Naman Shrestha
Based on the 2015 eponymous novel by Katherine Center, Netflix’s ‘Happiness for Beginners’ is a romantic comedy movie that follows a 32-year-old schoolteacher, Helen Carpenter. Her brother convinces her to sign up for an adventurous hiking and camping trail when she struggles even after a year of her divorce. A unique chance to pull herself together and get a fresher perspective on life turns into something unexpected when Helen discovers that her brother’s annoying best friend, Jake is also a part of the hike. However, as she covers more distance during the trek, she realizes that sometimes, one has to get lost to find themselves.
Written and helmed by Vicky Wight, the comedy movie features compelling onscreen performances from a talented ensemble cast comprising Ellie Kemper, Luke Grimes, Nico Santos, Ben Cook, Shayvawn Webster, and Esteban Benito. Most of the movie unfolds in the woods of the Appalachian Trail as Helen finds a renewed perspective on life and love. So, given the transition from the city to the woods and the interesting locations in the backdrop, you will likely be curious about the filming sites of ‘Happiness for Beginners.’
Happiness for Beginners: Where Was it Filmed?
‘Happiness for Beginners’ was filmed in Connecticut, especially in Fairfield County. As per reports, principal photography for the rom-com commenced in September 2021 and wrapped up in November of the same year. Given the numerous hiking trails within Connecticut, it makes for an ideal filming site for a movie like ‘Happiness for Beginners.’ So, without further ado, let us hike you through all the specific locations that can be spotted in the Netflix comedy!
Fairfield County, Connecticut
Almost all the pivotal sequences for ‘Happiness for Beginners’ were lensed in Fairfield County, situated in the southwestern corner of Connecticut. Primarily, the production team set up camp in and around the city of Stamford, mostly to shoot the city scenes before Helen leaves to join the adult camp in the woods. Whether it is the scenes involving Helen’s residence or the exterior shots of the city, all of them were seemingly shot on location in the City That Works.
Helen joins the famous hike trail of the Appalachian Trail, which extends almost 2,200 miles between Georgia and Maine, passing through 14 states. The Appalachian Trail Conservancy claims it is the longest hiking-only trail in the world. If we start from the south and go all the way to the north, the trail passes through several states — Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.
The sequences involving the popular trail were possibly taped in the parts of the actual Appalachian Trail that fall within Connecticut’s Fairfield County. In fact, the state includes 52 miles of the total trail distance, which is almost entirely along the ridges to the west. A significant chunk of the movie features some picturesque and secluded areas of the Appalachian Trail as the characters camp through the hike and grow as people, especially the protagonist Helen.
Just as in real life, the group of hikers in the movie also carry lightweight tents, tent hammocks, or tarps. Apart from the trail, there is a possibility that some other parts of Fairfield County also feature in the romantic comedy movie. Some are Franklin Street Works, the Housatonic Museum of Art, the Connecticut Grand Opera, the Greater Bridgeport Symphony, and the Western Connecticut Youth Orchestra. The county’s locales also appear in other movies, including ‘Broadcasting Christmas,’ ‘The Big Wedding,’ ‘The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2,’ and ‘Rachel Getting Married.’
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