/1034554/jonas-brothers-announce-release-date-for-new-album-happiness-begins |title=Jonas Brothers Announce Release Date for New Album Happiness Begins |last=Cohen |first=Jess |website=E! Online |date=April 22, 2019 |access-date=April 5, 2025 |archive-date=May 6, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230506003542/https://www.eonline.com/news/1034554/jonas-brothers-announce-release-date-for-new-album-happiness-begins |url-status=live }} The album was preceded by the documentary, titled Chasing Happiness,{{Cite magazine |url=https://variety.com/2019/digital/news/jonas-brothers-chasing-happiness-premiere-date-amazon-1203209078/ |title=Jonas Brothers Documentary 'Chasing Happiness' Premiere Date Set on Amazon Prime Video |last=Spangler |first=Todd |magazine=Variety |date=May 8, 2019 |access-date=April 5, 2025 }} which was set to premiere worldwide on June 4, 2019,{{Cite magazine |url=https://www.teenvogue.com/story/jonas-brothers-documentary-chasing-happiness-release-date-how-to-watch |title=Jonas Brothers Announce Documentary Chasing Happiness Release Date and How to Watch |last=K. Nesvig |first=Kara |magazine=Teen Vogue |date=May 9, 2019 |access-date=April 5, 2025 }} on Amazon Prime Video.{{Cite magazine |url=https://people.com/music/jonas-brothers-documentary-release-date-amazon/ |title=The Jonas Brothers Documentary, 'Chasing Happiness', Just Got a Release Date (and It's Soon!) |last=Juneau |first=Jen |magazine=People |date=May 9, 2019 |access-date=April 5, 2025 |archive-date=December 1, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241201021857/https://people.com/music/jonas-brothers-documentary-release-date-amazon/ |url-status=live }} The trailer for the film was released online on May 9, 2019.{{Cite magazine |url=https://ew.com/music/2019/05/09/jonas-brothers-chasing-happiness-trailer/ |title=Watch the trailer for the Jonas Brothers' new documentary Chasing Happiness |last=Kinane |first=Ruth |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |date=May 9, 2019 |access-date=April 5, 2025 }}
Release
The documentary film was released on June 4, 2019,{{Cite magazine |url=https://people.com/music/jonas-brothers-chasing-happiness-documentary-highlights/ |title=All the Highlights From the Jonas Brothers' Chasing Happiness Amazon Documentary |last=Tracy |first=Brianne |magazine=People |date=May 29, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190529225636/https://people.com/music/jonas-brothers-chasing-happiness-documentary-highlights/ |archive-date=May 29, 2019 |access-date=April 5, 2025 }} three days before the release of their reunion fifth studio album, Happiness Begins.{{Cite magazine |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/jonas-brothers-chasing-happiness-takes-fans-behind-scenes-1215633/ |title=Jonas Brothers Doc Takes Fans Behind the Scenes |last=Vartan |first=Kristin |magazine=The Hollywood Reporter |date=June 4, 2019 |access-date=April 5, 2025 |archive-date=November 25, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221125050003/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/jonas-brothers-chasing-happiness-takes-fans-behind-scenes-1215633/ |url-status=live }}
Happiness Continues: A Jonas Brothers Concert Film, which chronicles the brothers as they travel the world to perform for the Happiness Begins Tour, displaying backstage routines as well as the performances, serves as a follow-up to Chasing Happiness.{{Cite magazine |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/music-news/jonas-brothers-release-concert-film-happiness-continues-amazon-prime-1291607/ |title=Jonas Brothers to Release Concert Film 'Happiness Continues' on Amazon Prime |last=Aniftos |first=Rania |magazine=The Hollywood Reporter |date=April 23, 2020 |access-date=April 7, 2025 }}
Music
{{See also|Music from Chasing Happiness}}
To accompany the documentary, the band released a soundtrack, called Music from Chasing Happiness, released on May 9, 2019, through Republic Records. It was made available on CD, streaming services and digital download one month before the documentary's release.{{cite web |url=https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/chasing-happiness/umc.cmc.4s9y953rekldrz4wkys26fpmt |title=Jonas Brothers Chasing Happiness on Apple TV |website=Apple TV |date=June 4, 2019 |access-date=April 5, 2025 |archive-date=February 20, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250220115803/https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/chasing-happiness/umc.cmc.4s9y953rekldrz4wkys26fpmt |url-status=live }}
Aside from the band's select old catalog, the soundtrack contains an original song, "Jersey",{{cite web |url=https://www.iheart.com/content/2019-12-26-jonas-brothers-finally-release-song-jersey-from-chasing-happiness-doc/ |title=Jonas Brothers Finally Release Song 'Jersey' from 'Chasing Happiness' Doc |last=Close |first=Paris |date=December 26, 2019 |access-date=April 5, 2025 |archive-date=December 1, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241201025418/https://www.iheart.com/content/2019-12-26-jonas-brothers-finally-release-song-jersey-from-chasing-happiness-doc/ |url-status=live }} and a live rendition of their Billboard Hot 100 number one single Sucker.{{cite web |url=https://www.hypable.com/jonas-brothers-jersey-song-coming-with-documentary-soundtrack/ |title=Jonas Brothers explain why 'Jersey' didn't make it on to 'Happiness Begins': Hypable |author= |website=Hypable |date=June 8, 2019 |access-date=April 5, 2025 |url-status=dead }}
Reception
{{Rotten Tomatoes prose|75|7.0|8|consensus=|access-date=April 5, 2025}}{{cite web |title=Jonas Brothers: Chasing Happiness (2019) - Rotten Tomatoes |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/jonas_brothers_chasing_happiness |website=Rotten Tomatoes |access-date=April 5, 2025 }} Chris Willman, from entertainment magazine Variety, wrote that the documentary showcases an insightful view on the ups and downs for the band, the reasons they broke up and got back together.{{Cite magazine |url=https://variety.com/2019/music/news/jonas-brothers-chasing-happiness-amazon-documentary-review-1203236947/ |title=Review: The Jonas Brothers' 'Chasing Happiness' |last=Willman |first=Chris |magazine=Variety |date=June 8, 2019 |access-date=April 5, 2025 }} While he felt that the film, at times, feels somewhat fabricated and displays the band in the way they wanted to be displayed, it also showed some sides from the brothers that weren't all that positive, to which he noted made the documentary worthwhile.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eS0PVYreMzo Jonas Brothers' Chasing Happiness - Official Trailer] at YouTube
- {{IMDb title|9882084}}
- {{Rotten Tomatoes|jonas_brothers_chasing_happiness|title=Jonas Brothers: Chasing Happiness}}
{{Jonas Brothers}}
Category:American documentary films
Category:Amazon Prime Video original programming
Category:Documentary films about singers
Category:2019 documentary films