What consists of a happy ending?
In storylines where the protagonists are in physical danger, a happy ending mainly consists of their survival and successful completion of the quest or mission; where there is no physical danger, a happy ending may be lovers consummating their love despite various factors which might have thwarted it. Psychoanalyst Michael Bader focuses on why we cry at happy endings in films; he argues that it’s because it feels safe enough to allow ourselves to feel. This safety idea comes from an older theory by Joseph Weiss about getting through difficult situations.