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Smiley Face (2007) movie poster

Plot Summary

Smiley Face (2007) Plot Summary Explained

Release, runtime and language
2007 · English
JustWatch #1,035 59
Directed by
Gregg Araki
Starring
John Krasinski, Adam Brody, Anna Faris

Actress Jane F. finds herself caught in a bizarre and surreal sequence of events after eating unusual cupcakes. The treats unleash chaos, plunging her into a wild quest involving a debt to repay, a crucial audition to attend, and stolen cupcakes to recover. Along the way, she encounters unexpected characters and situations, including a surprising connection to the Communist Manifesto, as she navigates this increasingly strange odyssey.

On this page (6)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 What happens: full plot
  3. 3 Plot questions answered
  4. 4 Movie threads
  5. 5 Movies like Smiley Face
  6. 6 Every angle

Where to watch

Where to Watch Smiley Face (2007)

Where can you watch Smiley Face? Stream, rent or buy it in the US, including on Amazon Prime Video, Fawesome and Amazon MX Player: current JustWatch availability with up-to-date prices.

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Full plot summary · contains spoilers

What Happens in Smiley Face: Full Plot Summary

The whole story of Smiley Face (2007) explained, from the opening scene to the final frame: every key event, every twist and what it all adds up to. Read it as a quick recap before the sequel, to check a scene you missed, or to finally understand what really happened.

Smiley Face tells the story of Jane, a laid-back pot enthusiast who dreams of making it as an actress. Her typical day is filled with waking and baking, snacking on chips, and enjoying long naps in the comfort of her cozy bed. The film begins with her quirky self-dialogue atop a Ferris wheel.

As the narrative unfolds, we rewind to 9 am that same morning when Jane is happily indulging in her favorite pastime—smoking weed and surfing the web. A trip to the fridge unveils a delicious batch of cupcakes, lovingly prepared by her roommate for an upcoming SciFi party. Unable to resist the tempting treats, she devours every last one, only to discover they were also infused with cannabis, leaving her incredibly high.

In her altered state, Jane creates an ambitious to-do list: restock on pot to bake another batch of cupcakes for her roommate, attend her acting audition, and personally ensure the power company doesn't cut off their electricity by paying the bill. Thus begins her chaotic day, which will lead her back to the Ferris wheel at sunset, clutching The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx while surrounded by a throng of angry people, who seem ready to throw her in jail.

In this wildly humorous adventure, Jane's mishaps and misadventures make for a truly unforgettable day.

Last updated: November 03, 2024 at 23:52

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Plot questions answered

Smiley Face Plot Explained: Your Questions Answered

The questions people ask most about Smiley Face (2007): what happens in the confusing scenes, why the characters do what they do, the twists, hidden details and what the ending means. Each answer contains spoilers.

Q1

Why does Jane eat all the cupcakes?

Jane eats the cupcakes because she finds them in the fridge and can't resist the temptation. She has no idea they contain cannabis, her roommate made them for a SciFi party and infused them with weed. Once she starts eating, she consumes the entire batch without realizing what she's actually consuming.

Foreshadowing: The film establishes Jane as a laid-back pot enthusiast who enjoys snacking, setting up her inability to resist the treats.

  • cupcakes
  • cannabis
  • weed
  • roommate
  • high
Q2

How do the cupcakes get Jane so high?

The cupcakes are baked with cannabis infused in both the batter and frosting. Since Jane eats all of them at once, she receives a massive dose of THC that leaves her extremely impaired and unable to think clearly for the rest of the day.

Foreshadowing: The morning ritual scene establishes Jane as a regular cannabis user, making her particularly susceptible to the potent dose.

  • cannabis
  • high
  • weed
  • cupcakes
  • thc
  • infused
Q3

Why does Jane end up back on the Ferris wheel at sunset?

The Ferris wheel serves as the film's framing device, Jane starts there in the opening scene and returns there as the day concludes. The circular structure brings her full circle after her chaotic misadventures, though she's now surrounded by an angry crowd.

Foreshadowing: The opening scene on the Ferris wheel establishes this location as symbolically important to Jane's journey.

  • ferris wheel
  • sunset
  • ending
  • return
  • crowd
Q4

What is The Communist Manifesto doing in the movie?

Jane ends up clutching The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx during the final confrontation with the angry crowd. The inclusion appears to be one of the film's absurdist jokes, likely something Jane grabbed randomly during her chaotic day or that appeared mysteriously in her possession, fitting the surreal tone of the story.

  • karl marx
  • communist manifesto
  • book
  • absurd
Q5

Why is there an angry crowd at the end?

The angry crowd appears to be holding protests at the Ferris wheel when Jane returns. They're ready to throw her in jail, suggesting her chaotic actions throughout the day have created serious consequences she must face.

  • crowd
  • protest
  • jail
  • angry
  • arrest
Q6

Does Jane complete her to-do list?

The summary doesn't specify which tasks Jane successfully completes. Her list includes restocking pot for new cupcakes, attending her acting audition, and paying the electricity bill, but the film's ending suggests the day ends in chaos before she can resolve everything.

Foreshadowing: Jane creates an ambitious to-do list while high, setting up her chaotic navigation of multiple tasks.

  • todo list
  • audition
  • electric bill
  • pot
  • cupcakes
Q7

What happens at Jane's acting audition?

Jane attends her acting audition while still high from the cupcakes. Despite her impaired state, she demonstrates determination to pursue her dream of becoming an actress, though the summary doesn't reveal how she performs or whether she gets the role.

Foreshadowing: The film establishes early on that Jane dreams of making it as an actress, making the audition a key personal goal.

  • audition
  • acting
  • dream
  • high
  • performance
Q8

Why does Jane create such an ambitious to-do list while high?

The cannabis causes Jane to become overly ambitious and optimistic. In her altered state, she decides she needs to restock her pot supply (to bake replacement cupcakes for her roommate), attend her audition, and pay the overdue electricity bill, all in one day. The impaired judgment from being high makes simple tasks seem urgently important.

  • todo list
  • high
  • cannabis
  • ambitious
  • decision

Movie threads

More Movies Like Smiley Face, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes Smiley Face tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Surreal Single-Day Misadventures like Smiley Face

Stories where a single day spirals into a surreal and comedic odyssey. If you enjoyed the chaotic day-long odyssey in Smiley Face, you'll love these movies where a single day spirals into surreal misadventures. These films feature fast-paced, linear plots filled with absurd challenges and a whimsical tone, perfect for fans of comedic, drug-fueled capers and lighthearted chaos.

  • absurd
  • chaotic
  • fast-paced
  • surreal
  • whimsical
  • playful
  • Tone: whimsical, absurd
  • Pacing: fast, relentless
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative pattern is a straightforward, linear chain of cause-and-effect events concentrated within a 24-hour period. A minor initial incident snowballs into a series of increasingly bizarre and comedic challenges that the protagonist must navigate, creating a sense of relentless, forward momentum.

Why they belong together: These movies are grouped by their shared structure of a compressed timeline and a domino effect of absurd events. They deliver a specific viewing experience: a fast-paced, humorous ride through a surreal version of reality where the stakes are personal and comical rather than world-ending.

Laid-Back Stoner Escapades like Smiley Face

Comedies where an altered state of mind turns simple tasks into epic quests. Find more movies like Smiley Face with this collection of laid-back stoner escapades. These comedies feature protagonists on a blissful, drug-fueled journey through a surreal world, perfect for viewers who enjoy lighthearted chaos, absurd humor, and a consistently dreamlike, playful atmosphere.

  • stoner
  • laid-back
  • dreamlike
  • playful
  • surreal
  • absurd
  • Tone: whimsical, playful
  • Pacing: variable, meandering
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The journey is driven by the protagonist's unique, altered perspective, which adds a layer of surrealism to every interaction and obstacle. The plot is less about achieving the goal and more about the bizarre, meandering path taken to get there, all viewed through a humorous, laid-back lens.

Why they belong together: This thread groups films based on their core premise of a stoner's adventure and the resulting tone. They share a specific mood blend: the chaos of the events is undercut by the protagonist's unflappable, relaxed demeanor, creating an experience that is energetic yet strangely calming and always humorous.

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Every angle

Smiley Face (2007) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about Smiley Face in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

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