Pursuit of Happyness

Review 1 of 5

Messiah91 writes:

3of 4 Stars

There are several things that work in this movie, foremost among them the raw, toiling performances of Will Smith, Thandie Newton, and Jaeden Smith (Will's son) that dig into your heart and mind simultaneously. Will Smith has proved himself not only a genuine box-office charmer, but also a four star actor. Coming from the man that coasted along on the strength of his wit in Men In Black and Bad Boyz that is quite a shock.

Of course, you know when a man goes from sleeping in subway bathrooms to being a multi-millionare stockbroker there will be a movie involved. And of course there will be the usual Hollywood things (big name to play big character, warm message) to go along with it. What is so shocking is the complete lack of contrivance and hoopla that is involved in the picture. Starting with the aforementioned actors and moving on to the writer, Steve Conrad, and the Italian director Gabriele Muccino, making his American film debut, the movie is easily the most solidly down to Earth of the year.

Chris Gardner (Will Smith) sells a highly expensive piece of medical equipment for a living and apparently no one if buying. When his distraught wife Linda (Thandie Newton) leaves him and his son Christopher (Jaeden Smith), Chris is forced to aspire upwards while plummeting down. When he takes a no-salary competetive internship at Dean Witter Brokerage Firm it's both the most hopeful point in the movie and the scariest: without money how can he survive in a world where money is everything? How can he survive in our world? The answer is he barely manages. As he slips farther and farther into poverty hell, first motels then shelters, the very act of spending and intaking the dollar becomes a frustratingly arbritrary process. How can Chris ever hope to suceed if every time he goes 10 blocks he spends 10 dollars?

Fueled by the quietly amazing performances of father and son and the humane touch of Muccino the movie is a study in the economics of bankruptcy, of raising a child, and of trying to make it in a world that is increasingly more interested in watching you fail. By avoiding the obvious pratfalls of corporate villains and sudden God sends, The Pursuit of Happyness is a clever and powerful film that showcases an even more powerful message: If you want something go get it, period.

Mar 3, 2007 15:17:36

Review 2 of 5

hollowaystockton writes:

Not Rated

To tell you the truth I dont know how i got duped into watching this movie. I guess i was tempted by visions of a seeing the American Dream in action, and feeling all bah-humbug, immersed in the winter doldrums-syndrome thought it would do me some good to see a story of a man struggling against all odds hoping to find that there is still some truth to those noble words that supposedly make this country great: 'life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.' Wrong! emphatically, WRONG.
I went into the movie, completely aware that the plot hinged on Will Smith getting a job as a stockbroker. But I guess it was naive of me to think that sometime in the course of the twenty shots of he and his son falling asleep (old apartment, hotel room, subway bathroom, bus, really nice hotel room, homeless shelter...We get it! Poor people sleep alot.) he would wake up and realize that money does not equal happiness. That pursuing the almighty dollar in hopes of finding happiness is counterproductive! Nope! A more fitting title would have been 'the pathway to greed,'or 'go get a job as a stockbroker,' If it were up to me, i would have called it 'IF YOU ARE POOR IT IS YOUR OWN DAMN FAULT!' I certainly did not think that Smith deserved an oscar nomination for his performance. Sure he tried a different type of role and for that he deserves credit, the only problem is: he did not pull it off. It would have worked better with an unknown actor, but as it goes with all miserable scripts: They need an already famous actor get any publicity.
There was only one redeeming part of this film. A two-second clip of he and his son walking to the shelter where homeless people are wrapped around the block as if U2 were in town, meanwhile a convertible full of yuppies speeds by without a care in the world. And there we have Reaganomics at the most poignant moment of the film: The two great exponential growths of the Reagan Era: 1) The bank accounts of the upperclass 2) The number of homeless people in America. But the movie was not about that.

Feb 13, 2007 10:58:03

Review 3 of 5

Bite writes:

3of 4 Stars

it's great ,i saw it last night ,and i cried .
Father is the best . He can do everything for us ,and whatever we do ,he will forgive us ,and he will always love me ,becase his name is father ,

Jan 25, 2007 18:59:14

Review 4 of 5

beforedawn writes:

4of 4 Stars

The Pursuit of Happiness is a truly endearing, honest and moving film. With remarkable performances from Will Smith and his son, this true life story of overcoming even the most difficult challenges for those we love has been done justice. Set in the San Francisco of the 1980's, the film portrays the struggle of Chris Gardner, a persistent but remarkeably unlucky working class father as he tries to take care of his family.
This is not the stereotypical "underdog" story. Yes, he has to overcome many obstacles to triumph in the end. However, what makes this story different is that the main character has so much more to lose. It is not just his shot at the championship game or the chance at making the team. It is his son and his entire life that is at stake. His course of action will determine wether he becomes a successfull stock broker and is thus able to provide stability for his son; or wether they are lost in the shadows as one more homeless family in SF.
Former mayor of San Francisco Art Agnos once said that most San Franciscans live just a few paychecks away from homelesness. This movie exemplifies that persistent fear of so many working class Americans better that anything. It brings to life the daily hardships of merely having a bed to sleep on each night.
The title brings several thoughts to mind. The declaration of independence as well as much of the political philosophy that brought to life this country came from the enlightenment and thinkers such as Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau. But Thomas Jefferson had the tact to replace the word "property" as an essential right in Locke's Second Treatise of Government for the "pursuit of happiness". Why "pursuit" wondered Chris Gardner, exhausted by the cycle of poverty in which he is caught. Perhaps because we can never really achieve it, but simply spend our lives in its quest, he reckons. One of the underlying revelations of the movie is how critical the fulfillment of those basic rights, including the "pursuit of happiness"or in this case "property", is to their lives. Nevertheless, they are capable of holding together and giving magic to even the most difficult moments.
With a strikingly beautiful and original story, warm and often breathtaking performances and virtually no weaknesses to speak of, this movie very much deserves our highest rating.

Dec 28, 2006 22:47:40

Review 5 of 5

jacobseal writes:

4of 4 Stars

I've not seen the movie yet, but I have to agree that Will Smith is one talented mofo.

Dec 22, 2006 09:45:56