Happening (disambiguation)

A happening is a performance, event or situation meant to be considered art.

Happening, Happenings, or The Happening may also refer to:

The Happening (2008 film)

The Happening is a 2008 American science fiction thriller film written, co-produced, and directed by M. Night Shyamalan, and starring Mark Wahlberg. The film follows a man, his wife, his best friend, and his friend's daughter as they try to escape from an inexplicable natural disaster.

The plot revolves around a cryptic neurotoxin that causes anyone exposed to it to commit suicide. The protagonist, a science teacher named Elliot Moore, attempts to escape from the mystery substance with his friends as hysteria grips the East Coast of the United States.

The film was advertised as being Shyamalan's first R-rated film; it received mostly negative reviews from film critics, despite doing well at the box office.

Plot

In New York City's Central Park, people begin committing mass suicide. Initially believed to be caused by a bio-terrorist attack using an airborne neurotoxin, the behavior quickly spreads across the northeastern United States. Elliot Moore, a high school science teacher in Philadelphia, hears about the attacks and decides to go to Harrisburg by train with his wife, Alma. They are accompanied by his friend Julian and Julian's eight-year-old daughter Jess. Julian's wife is stuck in Philadelphia but is expected to meet them in Harrisburg. The train loses all radio contact en route and stops at a small town. They receive word that Philadelphia has been attacked by the toxin and Julian's wife was not able to get on the train to Harrisburg. Julian decides to go look for her, leaving his daughter with the Moores while he hitches a ride. However, the town has already been hit by the toxin. Succumbing to it, the driver and Julian both commit suicide.

The Happening (song)

"The Happening" is a 1967 song recorded by Motown artists The Supremes. The song served as the theme song of the 1967 Columbia film The Happening, and was released as a single by Motown at the time of the film's release that spring. While the movie flopped, the song peaked at number-one on the Billboard Hot 100 pop singles chart in May, becoming The Supremes' tenth number-one single in the United States, peaking in the top 10 on the UK Pop Chart at number six, and in the top 5 in the Australian Pop Chart and in the Dutch Pop Chart.

Background

History

Produced by Brian Holland and Lamont Dozier, and written by Holland–Dozier–Holland and Frank De Vol (The Happening's musical director), "The Happening" was the final single issued by The Supremes under that name. Between the release of "The Happening" and the next Supremes single, "Reflections," the group's billing changed to Diana Ross & the Supremes, and Florence Ballard was replaced with Cindy Birdsong of Patti LaBelle & the Blue Belles.