The Pursuit of Happyness
Inspired by a true story.
Chris Gardner (Will Smith) is a marginally employed salesman and a single father, struggling with the mother (Thandie Newton) of his five-year-old son (Jaden Smith). When they are evicted from their apartment, Gardner finds himself alone with his son in San Francisco and no place to go. Even when Gardner lands an intern position at a prestigious stock brokerage firm, it pays no money. Forced to live in shelters, enduring many hardships as he goes through their program, Chris refuses to let this dampen his spirits as he pursues his dream of security for himself and his son.
Member Reviews
SUPER MOVIE - brandywerezak
Will Smith is a great actor in this movie he also stars with his son. Based on a true story about a single fathers struggle to over come all odds, it makes you cry. Make sure to watch the extras on this dvd. If you have not seen this movie you need to rent it and watch it.very interesting and moving film - Moir
The direction and acting in this film made it quite compelling.. and interesting.
It also seemed to me to have a richness to it perhaps in line with what the director Gabriele Muccino's remark that it took a foreigner to really understand the American Dream. Namely, that it seemed not to gloss over that the 'Dream' has two sides... one side represented by the great success in achieving the goal presented as the hero's target, the other side represented by how many more have not made such a goal but struggle just to live and often with great stress and unhappiness - which I think is also shown very clearly though not in a way to damage the 'feeling good' aspect of the film. The edge between those two sides, it strikes me, is razor sharp and has wounded many trying to go from the 'have not' side to the other...
It seems to me that the 'American Dream' is really a huge Ponzi scheme of sorts.. and as a friend in the States remarked to me.. the road to the 'American Dream' he felt is most often littered with wrecks and broken dreams and disillusionment at what the success so often turned out to mean in the lives of those whom others might often think of as having 'made it'.
I enjoyed the film and was touched by it.. I also am very impressed that I was so happy for the man's success and Will Smith and his son were so sympathetic and so much was projected visually both my feeling the film did not try to be propaganda that offended my sense of the 'Ponzi scheme' and my gladness at how things worked out for these figures could co exist in me with no detraction from my enjoyment of the film.Excellent - Bennette
The movie is fantastic. Having read the book the movie does not cover the same material and takes some licence with Chris GARDNER's life. Will Smith and his son are excellent. When I read the book I saw it more as the pursuit of money where this fleshes the people out and makes them sympathetic.
Member Reviews
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SUPER MOVIE - brandywerezak
Will Smith is a great actor in this movie he also stars with his son. Based on a true story about a single fathers struggle to over come all odds, it makes you cry. Make sure to watch the extras on this dvd. If you have not seen this movie you need to rent ...very interesting and moving film - Moir
The direction and acting in this film made it quite compelling.. and interesting.
It also seemed to me to have a richness to it perhaps in line with what the director Gabriele Muccino's remark that it took a foreigner to really understand the American ...Excellent - Bennette
The movie is fantastic. Having read the book the movie does not cover the same material and takes some licence with Chris GARDNER's life. Will Smith and his son are excellent. When I read the book I saw it more as the pursuit of money where this fleshes ...