Will Smith's The Pursuit of Happyness

[The Kid]

Interesting. So anyone here read this book? I'll check out the site.

 

[aaron]

How exactly did the guy go from rags to riches?

 

[Matt]

Interesting. So anyone here read this book? I'll check out the site.

I have, Gardener's story is proof the American dream is still alive. He is an amazing inspiration.

 

[Matt]

How exactly did the guy go from rags to riches?

He was a homeless salesman with custody of his child who knocked on doors of investment firms trying to get an internship. He eventually got one, while staying a locked subway bathroom in Oakland. He eventually got taken it at a woman's shelter and made his way up the corporate ladder becoming one of the country's top stock brokers. He eventually opened his own multi-million dollar firm which donates AT LEAST ten percent of its profit a year to charity.

 

[ToddIsDead]

He was a homeless salesman with custody of his child who knocked on doors of investment firms trying to get an internship. He eventually got one, while staying a locked subway bathroom in Oakland. He eventually got taken it at a woman's shelter and made his way up the corporate ladder becoming one of the country's top stock brokers. He eventually opened his own multi-million dollar firm which donates AT LEAST ten percent of its profit a year to charity.

That's really impressive. Truly inspirational.

 

[Matt]

That's really impressive. Truly inspirational.

Did I mention he had very little formal education and no form of college degree and still accomplished it?

 

[ToddIsDead]

Did I mention he had very little formal education and no form of college degree and still accomplished it?

Just goes to show that if a person puts forth the effort, and doesn't give up hope, they can really succeed in life.

 

[Matt]

Just goes to show that if a person puts forth the effort, and doesn't give up hope, they can really succeed in life.

Yep, Chris Gardener's truly is the most inspirational story I have ever read.

 

[Tempest19]

I can't wait for the film. And I think it might bring an added layer that Will is working with his son, since it is a father and son film. Should be really interesting to see how this plays out.

 

[GoldenAgeHero]

i personally hope thismovie wins an oscar will'sperformance looks awesome.

 

[ShadowBoxing]

I personally think this movie will be kind of mediocre. One of those feel good, inspiration movies that pulls at peoples heart strings to get them to like it rather than focuses on good storytelling a dialogue. It seems like it will have way to many monlogues...

The Departed is essentially going to rape everyone the oscars this year I feel

 

[ToddIsDead]

I kind of agree with you, Shadow.

 

[ShadowBoxing]

I kind of agree with you, Shadow.

It's one of those movies that will have that "I'm still standing, I'm still strong" speeches in it.

 

[The Question]

I work at a movie theater, and the trailer is on a loop of adds continuously playing in the lobby. I don't know if the movie will be good or not, but watching the trailer is one of the few things that gets me through my crappy job. Makes me feel better, I guess.

 

[aaron]

He was a homeless salesman with custody of his child who knocked on doors of investment firms trying to get an internship. He eventually got one, while staying a locked subway bathroom in Oakland. He eventually got taken it at a woman's shelter and made his way up the corporate ladder becoming one of the country's top stock brokers. He eventually opened his own multi-million dollar firm which donates AT LEAST ten percent of its profit a year to charity.

Thanks.

 

[tzarinna]

Review

US Release Date: December 15, 2006
Genre: Drama, Comedy
MPAA: Rated PG-13 (for some language)
Running Time: 117 minutes
Directed by: Gabriele Muccino
The Pursuit of Happyness on IMDb
7/10

Will Smith and his son Jaden team up in The Pursuit of Happyness to tell the grueling true story of one man's struggles in San Francisco to beat all odds. They end up living on the streets getting by at the very lowest level, trying only to get the elder Smith's character a job so the two can continue living life to the fullest. One-quarter comedy, and three-quarters drama, it's a beautiful tale of compassion, but a bit rough in spots, resulting in a film that could've been much better.

Chris Gardner (Will Smith) is one of the kindest, most caring, and most considerate persons alive, succeeding amazingly in mathematics in high school but never pursuing a higher education. Living with his wife Linda (Thandie Newton) and his son Chistopher (Smith's real-life son Jaden Christopher Syre Smith), Chris struggles to make enough money to raise his family by selling bone density scanners out of his home. He at first believes the scanners to be in demand, but they prove hard to get rid of, and every day he keeps coming home without earning a single dollar. He loses everything but custody of his son when Linda, frustrated at her husband's failings, decides to leave him. Through endless persistence he gains the opportunity to join the internship program at Dean Witter, a major stock broker in San Francisco, but realizes too late that unless at the end of the six months he is the one person they hire, the internship won't earn him any money. Living on the streets with his son while in the internship program, the single father's pursuit of happiness keeps him struggling to succeed every day.
I had high expectations for this film, expecting a tear-jerking life-changing heart-thumping drama, but it's no Babel and it's no Fountain. There's nothing really wrong with the production, it's just that the edges on the script translation from the real-life story are still a bit too rough. It has heartwarming yet playful moments between Smith and his son and some uplifting scenes that will make you cheer. The central message, that persistence and passion guarantee success, is honest and clear. The problem is that The Pursuit of Happyness doesn't delve thoroughly enough into Chris's struggles and his story.

Smith and his son have an obvious natural chemistry that plays wonderfully well. However, beyond these two there are barely any other actors even in the movie. There are few supporting characters besides Chris's wife Linda and the managers at Dean Witter, and those characters are given little screen time, leaving Smith and his son to make up the complete essence of the movie. Director Gabriele Muccino, who directed the original L'Ultimo Baccio in 2001 (remade this year as The Last Kiss), delightfully captures the nuances of Will and Jaden's father-son relationship in a dramatic context.

I've shaped my opinions of the movies I've seen in the last few weeks on their endings. Will the ending live up to the rest of the film? Will it deliver its message and leave a wonderful smile on your face as you leave the theater? A weak ending is not acceptable for an otherwise meaty and enjoyable story, and this is where Pursuit falls short. It tries hard, as hard as Chris Gardner himself, but it just isn't the powerhouse life-changing conclusion that it needed. It does however still deliver a heartwarming ending that any family will enjoy seeing together.
Even though The Pursuit of Happyness is not a stellar film, I support it for its message about fighting for your passions and for what you love despite your own hardships. It goes to show that if you dedicate yourself to your passions and you work hard through the tough times, you will come out successful in the end. If you're looking to find a heartwarming story about one man's struggles, then this is worth it entirely. It performs well but doesn't exceed far beyond expectations.

Last Word:
The deliberately-misspelled Pursuit of Happyness is not the greatest film of the year, but it is still an achievement. It succeeded only partway in its attempt to translate the real-life story of Chris Gardner to the big screen and get the message out to the world. If you are looking for a genuinely inspirational father-son picture, this is definitely a great film to catch. It's such a feel-good and enjoyable movie with some great comedic moments as well. The inimitable relationship between Will Smith and his real-life son makes this film a crowd-pleaser even if its story is a bit uneven.

 

[Shifty]

One of the best films of 2006.

Will Smith earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor earlier and deserves it. The Pursuit of Happyness was released earlier this year in hardcover and just recently in paperback. The film focuses on how Chris Gardner went from barely getting by, to reaching rock bottom to finally making it. Jaden Smith, Will Smith's real son, has a breakout roll playing Chris' five year old son, Christopher. You know the basic story already. It is a very hard journey as Chris and Christopher encounter many obstacles that would make most people give up.

If you've seen the trailer and liked it, you'll enjoy the movie. The humour is spread throughout the film to not make this another depressing film. The bone density scanner is called a 'time machine' by characters throughout the film and it basically is since this film could've been made in the early 1980s. The Rubik's Cube plays an important part in Chris' journey, you'll see a Raging Bull ad on top of a taxicab and Reagen makes an appearance. I'm sure some will study the film and say 'oh that didn't happen until a few months later or that didn't happen in the fall. Still, it looks great. There are no real complaints with the film it just moves along great, the acting by Smith and Smith is memorable and you want to see these people happy. I would've liked to have seen more of what happened with Chris and his son after the early 1980s were over but I guess you have to read the book to find out. It didn't receive a Golden Globe nomination for Best Picture but you'll leave this film feeling good and quite satisfied.

People who recognize Castellaneta [BLACKOUT]will like it when he asks Chris to get something[/BLACKOUT]

 

[Mentok]

I read the book a few years ago... Its great. One of those true stories that you cant believe what you are reading.

The trailer is great and Smith looks like he will hold his own in the film.

 

[The Chairman]

I might see this. I'm torn between this, Blood Diamond and The Good Shpeherd, all of which look amazing.

 

[Speedball]

I have one question.
Why is Happiness spelled wrong?
The movie is about a smart man, yet Happiness is spelled with a y instead of an i.

 

[Shifty]

I have one question.
Why is Happiness spelled wrong?
The movie is about a smart man, yet Happiness is spelled with a y instead of an i.

The word "Happyness" in the title has been taken from the misspelling of "Fun Joy Happyness" on a mural children have painted on the Chinatown daycare center where Chris Gardner takes his son, Christopher. When Chris points out the mistake, Mrs. Chu replies that it is not important to the pre-schoolers how the word is spelled, only that they have happiness. This leads Chris to contemplate the inclusion of the concept of the individual's right to "pursuit of happiness" in the Declaration of Independence, and how to pursue a happier, more emotionally secure childhood for his son, than his own had been.

 

[tzarinna]

COOL,I was wondering that myself.

 

[Dark Donnie]

I just saw it...the film has it's flaws but Will Smith really delivers. One of his better roles to date...I can see why he's the odds on favorite to win the Globe.

 

[Warhammer]

One of my favorite films of 2006.
This film was great. I loved Will Smith.
This movie had many feel good moments and many sad, depressing moments.
Everytime Chris suceeded or failed, you felt like you were him. I teared up a couple of times in the theater, like when [blackout]Chris and his son were in the bathroom, when Chris was washing his son in the homeless shelter, when Chris pretended that the machine was a time machine, etc.[/blackout]
I had a couple of tears rolling down my face during the ending.

I seriously hope that this movie does well at the box office.

Great movie.
8/10

 

[LostSon88]

So far so good...it made around 10 mil on Friday.

I hope i'll be able to see it next week. t: