100 Movie Characters Sing 'Never Gonna Give You Up' in This Fun Supercut

From "Anchorman" to "Zootopia," the Rick Astley classic is recited by a dazzling array of film favorites.

It’s nearly the end of the year, and my brain is tired. And maybe yours is too!

So I thought I’d share one of the types of videos I like to watch when I’m too exhausted to do anything: the supercut.

Yes, Rick Astley is making back-to-back appearances in Free Happiness. Would have never guessed that would happen when I started writing this newsletter!

But there is something so satisfying about a well-edited supercut. Especially this one by The Unusual Suspect, which includes clips from 169 (!) movies ranging from Mamma Mia and Dirty Dancing to Finding Nemo and Pretty Woman. The syncing of the characters’ dialogue with the lyrics is not just perfect, but also very funny.

In particular, Hugh Jackman in Les Misérables at the 0:57 mark made me laugh so hard that I had to watch it a few times.¹ Second to that is the inventive editing during the “never gonna give, never gonna give, give you up” section which includes another laugh out loud moment, this time with Ron Weasley (it’s at the 1:37 mark).

This is just a quick and delightful watch, and ideal for when all you have the energy to do is to sit on your sofa and click “play.”

Pop culture recs:

**I came across this poem called “Wondrous” by poet and author Sarah Freligh. It is about the “sad math” of experiencing loss over one’s lifetime (the poem references Charlotte’s Web, which should tell you a lot). And the way the poem describes how writing about grief can then be shared and felt across decades with the reader experiencing it—it’s transcendent. Please read it; it’s so beautiful. (If you click the link, it’s the last of the three poems on the page.)

**May December is now on Netflix and is receiving a lot of Oscar buzz because of the titanic performances of Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore. These two are great, but oh my goodness Charles Melton’s performance is the one I can’t shake. He is phenomenal, and I hope his name is in the mix come awards seasons. (He already was a surprise winner at the Gotham Awards, which is a good sign.) After you watch it, I recommend reading this charming interview with him in The New York Times.

This week’s fun fact

I kind of have December on the brain, since I can’t quite believe we’re already at the end of 2023. Which explains why this week’s fun fact is December-themed.

December starts on the same day of the week as September starts every year. It also ends on the same day of the week as April ends every year.

I’ll be the first to admit this isn’t that fun of a “fun” fact, but I found it interesting in a “who knew?” sort of way.

Thank you so much for reading, and as we officially start the holiday season, I hope you have a good week.

1. I should note that it won’t be funny if you skip straight to that time stamp, it has to be seen within the context of the entire video.