'Happiness for Beginners' review: Ellie Kemper movie goes nowhere

WHAT IT'S ABOUT Ellie Kemper stars in this adaptation of the 2015 novel "Happiness for Beginners," the story of a recently divorced woman who tries a personal reset by undertaking a dayslong group hike through a portion of the Appalachian Trail in Connecticut and New York.

It's "Eat Pray Love," only without the eating, the praying and, generally speaking, the loving, and with the Northeastern wilderness subbing for Italy and the other globe-trotting destinations.

Co-stars in the movie include Luke Grimes ("Yellowstone") as Jake, best friend of the younger brother of Kemper's Helen. He's got a big enough crush on her that he joins the hike at the last minute, but she just can't see what's right in front of her. The writer-director is Vicky Wright.

MY SAY While nothing should be inherently off-limits as fodder for a movie, there's a basic litmus test that "Happiness for Beginners" fails.

The action on-screen ought to be something that's at least somehow beyond the realm of the everyday. That's true even when there's an attempt to ground things in a recognizable reality. 

For example: "The Office," the show that catapulted Kemper to prominence and which ostensibly just unfolded in an ordinary office in an ordinary American city, found the humor and depth and heart in that universe.

While watching "Happiness for Beginners," no matter how charming Kemper might be and no matter how painstakingly pleasant the whole thing might feel, it becomes impossible to avoid this basic truth: Going for a walk yourself would be infinitely more exciting than watching other people do it for an entire movie.

Nothing of consequence happens, unless you count, say, a character breaking his leg. Mostly, the hikers enjoy the scenery, get trail nicknames, set up camp, breathe in the fresh air, and just generally really enjoy themselves. Beckett (Ben Cook), the leader of the group, barks out some rules, and the banter stays playful.

This is all well and good and completely inoffensive. It looks like a beautiful nature catalog, perfectly styled and manicured. The product placement abounds. REI certainly gets its money's worth.

But there's just no good reason to invest the time in watching a simulation of this experience when those of us blessed to live on, say, Long Island, could simply visit one of our many nature preserves and have it ourselves.

Don't expect a lot of character development or a compelling inward journey, either. There are too many streams to pass, camps to be made and natural wonder and splendor to take in for that. Kemper is a fine actor, with great comic skills, but she's playing an archetype more than a character, and whatever back story might be there gets supplied through sleep-inducing conversations and underwritten monologues.

This is the movie equivalent of background TV, something to have on while you're paying the bills, or something. There's cinematic comfort food and then there's just comfort, without the food. 

BOTTOM LINE Again, go for a nice walk yourself.