movie review for the pursuit of happyness

• Share full article

Advertisement

Supported by

Movie Review | 'The Pursuit of Happyness'

Climbing Out of the Gutter With a 5-Year-Old in Tow

By Manohla Dargis

• Dec. 15, 2006

A fairy tale in realist drag, “The Pursuit of Happyness” is the kind of entertainment that goes down smoothly until it gets stuck in your craw. Inspired by a true story, as they like to say in Hollywood, the film traces the fleeting ups and frightening downs of Chris Gardner, whose efforts to keep his family from sinking into poverty evolve into a life-and-death struggle of social Darwinian proportions. It’s the early 1980s, and while Ronald Reagan is delivering the bad economic news on television, Chris is about to prove you don’t need an army to fight the war on poverty, just big smiles and smarts, and really sturdy shoes. (It also helps that the star playing him is as innately sympathetic as Will Smith.)

Given how often Chris breaks into a run on the streets of San Francisco, it’s a good thing his shoes are well built; his lungs, too. Written by Steven Conrad and directed by Gabriele Muccino, “The Pursuit of Happyness” recounts how Chris, plagued by some bad luck, a few stupid moves and a shrew for a wife, Linda (Thandie Newton), loses his apartment and, with his 5-year-old, Christopher (Jaden Christopher Syre Smith, Mr. Smith’s own beautiful son), joins the ranks of the homeless, if not the hopeless. Evicted from the mainstream and bounced from shelter to shelter, Chris holds firm to his dignity, resolve, faith, love and independence. His optimism sweeps through the film like a searchlight, scattering clouds and dark thoughts to the wind.

It’s the same old bootstraps story, an American dream artfully told, skillfully sold. To that calculated end, the filmmaking is seamless, unadorned, transparent, the better to serve Mr. Smith’s warm expressiveness. That warmth feels truthful, as does the walk-up apartment Chris’s family lives in at the start of the film, which looks like the real paycheck-to-paycheck deal. As does the day care center, which is so crummy it can’t even get happiness right (hence the title).

This is no small thing, considering the film industry’s usual skewed sense of economic class, a perspective encapsulated by the insider who described the middle-class family in “Little Miss Sunshine” to me as working class, perhaps because the mother drives a gently distressed Miata rather than next year’s Mercedes.

Money matters in “The Pursuit of Happyness,” as it does in life. But it matters more openly in this film than it does in most Hollywood stories that set their sights on the poor, largely because Chris’s pursuit of happiness eventually becomes interchangeable with his pursuit of money. He doesn’t want just a better, more secure life for himself and his child; either by scripted design or by the example of the real Chris Gardner, he seems to yearn for a life of luxury, stadium box seats and the kind of sports car he stops to admire in one scene. His desires aren’t just upwardly mobile; they’re materialistically unbound. Instead of a nice starter home, he (and the filmmakers) ogles mansions. It’s no wonder he hopes to become a stockbroker.

That may sound like a punch line, at least to some ears, but it’s the holy grail in “The Pursuit of Happyness.” A self-starter, Chris has sunk all of the family’s money into costly medical scanners that he tries to sell to doctors and hospitals. But the machines are overpriced, and the sure thing he banked on has landed them in debt. Forced to work two shifts at a dead-end job, Linda angrily smolders and then rages at Chris, which seems reasonable since he has gambled all of their savings on an exceptionally foolish enterprise. (And, unlike her, he hasn’t signed up for overtime.) But this is a film about father love, not mother love, and Linda soon leaves the picture in a cloud of cigarette smoke and a storm of tears.

Chris and the filmmakers seem happy to see her go, but life only gets tougher once she and her paychecks disappear. Much of the film involves Chris’s subsequent efforts to keep himself and his child housed and fed while he is enrolled in an unpaid internship program at a powerful stock brokerage firm. Bright and ferociously determined, Chris easily slides into this fantastical world of shouting men, ringing phones, gleaming surfaces and benevolent bosses. He goes along to get along, and when one of his bosses asks for money to pay for a cab, he quickly opens his wallet. Chris himself stiffs another working man for some money because that wallet is so light. But this is a film about him, not the other guy.

How you respond to this man’s moving story may depend on whether you find Mr. Smith’s and his son’s performances so overwhelmingly winning that you buy the idea that poverty is a function of bad luck and bad choices, and success the result of heroic toil and dreams. Both performances are certainly likable in the extreme, though Mr. Smith shined brighter and was given much more to do when he played the title character in Michael Mann’s underrated “Ali.” That film proves an interesting comparison with this one, not in filmmaking terms, but in its vision of what it means to be a black man struggling in America. In one, a black man fights his way to the top with his fists; in the other, he gets there with a smile.

“The Pursuit of Happyness” is rated PG-13 (Parents strongly cautioned). It includes mild adult language and some parental fighting.

THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS

Opens today nationwide.

Directed by Gabriele Muccino; written by Steven Conrad; director of photography, Phedon Papamichael; edited by Hughes Winborne; music by Andrea Guerra; production designer, J. Michael Riva; produced by Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal, Steve Tisch James Lassiter and Will Smith; released by Columbia Pictures. Running time: 117 minutes.

WITH: Will Smith (Chris Gardner), Thandie Newton (Linda) and Jaden Christopher Syre Smith (Christopher).

Common Sense Media

Movie & TV reviews for parents

• For Parents
• For Educators
• Our Work and Impact

Or browse by category:

• Movie Reviews
• Best Movie Lists
• Best Movies on Netflix, Disney+, and More

Common Sense Selections for Movies

50 Modern Movies All Kids Should Watch Before They're 12

• Best TV Lists
• Best TV Shows on Netflix, Disney+, and More
• Common Sense Selections for TV
• Video Reviews of TV Shows

Best Kids' Shows on Disney+

Best Kids' TV Shows on Netflix

• Book Reviews
• Best Book Lists
• Common Sense Selections for Books

8 Tips for Getting Kids Hooked on Books

50 Books All Kids Should Read Before They're 12

• Game Reviews
• Best Game Lists

Common Sense Selections for Games

• Video Reviews of Games

Nintendo Switch Games for Family Fun

• Podcast Reviews
• Best Podcast Lists

Common Sense Selections for Podcasts

Parents' Guide to Podcasts

• App Reviews
• Best App Lists

Social Networking for Teens

Gun-Free Action Game Apps

Reviews for AI Apps and Tools

• YouTube Channel Reviews
• YouTube Kids Channels by Topic

Parents' Ultimate Guide to YouTube Kids

YouTube Kids Channels for Gamers

• Preschoolers (2-4)
• Little Kids (5-7)
• Big Kids (8-9)
• Pre-Teens (10-12)
• Teens (13+)
• Screen Time
• Social Media
• Online Safety
• Identity and Community

How to Help Kids Build Character Strengths with Quality Media

• Family Tech Planners
• Digital Skills
• All Articles
• Latino Culture
• Black Voices
• Asian Stories
• Native Narratives
• LGBTQ+ Pride
• Best of Diverse Representation List

Multicultural Books

YouTube Channels with Diverse Representations

Podcasts with Diverse Characters and Stories

The pursuit of happyness.

• Common Sense Says
• Parents Say 16 Reviews
• Kids Say 50 Reviews

Common Sense Media Review

By Cynthia Fuchs , based on child development research. How do we rate?

Inspirational but often emotionally wrenching story.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Will Smith will draw kids to this movie. But it's not an action flick or slapstick comedy -- it's an inspirational and often emotionally wrenching story. It includes some very sad scenes between family members, as well as a couple of emotionally scary ones. The mother becomes so frustrated…

Why Age 12+?

"F--k" written as graffiti on wall, noted and spoken by father and son; several

Mom smokes cigarettes several times.

Parents' loud argument worries their son; Chris is hit by a car, leaving his fac

Most products are used to mark the year (1981): A Rubik's cube figures prominent

Mother appears briefly in her bra and panties while changing into her work unifo

Any Positive Content?

Strong messages about the importance of persistence, hard work, believing in you

Noble father dotes on son and is dedicated to taking care of him through thick a

"F--k" written as graffiti on wall, noted and spoken by father and son; several uses of "damn," "hell," "s--t," "ass," and "a--hole." "You suck" written on wall.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Violence & Scariness

Parents' loud argument worries their son; Chris is hit by a car, leaving his face bruised and clothes bedraggled; father yells at son for crying, frightening him into obedience; Chris starts to fight a man in line at a shelter, frightening his son, who cries.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Most products are used to mark the year (1981): A Rubik's cube figures prominently in the plot; Members Only jacket; Raging Bull movie poster; Magic Johnson poster, Captain America action figure. Chris goes to work for the Dean Witter brokerage.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Mother appears briefly in her bra and panties while changing into her work uniform.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Positive Messages

Strong messages about the importance of persistence, hard work, believing in yourself, and being there for each other. The heart of the movie is the strong father-son bond between the two main characters.

Positive Role Models

Noble father dotes on son and is dedicated to taking care of him through thick and thin. He takes his son along on job-related excursions and lies in front of him (the kid looks appropriately skeptical when he hears it). Chris also briefly discourages and yells at his son, after which he is immediately apologetic. Perpetually irritated mom abandons her son early in the movie.

Parents need to know that Will Smith will draw kids to this movie. But it's not an action flick or slapstick comedy -- it's an inspirational and often emotionally wrenching story. It includes some very sad scenes between family members, as well as a couple of emotionally scary ones. The mother becomes so frustrated with her husband's inability to make a living that she leaves him and their son. Later, the father yells at his son for a trivial reason and gets in a fight, scaring the boy and making him cry. If your child is in a clingy period with you, this might upset him or her. There's a very brief allusion to the mixed effects of classism and racism on the son. The father's frustration sometimes leads to tears and sometimes to angry language (mostly damn and "s--t"). A graffitied "f--k" leads to a brief discussion of the word, and the son says it out loud. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Parent and Kid Reviews

• Parents say (16)
• Kids say (50)

Based on 16 parent reviews

that kid'll getcha

Real life issues - refreshing break from anthromorphism and fantasy, what's the story.

Based on a true story and set in 1981 San Francisco, Pursuit begins as Chris Gardner ( Will Smith ) and his wife, Linda ( Thandiwe Newton ), are having troubles. She works double shifts doing hotel laundry; he's trying to sell bone density scanners (i.e., specialty medical machines that, as Chris admits in voiceover, are too expensive for most doctors to buy). When Linda abandons the family, Chris remains determined. He spends six months working in an unpaid internship at Dean Witter, dead set on becoming a stock broker. He's smart enough and good with numbers, he figures, having proved that much by solving a Rubik's cube in front of a Dean Witter broker. As he studies and scrapes by, barely earning enough each week to pay for meals, Chris is sure he's going to make it.

Is It Any Good?

Jaden Smith is adorable; he delivers an endearing performance as Gardner's son, Christopher, in what turns out to be a simple, sentimental, but ultimately inspiring movie. The film deals with the American Dream from a particular perspective, focusing, as the title implies, on the constitutional right to "pursue" happiness, rather than the right to be happy. In this manner, the movie is able to avoid focusing much on institutional racism and how that factors into achieving the Dream. Instead, the relationship between father and son, through all the ups and downs of family strife and economic instability, take center stage, with lovely results.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about the appeal of stories like Chris'. Why do people like rags-to-riches tales? Why are they considered good material for movies? How close do you think the movie version is to the true story?

Families can also talk about the risks that Chris takes to provide a "better life" for his son. How does the movie show that little Christopher is both scared of having no place to sleep, but also utterly trusting of his dad? Is it OK that Chris tells a white lie in front of his son to get a job?

How does the film portray the decision by Christopher's mother to leave him? From whose point of view do you see this choice?

Movie Details

• In theaters : December 14, 2006
• On DVD or streaming : March 27, 2007
• Cast : Jaden Smith , Thandiwe Newton , Will Smith
• Director : Gabriele Muccino
• Inclusion Information : Female actors, Black actors
• Studio : Columbia Tristar
• Genre : Drama
• Run time : 117 minutes
• MPAA rating : PG-13
• MPAA explanation : some language.
• Awards : Common Sense Media Award , NAACP Image Award - NAACP Image Award Winner
• Last updated : August 8, 2024

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Suggest an Update

What to watch next.

Fly Away Home

Instructions Not Included

Life Is Beautiful

After Earth

Tv dads we love.

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

Log in or sign up for Rotten Tomatoes

Trouble logging in?

By continuing, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes.

Email not verified

Let's keep in touch.

Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:

• Upcoming Movies and TV shows
• Rotten Tomatoes Podcast
• Media News + More

By clicking "Sign Me Up," you are agreeing to receive occasional emails and communications from Fandango Media (Fandango, Vudu, and Rotten Tomatoes) and consenting to Fandango's Privacy Policy and Terms and Policies . Please allow 10 business days for your account to reflect your preferences.

OK, got it!

• About Rotten Tomatoes®
• Login/signup

Movies in theaters

• Opening This Week
• Top Box Office
• Coming Soon to Theaters
• Certified Fresh Movies

Movies at Home

• Fandango at Home
• Prime Video
• Most Popular Streaming Movies
• What to Watch New

Certified fresh picks

• 86% Speak No Evil Link to Speak No Evil
• 77% Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Link to Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
• 95% Rebel Ridge Link to Rebel Ridge

New TV Tonight

• 86% How to Die Alone: Season 1
• 62% Emily in Paris: Season 4
• 63% The Old Man: Season 2
• 18% Three Women: Season 1
• -- Universal Basic Guys: Season 1
• -- My Brilliant Friend: Story of the Lost Child: Season 4
• -- Lego Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy: Season 1
• -- The Circle: Season 7
• -- Jack Whitehall: Fatherhood with My Father: Season 1
• -- In Vogue: The 90s: Season 1

Most Popular TV on RT

• 93% The Penguin: Season 1
• 61% The Perfect Couple: Season 1
• 85% The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power: Season 2
• 76% Kaos: Season 1
• 100% Slow Horses: Season 4
• 100% Dark Winds: Season 2
• -- Into the Fire: The Lost Daughter: Season 1
• 93% Bad Monkey: Season 1
• Best TV Shows
• Most Popular TV

Certified fresh pick

• 93% The Penguin: Season 1 Link to The Penguin: Season 1
• All-Time Lists
• Binge Guide
• Comics on TV
• Five Favorite Films
• Video Interviews
• Weekend Box Office
• Weekly Ketchup
• What to Watch

Resident Evil Movies In Order: How To Watch The Series Chronologically

50 Best New Horror Movies of 2024

What to Watch: In Theaters and On Streaming

Awards Tour

Transformers One First Reviews: The Best Transformers Movie Yet

The Penguin First Reviews: Colin Farrell’s Wild Performance Makes the Series a Must-Watch

• Trending on RT
• Best Horror Movies
• Top 10 Box Office
• Toronto Film Festival
• Free Movies on YouTube

The Pursuit of Happyness Reviews

It is Will Smith's lead performance in this that really stole the show and won me over. It really elevated this movie.

Full Review | Original Score: 7.5/10 | Sep 4, 2021

The Pursuit of Happyness reveals the soul-wasting nature of poverty and the lack of prospects for those condemned to economic oblivion.

Full Review | Sep 2, 2020

Will Smith can carry a film. And carry it he does, because without him, Happyness would founder in its own schmaltz.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4 | Jun 6, 2019

Director Gabriele Muccino has so overloaded the story with glib anecdotes that it's often depressing and, worse, monotonous. Everything that is admirable, and there is much, is down to Smith's verve.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Nov 3, 2018

Save some of those Kleenex for The Pursuit of Happyness.

Full Review | Jan 5, 2018

The Pursuit of Happyness is a very Hollywood film, which could be good or bad depending on your point of view. It tries very hard to be profound and inspirational, but ultimately it's not up to the task.

Full Review | Original Score: 6/10 | Apr 25, 2011

Counterfeit emotion and submerged racism

Full Review | Aug 28, 2009

Sap, sentiment, and hokey plot devices bog down an otherwise down to earth story.

Full Review | Apr 29, 2009

Smith turns in a career-capping performance, and director Gabriele Muccino ingeniously turns the material inward, cautioning us all to be grateful for what we have, for we're closer to the edge than we think.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Apr 23, 2009

Will Smith is getting all the awards buzz, but it's his real-life son, Jaden, who transcends all expectations in Happyness.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Nov 20, 2008

Full Review | Original Score: C | Oct 18, 2008

Even the glossiest of surfaces can't extinguish the genuine emotions running beneath them here.

Full Review | Original Score: B- | Apr 6, 2008

Few films so convincingly portray the titanic struggle that some people face day in and day out just to survive.

Full Review | Original Score: 7/10 | Feb 28, 2008

This is Will Smith's movie from start to finish and he carries it wonderfully.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4 | Jul 14, 2007

[A] calculatedly emotional, sterilizingly cleancut drama.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Jun 23, 2007

Hokey title, but sometimes movie is good.

Full Review | Original Score: B- | May 10, 2007

In an effort to make a crowd-pleasing film, the horrors that Gardner must have experienced on the streets feel glossed over by the Hollywood machine.

Full Review | Mar 24, 2007

The American Dream as white, rich and all male.

Full Review | Mar 21, 2007

Will Smith gives the performance of his career in a movie for which phrases like "heart-warming" and "life-affirming" were made.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Feb 19, 2007

Sem jamais tratar o papel como uma simples oportunidade de mostrar seu alcance dramático, Will Smith comove justamente por demonstrar o esforço de seu personagem para se conter em momentos de grande emoção.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Feb 3, 2007

The Pursuit Of Happyness Review

12 Jan 2007

117 minutes

Pursuit Of Happyness, The

Everybody reacts to disappointment in different ways. Some go out and get shit-faced. Others buy a pram, fill it with toys and start throwing. Will Smith, however, makes a series of empty, visually appealing action movies.

We should explain: the disappointment in this case is losing out on Oscar back in 2002. He’d been hotly tipped to scoop the little gold geezer for his turn in Ali, but then along came Denzel Washington’s Training Day and that was that. This glaring oversight on the Academy’s part seemed to crush his spirit — hence the autopilot likes of Bad Boys II; I, Robot; Hitch and Shark Tale. All charming in their own way, but as tests of his capabilities as an actor, a Fresh Prince movie might have been more of a stretch.

Now, though, he’s back on the ‘serious-actor’ horse in The Pursuit Of Happyness, a film that does allow him to grow. In fact, Smith’s Pursuit Of Oscar is a muted affair. There are no grandstanding moments of high emotion, no obvious award-show clips. Smith’s Chris Gardner gets angry, yes. He cries, yes. But the emphasis here is on restraint and interesting choices — in the movie’s climactic moments, when most other actors would holler and bawl for all they’re worth, Smith opts for an understated and virtually wordless reaction, tears tickling his eyes. It works beautifully.

Although the movie Gardner is a man almost entirely without flaws (Thandie Newton, in contrast, labours with a thin ‘bitch-wife’ role), it’s a dream of a part and a heck of a tale — and, albeit with the usual Hollywood liberties, it’s all true. Gardner and his son did sleep in a locked railway station toilet. They did line up at homeless shelters with down-and-outs, scrabbling for a bed for the night — and all while Gardner was working at his internship, with no income and little chance of a job at the end of it.

And all, it seems, because of a line in the Declaration Of Independence that grants every American the inalienable right to the pursuit of happiness (don’t worry, pedants, the misspelling of the title is explained early on). Today, Gardner is a multi-millionaire with a best-selling book, but, as the title indicates, this is about the pursuit, and there’s real drama as Gardner pushes himself to breaking point, trying never to let his son (played with no little charm by Smith’s own kid, Jaden) realise the dire extent of their situation.

It’s clear from the off that we’re in rags-to-riches, wish fulfilment territory here, but this doesn’t quite stir like a Capra, or even a modern-day equivalent like Jerry Maguire or Shawshank. That’s partly because director Gabriele Muccino — the Italian helmer of L’Ultimo Bacio (the original version of The Last Kiss) — lends the film a muted autumnal palette which, sadly, dampens emotional engagement, while too much emphasis is placed on an unnecessary voiceover.

Yet, despite its flaws, the movie still warms the heart thanks to Smith, whose natural, irrepressible likeability carries the movie through its more formulaic moments. And if he should wind up on the podium at the Kodak Theatre next year, well… how’s that for an American Dream?

Related Articles

Movies | 09 01 2007

Notice: All forms on this website are temporarily down for maintenance. You will not be able to complete a form to request information or a resource. We apologize for any inconvenience and will reactivate the forms as soon as possible.

• DVD & Streaming

The Pursuit of Happyness

Content caution.

In Theaters

• Will Smith as Chris Gardner; Jaden Christopher Syre Smith as Christopher; Thandie Newton as Linda; Brian Howe as Jay Twistle; Dan Castellaneta as Alan Frakesh; Kurt Fuller as Walter Ribbon

Home Release Date

• Gabriele Muccino

Distributor

• Sony Pictures

Positive Elements   |   Spiritual Elements   |   Sexual & Romantic Content   |   Violent Content   |   Crude or Profane Language   |   Drug & Alcohol Content   |   Other Noteworthy Elements   | Conclusion

Movie Review

“I met my father for the first time when I was 28 years old. When I had children, my children were going to know who their father was.” So vows Chris Gardner, an earnest salesman and father desperately struggling to make ends meet on the hard streets of San Francisco in the early 1980s. But his chosen vocation, peddling expensive bone-density scanners that most physicians don’t want, has left him and those he loves hovering on the brink of disaster.

Day after unsuccessful day, Chris comes home to his dispirited girlfriend, Linda, and their 5-year-old son, Christopher. Linda pulls double shifts to stay within striking distance of solvency, all the while chastising Chris for his failure to provide. Predictably, she doesn’t think much of his latest brainstorm: securing an internship at the stock brokerage firm Dean Witter. Linda’s bitterness and negativity may wear on Chris, but they can’t dampen the weary salesman’s delight in his son. Christopher is the apple of Daddy’s eye.

Then Linda leaves Chris (and their son) for a job in New York. She’s barely out the door when Chris learns he’s been offered the coveted internship. The catch? It’s unpaid. Despite the financial risk, Chris decides to go for it, frantically juggling his schedule to get Christopher to and from day care each day. But dwindling savings quickly result in an eviction from their apartment. And then another from a motel. Soon, father and son are homeless, staying in city shelters on good nights and in public restrooms on the worst.

As his desperation mounts, Chris clings tenaciously to the hope that his hard work will eventually pay off. And his dogged pursuit of a better life forges a powerful father-son bond that no misfortune can destroy.

Positive Elements

“You’re a good papa.” Those tenderhearted words from Christopher to his father as they spend the night in a homeless shelter poignantly capture the essence of The Pursuit of Happyness . Chris isn’t perfect, but one emotional scene after another clearly demonstrate his drive to protect and provide for his son.

Physical affection (hugs and kisses) and heartfelt moments mark their relationship. Chris repeatedly asks Christopher to trust him, and Dad proves that he’s worthy of that trust. When Linda threatens to leave, Chris demands that their son stay with him. He knows he’ll be a better parent than she would be—a reality to which Linda grudgingly acquiesces. Later, Christopher asks his dad, “Did mom leave because of me?” Chris responds, “Mom left because of mom. And you didn’t have anything to do with that.”

Actively concerned about his son’s education and mental development, Chris gets upset when he learns that Christopher’s day care provider, Mrs. Chew, lets the kids watch Bonanza and Love Boat . Chris teaches his son word meanings, such as the difference between probably and possibly , and the fact that happiness is misspelled on his day care’s sign. (It’s mistakenly spelled with a “y”; the film’s title intentionally follows suit.)

Chris encourages his boy to make a birthday wish-list, then gets him a basketball as a present. And one of the film’s most powerful scenes comes when Christopher is trying to shoot hoops with his new ball. After a strong-but-errant shot, Dad critically informs him, “You’ll excel at a lot of things, but not [basketball],” perhaps projecting his own experience onto his son. Christopher immediately lives down to Dad’s low expectations and takes a weak shot. Noticing his son’s downcast countenance, Chris realizes his error and rectifies the situation, saying, “Don’t ever let somebody tell you you can’t do something. Not even me. All right? You got a dream? You gotta protect it. People can’t do something themselves, they want to tell you you can’t do it. You want something, go get it. Period.”

A harrowing night of homelessness finds the pair killing time at a deserted Bay Area Rapid Transit stop. Father and son imagine that Dad’s bone-density machine is actually a time-travel device that takes them back to the time of the dinosaurs. Christopher gleefully joins in the make-believe game as they flee from a T-Rex into a “cave”—a public restroom where they spend the night. Dad holds the door shut with his foot, and tears stream down his face as he watches his innocent son sleep on his lap.

In addition to such a strong father-son relationship, The Pursuit of Happyness also presents the American Dream as an achievable reality. It begins when Chris asks a Dean Witter broker (who he sees getting out of a bright-red Ferrari) what’s needed to do the job. The answer he gets back is this: “You’ve got to be good with numbers and good with people.” Chris believes he has those skills and aggressively pursues executives at Dean Witter once he discovers internships are available.

He hounds his first contact, Jay Twistle, until the man pays attention to him. Several other people at Dean Witter give Chris chances to prove himself, though they aren’t really duty-bound to do so. And even though he’s virtually broke, Chris gives $5 to one of his rich superiors so he can pay for cab fare. Later, Chris misses an appointment with an executive (for reasons beyond his control), and goes to the man’s house to apologize. The exec, Walter Ribbon, in turn, kindly invites Chris and Christopher to share his skybox at a 49ers game.

A “live” TV clip of President Ronald Reagan includes the exhortation, “We’ve got to face the truth, and we’ve got to work to turn things around.” Chris does that, and much, much more.

Spiritual Elements

Chris and his son stay at a shelter that offers a gospel-oriented church service. A choir sings, “You promised you’d meet me at the altar of prayer/… Lord, please move that mountain.” Other lyrics insist, “I won’t give up,” and include the line, “Hello, Jesus.”

Christopher tells his dad a joke about a drowning man who kept praying for God to save him. The man refuses the help of two boats that come by, insisting that God will answer his prayer. After he dies and asks God why He didn’t save him, God tells him, “I sent you two big boats, you dummy.”

Sexual & Romantic Content

We see Linda in a bra and slip as she gets dressed for work. She’s also seen in a camisole. Two scenes show Chris and Linda (who are unmarried but living together) in bed (without any sexual activity). A brief shower shot shows Chris’ shoulders.

Violent Content

Sprinting across a busy San Francisco street, Chris gets hit by a car. He breaks the windshield then is thrown roughly to the concrete (yet avoids major injury). Linda hits Chris several times in anger; he in turn grabs her arm firmly. Twice, Chris shakes his son in moments of extreme frustration, but manages to exercise enough restraint not to hurt Christopher. Chris gets into a scuffle with another homeless guy who cut in front of him at the shelter. (Their conflict is broken up before it can turn into a full-on fight.)

Crude or Profane Language

A spray-painted f-word mars the slogan of Christopher’s day care (“Joy. Fun. Happyness”). As Chris explains the misspelling of happiness , Christopher asks, “Is f— spelled right?” Chris tells his son that’s not a word he’s supposed to learn, and that it’s not part of the school’s motto. Other profanity includes two-and-a-half s-words and a handful each of the words “h—,” “d–n,” “a–” and “b–ch.”

Drug & Alcohol Content

Linda smokes cigarettes.

Other Noteworthy Elements

Chris is not by nature a deceptive person. But several times he lies in front of his son (who recognizes the deception) to keep others from realizing how desperate his situation really is. And when he’s unfairly left to pay a cab fare he doesn’t have the money for, he flees. (The infuriated cabby chases him, swearing and yelling threats.)

Chris’ lack of funds means he’s perpetually evading angry landlords who want back-rent from him. He always tells them he’ll get the money, but is never able to make good on that promise. Someone paints “Dear Chris, U suck” on the wall of his apartment. An internship administrator treats him like an on-call servant, asking him to do all kinds of favors (such as getting doughnuts, moving his car, etc.). After the IRS garnishes $600 in back taxes from his bank account, Chris loses his cool and angrily demands that a friend pay back $14 that he owes him (as his son looks on).

Christopher dances around in his underwear in two scenes.

Inspirational isn’t a word I would normally choose to describe a great movie, as it conjures up connotations of something sappy or overly sentimental. Nevertheless, I think that’s the word that best captures Will Smith’s powerful portrayal of real-life father and pull-yourself-up-by-your-bootstraps worker Chris Gardner.

As a new father myself, I’m hard put to think of any movie I’ve ever seen that inspires me more to be a good dad than this one does. Days after seeing it, memories of certain scenes continue to challenge me in my own occasional moments of laziness or self-absorption. Suffice it to say that self-pity and lack of initiative are two character traits Mr. Gardner simply does not exhibit, no matter how bleak things get for him and his son. Instead, he elevates Christopher’s needs above his own over and over again. He can’t always change their awful circumstances, but Chris does everything within his power to meet his son’s physical and emotional needs, and to protect him. Nothing can deter this loving papa from lavishing affection and tenderness upon his son.

Director Gabriele Muccino says of this precious father-son relationship, “The movie plays like a love story. But in this case we don’t have a woman and a man meeting each other. Instead, we have a father and son walking together through life. Their relationship is very strong, very powerful. … Chris endures the unimaginable and still makes sure that not even the worst moments will have a bad effect on his son’s life.” The chemistry between the pair onscreen is no doubt enhanced by the fact that Will Smith’s son, Jaden, portrays Christopher.

Only a few negative elements (noted above) and the film’s occasional use of realistic, street-level vulgarities let it down. I’ve certainly seen PG-13 films with more language problems, but there’s still enough here (20-plus) to give discerning moviegoers pause. What won’t trip them up—and might even breathe new life into their own relationships—is Chris Gardner’s powerful, passionate pursuit of the best life possible for his little boy.

Adam R. Holz

After serving as an associate editor at NavPress’ Discipleship Journal and consulting editor for Current Thoughts and Trends, Adam now oversees the editing and publishing of Plugged In’s reviews as the site’s director. He and his wife, Jennifer, have three children. In their free time, the Holzes enjoy playing games, a variety of musical instruments, swimming and … watching movies.

Latest Reviews

God’s Not Dead: In God We Trust

Transformers One

The Killer’s Game

Weekly reviews straight to your inbox.

• Become a Critical Movie Critic
• Movie Review Archives

Movie Review: The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)

• General Disdain
• Movie Reviews
• 4 responses
• --> December 24, 2006

Come Christmas time, or should I say Holiday time (for all the politically correct douchebags out there), Hollywood without question drops the old rags-to-riches, feel good movies into our laps. So it is no surprise that The Pursuit of Happyness shows up just in time for the gift exchange.

Even though most folks who know me (and many who don’t) call me a cynical asshole, and in a general sense I agree with them, I am still a sucker for these cream-puff movies. Perhaps it is my own misgivings or inner demons that cause me to be transfixed by these melodramatic offerings. Or perhaps it is because I can always expect to see a roomful of girls with tears in their eyes — easing pickings for a predator. I prefer the latter explanation.

Now on to the movie — Will Smith plays Chris Gardner a man down on his luck (fucked up job, fucked up wife, etc.), who decides he needs to make a life altering change to raise himself and his child above the chaos and poverty that is their current existence. To do this he decides to become a stock broker at one of the largest firms in the country — without knowing a damn thing about stocks or bonds. Quite a feat, and one that proves the axiom “you can do anything if you put your mind to it”. Why? Because, The Pursuit of Happyness is a true story.

But beyond the typical take a look in the mirror and decide if you like what you see plot, the movie offers insights into the homeless and society as whole. The underlying racism is used as a backdrop, but given enough light for the viewers to take notice of it. This movie also shows how truly fucked up things are, when a man and his 5 year-old child have to sleep in a subway bathroom or on a bus. All the while people around them pay little to no attention to them and continue on with their own petty lives. Other movies have had similar themes, but it really strikes home when a small child is involved. Never, ever should a child be homeless.

And even though, I’m not the biggest fan of Will Smith, I must say, he carried the role well. The cockiness that he normally oozes out of his skin is nowhere to be found and I found myself actually feeling sorry for his character’s situation and applauding him for trying like hell to make something better. If only every man in the world had this mans’ convictions. A more pleasant surprise is the acting of Jaden Smith. Jaden portrays the son, and from what I can tell this is his first real acting experience. The sky is the limit with this kid, as he does an excellent job of capturing the hope and fear that this boy feels. As for the rest of the supporting cast — they do their job well enough, not really adding much, mostly ensuring they aren’t fucking anything up.

So it comes a shock to me, as much as to you, that I actually think this is an Oscar winner for Will Smith. The Pursuit of Happyness has all the needed elements in place to make this a reasonable guess. Great acting, good theme, well received — and the biggest reason — it’s all about a black guy. What more could you fucking want?

If The Pursuit of Happyness can’t get you off of your fat, sweaty ass, you’re hopeless. And do the rest of us a favor and shut the fuck up.

Tagged: son , stock broker , true story

I'm an old, miserable fart set in his ways. Some of the things that bring a smile to my face are (in no particular order): Teenage back acne, the rain on my face, long walks on the beach and redneck women named Francis. Oh yeah, I like to watch and criticize movies.

Movie Review: Ghosted (2023) Movie Review: Bill & Ted Face the Music (2020) Movie Review: Fantasy Island (2020) Movie Review: Snatched (2017) Movie Review: Horrible Bosses 2 (2014) Movie Review: ABCs of Death 2 (2014) Movie Review: Life After Beth (2014)

'Movie Review: The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)' have 4 comments

March 23, 2007 @ 3:36 pm JerseyMike

You’ve got to be kidding me right? One dog pile? I’d give this a four big steamy piles.

This movie was the worst pile of garbage I’ve seen in quite some time. The movie had no real “meat” to the plot. Sure it tries to tug at your heart, but fails in a real big way. The editing and film shots were horrible, I think a High School student could have done better.

With all the hype to this movie, I want money back.

Log in to Reply

August 9, 2007 @ 1:55 pm Martha

This was a really heartwarming story. Will Smith was marvelous in it.

November 24, 2007 @ 9:52 am MrBlueCN

I was utterly disgusted with Will Smith’s character. The choices he made regarding his son were made completely selfishly, with no regard for the child’s best interest. Just as the most glaring one, the fact that if he had let his wife take the child, the child would not have had to sleep in a subway bathroom/homeless shelter, etc. Just because it all turned out in the end is not a reason a child should have to go through suffering of this sort to satisfy his father’s self-serving motions.

December 8, 2007 @ 1:56 pm General Disdain

MrBlueCN — I agree no child should ever have to go through something like this, but what do you think would have happened to the boy if his mother did get custody. As I recall she didn’t even want him with her when she left, so I suspect he may have ended up in a worse position.

Privacy Policy | About Us

 |  Log in

The Pursuit of Happyness

Is there anything that Will Smith can’t do? He has survived Bel-Air, saved the world from an alien invasion and captured the essence of boxing great Muhammed Ali. He’s even managed to stay out of the tabloids, while his high-caliber peers get ruthlessly hounded by the paparazzi.

With Pursuit of Happyness , Smith takes on a truly challenging role and shines once again; he is, hands down, the best thing about the movie. Starring alongside his adorable 8-year-old son, Jaden, he turns in a raw, heartbreaking performance as a man who struggles to give his child the quality life that escaped him—surmounting a lack of education, stubborn naysayers and homelessness to become a rags-to-riches phenomenon.

But, as we know, very few homeless people will go on to become Chris Gardner, the man whose struggles in the early ‘80s inspired the movie. The Pursuit of Happyness , otherwise known as the arch-rival of Microsoft’s spell check, ultimately cracks under the weight of its hefty ambitions by never realizing when enough is enough.

In the story, Gardner (Smith) is a salesman with an ample supply of bone density scanners collected during an ill-conceived investment plan that has yet to pay off. His girlfriend, Linda (Thandie Newton), is fed up with having to work double shifts while he strolls around town holding these strange devices, only to return by nightfall with a skinny wallet. They have a son together (Jaden) who spends a lot of time in day care watching TV reruns. Point blank, they are going nowhere fast.

When money woes are pushed to the breaking point, Linda decides it’s time to go. Are we really supposed to believe that she would just abandon her son, who she seems to care about, and leave him in the hands of someone she deems a loser? There is absolutely nothing in the film to suggest that she is mentally unstable or would disappear without her child—except that it sets up a convenient launching pad to paint Chris as a victim.

It’s also hard to believe that while wearing bum clothes and sporting a paint-smeared face, Chris would land an internship at a prestigious brokerage firm on sheer wit alone. While the film is based on a true story—or, rather, “inspired by a true story,” which means barely resembling what actually occurred—you shouldn't have to get a lobotomy to enjoy it.

For a movie to be inspiring, you have to fully believe the hero’s plight. You have to be right there with him, standing on the sidelines and cheering until he marches to glory with his head held high. Pursuit of Happyness never really allows that because it values emotion over common sense, sentimentalism over logic. It’s a “real” story, but it feels like it was chewed up and spit out by the Hollywood machine.

Will Smith saves the flailing film by being the only honest thing about it. It’s worth seeing just to study the pitch-perfect nuances of his performance, most evident in a scene where he and his son are sleeping in a public bathroom and tears fall out of his eyes without any strain. Thankfully, he rises above the underdeveloped screenplay by Steve Conrad ( The Weather Man ), a writer who is great at showing misery but not as great at justifying the suffering. Smith also makes the most of Gabriele Muccino’s English-language directorial debut, but something clearly gets lost in translation.

As for the movie title’s oddly-spelled “happyness,” the word is painted that way on the outside of a day care center and it inspires Chris to contemplate whether happiness truly exists. For him, it does; for millions of other homeless people, it never will. That is a reality too depressing to be alleviated by a movie—and it just may be the one thing that even Will Smith can’t do.

DreamWorks Animation's The Wild Robot Is Equal Parts Beautiful, Emotional, And Darkly Hilarious

Speak No Evil’s James McAvoy Explains Why He Didn't Watch Watch The Original Horror Movie

Ahead Of Law And Order: SVU's Season 26 Premiere, Mariska Hargitay's Olivia Benson Received An Honor That I Need To See In Person

Most Popular

• 2 Why Talking About Laci Peterson's Story Right Now Is Still So Incredibly 'Relevant,' Per The Netflix Doc's Creator
• 3 DreamWorks Animation's The Wild Robot Is Equal Parts Beautiful, Emotional, And Darkly Hilarious
• 4 Speak No Evil’s James McAvoy Explains Why He Didn't Watch Watch The Original Horror Movie
• 5 Chloe Troast Will Not Be Returning To SNL, And Fans Are Not Happy About It

Mission Viejo Library Teen Voice

Teens tell you what's what.

Movie Review: The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)

Many of us find the struggle of picking a movie to watch relatable. Unlike other movies, The Pursuit of Happyness emotionally moves the audience as it is inspired by a true story.

Following Chris Gardner’s life in poverty, the movie captures the sense of chaos and struggles he faces. Chris, as a single father, does anything and everything for his (adorable) son to keep him happy. Will Smith’s acting along with his son, Jaden Smith’s acting makes the audience keep their eyes glued to the screen.

This family movie is a breath of fresh air in a world of chaos and fast-pasted materialism. It makes the audience empathize with the hard work and failures that Chris faces. From sleeping at a public restroom to chasing a bus, the main character’s efforts inspire the audience.

Chris’s optimism and spontaneous trait despite his situation can move viewers to heart-felt tears. The famous scene of Chris telling his son to never give up uplifts all our spirits:

“Don’t ever let somebody tell you you can’t do something. Not even me…People can’t do somethin’ themselves, they wanna tell you you can’t do it. If you want somethin’, go get it. Period.”

Also, the movie reminds us of how short life truly is to not be as happy as we can be. We forget to be grateful in this fast-paced world, and this movie reminds us just that. Reality can break you, but it is up to you how you deal with it all. For me, it reminded me to be thankful for being with the ones I love.

Overall, the movie teaches that happiness is something that we often try to pursue when we miss the smaller “happiness” in our lives. Personally, this message in the movie was exactly what I needed to hear.

If you find yourself bored or you feel helpless or down during quarantine, sit together with your family and watch “The Pursuit of Happyness.” You can thank me later!

The Pursuit of Happyness is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library .

Share this:

2 thoughts on “ movie review: the pursuit of happyness (2006) ”.

I learned a lot from watching this movie, especially that happiness should be above all the material possessions. Thanks for sharing!

This a great reminder to be grateful for what we have. Thanks for posting!

Leave a comment Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

• Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
• Subscribe Subscribed
• Copy shortlink
• Report this content
• View post in Reader
• Manage subscriptions
• Collapse this bar

The Pursuit of Happyness

By Peter Travers

Peter Travers

Will Smith is on the march toward Oscar. How can Academy voters resist Smith, with gray flecks in his hair, in a true story (well, inspired by a true story, meaning it’s been tightened and prettied up) about a homeless single dad and his son. Smith plays Chris Gardner, a San Francisco salesman trying to unload bulky bone scanners (don’t ask) while his depressed wife, Linda (Thandie Newton), works scut jobs. She splits for New York, leaving hubby and their five-year-old son, Christopher (cutie-patooty Jaden Smith, son of Will and Jada Pinkett), to fend for themselves. Rent is due, but Chris thinks he can pursue happyness (the misspelling is on a mural at the kid’s day-care center) by getting a stockbroker’s job at Dean Witter. The catch? It’s a training program that doesn’t pay until he gets hired, if he gets hired. Soon, father and son are scrounging for food and living in homeless shelters and train-station toilets. All this would cause projectile vomiting if both Smiths didn’t swim against the tearjerker tide in the script by Steven Conrad. Director Gabriele Muccino (the Italian, and better, version of The Last Kiss ) resists overkill until the final scenes. And Smith wins our hearts without losing his dignity, as Chris suits up for success by day and fights off despair by night. The role needs gravity, smarts, charm, humor and a soul that’s not synthetic. Smith brings it. He’s the real deal.

James McAvoy Nearly Played a Young Voldemort in 'Harry Potter'

• Riddle Me That
• By Ethan Millman

'Wicked Part Two' Announces New 2025 Release Date

• Wanna Be Popular?
• By Tomás Mier

'Dancing With the Stars' Showrunner Defends Anna Delvey Casting: 'She Served Her Time'

• 'Valid' Delvey

Chad McQueen, 'Karate Kid' Star and Son of Steve McQueen, Dead at 63

Fact-checking ‘fight night’: the true story of the million-dollar heist that followed ali’s return to the ring.

• This Is a Stickup
• By Kalia Richardson

Most Popular

Chester bennington's son slams linkin park for replacing his late father with new singer emily armstrong: 'you have betrayed the trust' of fans, "it's a cult, and walt's the messiah": meet the couple who sued disney over secretive club 33, prince harry & meghan markle made this announcement mere hours after kate middleton’s cancer update video, jay-z explains why kendrick lamar was chosen to perform at super bowl halftime show, you might also like, international oscar race: mati diop’s golden bear winner ‘dahomey’ submitted by senegal, mary mcfadden dies at 85, the best yoga mats for any practice, according to instructors, ‘sugar & spice’ is the child of ‘bring it on’ and ‘usual suspects’ you never knew you needed, nba strikes airbus deal for 13 planes, delta to operate flights.

Rolling Stone is a part of Penske Media Corporation. © 2024 Rolling Stone, LLC. All rights reserved.

Join or Sign In

Sign in to customize your TV listings

By joining TV Guide, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy .

• TV Listings
• Cast & Crew

The Pursuit of Happyness Reviews

• 64   Metascore
• 1 hr 57 mins
• Drama, Family
• Watchlist Where to Watch

Fact-based story of a struggling salesman who becomes an unpaid intern with a prestigious brokerage firm after he and his young son are evicted from their San Francisco apartment.

Will Smith goes from an action hero with a great Muhammad Ali impression to a skilled actor of surprising subtlety in this moving but politically disconnected drama based on stockbroker Chris Gardner's real-life homeless-shelter-to-boardroom story. San Francisco, 1981: Unlike his own absentee father, Chris (Smith) is determined to provide for his wife, Linda (Thandie Newton), and their young son, Christopher (Smith's real-life son, Jaden). But he's gotten himself into a deep financial hole: Chris and Linda invested their life savings in a shipment of portable bone-density scanners, which Chris is now having trouble unloading. While Linda toils away at a laundromat, Chris drags each impractically pricey machine around like a millstone in hopes of finding a successful doctor unscathed enough by the current recession to afford one. When Chris learns that the fancy red Italian sports car he sees parked on the street belongs to a broker, and that the prestigious brokerage house Dean Witter Reynolds offers a free but highly competitive six-month training program to select candidates (only one of whom will be offered a position at the firm), Chris suddenly envisions a new life for his family. Undeterred by the fact that he never went to college, he uses his winning combination of charm and persistence to talk his way into the program. But staying the course turns out to be harder: Chris must still find time to sell his machines to support his family and, after Linda leaves in disgust, Chris and Christopher are forced to move first to a motel, then to a series of dingy homeless shelters. Throughout, Chris' eyes remain steadily fixed on the prize. Smith gives a beautifully modulated performance, but for a movie that starts out with shots of sharp-dressed business types literally stepping over the city's street people (all of whom turn out to be either crazy or thieves), it refuses to explore the way a system that benefits one group may actually keep others down, particularly in a time of economic recession. Far from proving the reality of the Horatio Alger myth it peddles, Chris Gardner's story is worth celebrating precisely because he managed to beat the odds stacked so high against him. Steve Conrad's screenplay is also curiously but insistently silent on the subject of race. Unlike SOMETHING NEW or even TRADING PLACES, two sharp comedies that deal frankly with the issue of being black in the overwhelmingly white business world, the film makes it seem as if the only obstacles Chris faces are a lack of a college education and the fellow poor who keep stealing his scanners. Those obvious shots of affluent-looking black extras walking in and out of frame ensure that when Chris tells his son that he must never let anyone tell him he can't do something, we know he's not talking about the racial discrimination experienced by many African Americans — college grads included. And while Thomas Jefferson may have been morally opposed to slavery, he still owned 200 black men and women and probably wasn't thinking of people like Chris when he declared that all men are free to preserve their liberty and pursue happiness. Nonetheless, Chris — and the movie — quotes him without a shred of irony or bitterness.

Home — Essay Samples — Entertainment — In Pursuit of Happiness — Review of the Movie ‘The Pursuit of Happyness’

The Pursuit of Happyness: Movie Review and Analysis

• Categories: In Pursuit of Happiness Movie Review

About this sample

Words: 764 |

Published: Apr 8, 2022

Words: 764 | Pages: 2 | 4 min read

Works Cited:

• Baer, J. (2013). Coca-Cola's Content 2020 Advertising Strategy. Convince & Convert. https://www.convinceandconvert.com/content-marketing/coca-colas-content-2020-advertising-strategy/
• Bragesjö, F. (2011). Coca-Cola: History, Advertising and the American Dream. Culture Unbound, 3, 413-435. Crossland, K. (2019). The History of Advertising: A Comprehensive Timeline, From Print to Digital. Hubspot. https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/history-of-advertising
• Gaffney, J. (2019). How Coca-Cola Became the King of Advertising. HousingWire.
• Green, C. (2019). Coca-Cola's Evolution of Ads: From Polar Bears to Sustainable Development. Triple Pundit.
• Kleinberg, A. (2014). The Evolution of Advertising. Inc.
• Nudd, T. (2014). History of Advertising: How We Got Here. Adweek.
• Raye, A. (2015). A Brief History of Coca-Cola Advertising Slogans. The Daily Meal. https://www.thedailymeal.com/drink/brief-history-coca-cola-advertising-slogans
• Sabatier, G. (2019). Digital Advertising: Past, Present, and Future. Millennial Money.
• Stanton, J. W. (2007). Coke's Recipe for Success. Harvard Business Review, 85(11), 30-32.

Cite this Essay

To export a reference to this article please select a referencing style below:

Let us write you an essay from scratch

• 450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help
• Custom essay delivered in as few as 3 hours

Get high-quality help

Prof. Kifaru

Verified writer

• Expert in: Entertainment

+ 120 experts online

By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy . We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email

No need to pay just yet!

Related Essays

4 pages / 1928 words

4.5 pages / 2017 words

3 pages / 1448 words

2 pages / 982 words

Remember! This is just a sample.

You can get your custom paper by one of our expert writers.

121 writers online

Still can’t find what you need?

Browse our vast selection of original essay samples, each expertly formatted and styled

Related Essays on In Pursuit of Happiness

University of Zurich. (2019, March 18). People who feel fulfilled in their lives are happier. ScienceDaily. Retrieved July 13, 2021 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/03/190318093210.htmUniversity of Michigan. (2021). [...]

Released in 2006 and directed by Gabriele Muccino, "The Pursuit of Happyness" stands as an evocative representation of resilience and the unyielding pursuit of success despite towering adversities. Based on a true story, the [...]

Pursuit of Happiness is about a family living check by check, just trying to get by. The husband Chris, that sells bone scanner machines. He had bought into these machines, thinking they would be a big hit, but not knowing that [...]

The Pursuit of Happyness is a biographical movie that is based on Chris Gardner ‘s life in his dark time. This story tells about when he is a homeless and a single parent. The film was published in December 15th 2006 under [...]

There is a short scene in which Will Smith plays basketball with his son and tells him that he will probably not be very good at basketball in the future so he should not spend too much time playing basketball after his son says [...]

It is the textual integrity of Orson Welles’ film Citizen Kane (1941) which enables it to effectively demonstrate the need for healthy relationships and the dangers of the exclusive pursuit of power. The film’s non-linear [...]

Related Topics

By clicking “Send”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement . We will occasionally send you account related emails.

Where do you want us to send this sample?

By clicking “Continue”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy.

Be careful. This essay is not unique

This essay was donated by a student and is likely to have been used and submitted before

Download this Sample

Free samples may contain mistakes and not unique parts

Sorry, we could not paraphrase this essay. Our professional writers can rewrite it and get you a unique paper.

Please check your inbox.

We can write you a custom essay that will follow your exact instructions and meet the deadlines. Let's fix your grades together!

Get Your Personalized Essay in 3 Hours or Less!

We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .

• Instructions Followed To The Letter
• Deadlines Met At Every Stage
• Unique And Plagiarism Free

• INTERNATIONAL
• SCI & TECH

• LIVE STREAM

The Pursuit of Happyness: A Timeless Tale of Resilience and Hope

Army chief reiterates commitment to defeat terrorists’ nexus: ISPR

Govt ‘claims 2/3 majority’ for constitutional amendments, ihc declares pti mnas physical remand null and void.

“The Pursuit of Happyness” is more than just a film; it’s a beacon of inspiration that continues to illuminate the human spirit. Based on the true story of Chris Gardner, the film offers a poignant exploration of resilience, determination, and the unwavering pursuit of one’s dreams.

A Journey of Triumph

The film follows Gardner’s harrowing journey as he navigates the treacherous waters of homelessness while striving to provide for his young son, Christopher. Despite facing overwhelming odds, Gardner refuses to succumb to despair. His unwavering belief in himself and his relentless pursuit of a better life serve as a testament to the power of the human spirit.

The Unwavering Human Spirit: Gardner’s resilience in the face of adversity is a powerful reminder of the human capacity for endurance. His unwavering determination to provide a better life for his son, even in the most challenging circumstances, inspires viewers to never give up on their dreams.

The Importance of Family: The bond between Gardner and his son is a central element of the film. Their love and support for each other provide a source of strength and hope, reminding us that family is the ultimate foundation for happiness.

The Power of Perseverance: Gardner’s relentless pursuit of his goals, despite countless setbacks, demonstrates the importance of perseverance. The film teaches us that success is often the result of hard work, dedication, and a refusal to give up.

A Timeless Message

The enduring appeal of “The Pursuit of Happyness” lies in its timeless message. The film’s exploration of the human spirit, the power of family, and the importance of perseverance resonates with audiences of all ages and backgrounds. It serves as a reminder that even in the darkest of times, there is always hope and the possibility of a brighter future.

A Legacy of Inspiration

“The Pursuit of Happyness” has left a lasting legacy. It has inspired countless individuals to overcome their own challenges and pursue their dreams with renewed vigor. The film’s message of hope and determination continues to resonate with audiences around the world, making it a timeless classic that will be enjoyed for generations to come.

In an age of instant gratification and easy access to information, “The Pursuit of Happyness” offers a refreshing reminder of the enduring power of the human spirit. Through its poignant portrayal of resilience, determination, and the unwavering pursuit of one’s dreams, the film continues to inspire and uplift audiences of all ages.

What, in your opinion, is the reason of Sheikh Hasina's downfall?

MORE STORIES

Pm shehbaz appoints 20 parliamentary secretaries, cm gandapur expands kp cabinet, factory guard foils robbery attempt in karachi, icao releases five-year aviation safety report, jenna ortega reveals her dream role after playing wednesday..., sbp announces bank holiday, fia to probe threatening posts from pti founder’s x..., major development emerges in pia flight restoration to europe,....

ARY NEWS brings you 24/7 Live Streaming, Headlines, Bulletins, Talk Shows, Infotainment, and much more. Watch minute-by-minute updates of current affairs and happenings from Pakistan and all around the world!

• TERMS & CONDITIONS

ARY NETWORK

DOWNLOAD NOW!

© 2024 ARYNEWS.tv. All Rights Reserved.

• Writing, Research & Publishing Guides

Sorry, there was a problem.

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required .

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

Image Unavailable

• To view this video download Flash Player

Follow the author

The Happiness of Pursuit: Finding the Quest That Will Bring Purpose to Your Life Paperback – April 5, 2016

• Print length 320 pages
• Language English
• Publisher Harmony
• Publication date April 5, 2016
• Dimensions 5.19 x 0.87 x 7.95 inches
• ISBN-10 038534886X
• ISBN-13 978-0385348867
• See all details

From the Publisher

Editorial Reviews

About the author, product details.

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Harmony; Reprint edition (April 5, 2016)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 038534886X
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0385348867
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.19 x 0.87 x 7.95 inches
• #1,304 in Travelogues & Travel Essays
• #5,098 in Happiness Self-Help
• #10,117 in Personal Transformation Self-Help

About the author

Chris guillebeau.

Chris Guillebeau is the New York Times bestselling author of The $100 Startup, The Happiness of Pursuit, and other books. Chris travels the world and writes for a small army of remarkable people at ChrisGuillebeau.com. Follow him on Twitter (@chrisguillebeau), Instagram (@193countries), or listen to his daily podcast (Side Hustle School), at SideHustleSchool.com. His newest book, GONZO CAPITALISM, will be published on August 22, 2023.

Customer reviews

• 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 5 star 56% 25% 14% 2% 2% 56%
• 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 4 star 56% 25% 14% 2% 2% 25%
• 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 3 star 56% 25% 14% 2% 2% 14%
• 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 2 star 56% 25% 14% 2% 2% 2%
• 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 1 star 56% 25% 14% 2% 2% 2%

Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.

To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.

Customers say

Customers find the book easy to read and remarkable. They say it's inspirational, making them rethink their own happiness. Readers also find the stories interesting and fascinating. They describe the book as enjoyable and not boring.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Customers find the book worth reading just for insight. They say it's a remarkable book that both guides and inspires. Readers also appreciate the thought-provoking questions and the message the author conveys. Overall, they describe the book as an engaging and enjoyable read.

"... It's a guide , a source of encouragement, and a reminder that the pursuit of happiness often lies in the journey, not just the destination...." Read more

"...It can be something small, simple, and more importantly, meaningful to you . I’ll end with a quote from the book,..." Read more

"... Very much enjoyed reading this book , and I plan to keep it close as continual motivation and guidance when I feel stuck or unsure about where to let..." Read more

"...by Chris GuillebeauA remarkable book that will both guide and inspire , The Happiness of Pursuit reveals how anyone can bring meaning..." Read more

Customers find the book inspirational, saying it makes them rethink their own happiness. They appreciate the memorable quotes and stories. Readers also say the author brilliantly intertwines personal anecdotes with stories of individuals from around the world. They also appreciate the philosophy and great clues to how to set goals.

"...The author brilliantly intertwines personal anecdotes with stories of individuals from around the world who have embarked on remarkable quests...." Read more

"Such a great read, inspiring, fun, captivating, motivational ...." Read more

"...Reading through theses stories is both entertaining and inspiring . The author also spends time helping the audience to design their own quest...." Read more

"...This book is a quick read, very positive and uplifting. I enjoyed it thoroughly and highly recommend it...." Read more

Customers find the book full of interesting stories and fascinating examples of quests. They say the quests are inspiring, surprising, and have a good theme. Readers also mention the book has a thoughtful review and analysis on the quest process.

"...These narratives are not only motivating but also deeply human, resonating with anyone who seeks meaning in their life...." Read more

"... Full of interesting stories and fascinating examples of quests." Read more

"This is an amazing , insightful, and truly challenging book that made me want to reach farther in my life...." Read more

"...the quests of so many others, make the pages fly by and kept me entertained with narratives ...." Read more

Customers find the book enjoyable, pragmatic, and honest. They say it has fun ideas and the thrill of accomplishment.

"Such a great read, inspiring, fun , captivating, motivational...." Read more

"...These are fun ideas , but not something that I have any desire to do...." Read more

"...Reading through theses stories is both entertaining and inspiring. The author also spends time helping the audience to design their own quest...." Read more

"...And, it's entertaining and thought provoking even if a quest isn't your objective...." Read more

Customers find the book well worth buying and cheap. They also say it's a good, well-written book.

"...have read his other two books which I found more interesting and well worth buying ...." Read more

" This was great , a read to get you motivated and stir things inside of you. There were a lot of memorable quotes." Read more

"I thought this was a very good , well-written book. Inspirational for the most part. The first half of the book is 5 star...." Read more

" Good and cheap ..." Read more

Reviews with images

So far it looks to be a great book. One complaint with regards to the quality ...

• Sort reviews by Top reviews Most recent Top reviews

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. please try again later..

Top reviews from other countries

• About Amazon
• Investor Relations
• Amazon Devices
• Amazon Science
• Sell products on Amazon
• Sell on Amazon Business
• Sell apps on Amazon
• Become an Affiliate
• Advertise Your Products
• Self-Publish with Us
• Host an Amazon Hub
• › See More Make Money with Us
• Amazon Business Card
• Shop with Points
• Reload Your Balance
• Amazon Currency Converter
• Amazon and COVID-19
• Your Account
• Your Orders
• Shipping Rates & Policies
• Returns & Replacements
• Manage Your Content and Devices

• Conditions of Use
• Privacy Notice
• Consumer Health Data Privacy Disclosure
• Your Ads Privacy Choices

• Cast & crew
• User reviews

The Pursuit of Happyness

• A struggling salesman takes custody of his son as he's poised to begin a life-changing professional career.
• Based on a true story about a man named Christopher Gardner. Gardner has invested heavily in a device known as a "bone density scanner". He feels like he has it made selling these devices. However, they do not sell well as they are marginally better than x-ray at a much higher price. As Gardner works to make ends meet, his wife leaves him and he loses his apartment. Forced to live out in the streets with his son, Gardner continues to sell bone density scanners while concurrently taking on an unpaid internship as a stockbroker, with slim chances for advancement to a paid position. Before he can receive pay, he needs to outshine the competition through 6 months of training, and to sell his devices to stay afloat. — John Wiggins, Alf Fonz
• 1981, San Francisco. In what limited academic opportunities he has had in his life, Chris Gardner has demonstrated that he is a smart man. Yet he is struggling financially in his life. He has invested all his money on portable bone density scanners, which he personally sells to physicians. Despite being a better product than x-rays machines, they are also far more expensive, meaning that they are an unnecessary luxury for most physicians. He needs to sell three scanners per month just to meet the basic necessities to support his family, his wife, Linda, and their five year old son, Christopher, on who he dotes since he didn't know his own father when he was a child. But lately, that has been three per month more than he has sold, resulting in an increasing embittered Linda continually needing to work double shifts doing manual work at a laundry, which still isn't enough to cover those basic costs, they being currently behind three months rent. Chris can't afford to pay his parking ticket, meaning that he has to take the bus everywhere now as the clamp remains on the tire of his car. Feeling like the scanner is not the answer to their financial problems, Chris, with or without Linda's blessing, decides to take a chance by switching careers when he sees that brokerage and securities firm Dean Witter has a six month internship program, which only admits twenty applicants, leading to only one intern being hired at the end of the process. It isn't until he is well immersed into the process that he learns that the internships are non-paying. Based largely on his chutzpah, Chris, against the odds, gets one of the twenty positions. With some changes in their lives resulting in fewer expenses, Chris figures he needs to sell his remaining six scanners just to scrape by for those six months. But some unexpected issues arise which leads to the Gardners possibly not making it through this phase of their lives financially, something he has to hide from his superiors at Dean Witter if he has any chance at all of making it through the internship and getting that paying job with them. — Huggo
• Already struggling to eke out an existence, against the backdrop of early-1980s San Francisco, the earnest and hard-working bone-density-scanner salesman, Chris Gardner, finds himself with the back to the wall. Left with nothing when his wife abandons the family, the financially hard-pressed father will have to take care of his five-year-old son, Christopher, all by himself when, unexpectedly, the prestigious stock brokerage firm of Dean Witter offers Gardner an unpaid six-month internship. Now, bent on becoming a stockbroker, Chris is willing to go to great lengths to succeed; however, life can be challenging and cruel. Will Chris' efforts pay off? Can the determined parent make his dream come true? — Nick Riganas
• A true story film about a middle-aged male doing everything that he can to keep himself and his family living off the streets in a dangerous city. He does everything that he can to gain every opportunity as he can to find a decent job and a good home for his growing family. — RECB3
• In 1981, in San Francisco, the smart salesman and family man Chris Gardner ( Will Smith ) invests the family savings in Osteo National bone-density scanners, an apparatus twice as expensive as an x-ray machine but with a slightly clearer image. This white elephant financially breaks the family, bringing troubles to his relationship with his wife Linda ( Thandiwe Newton ), who leaves him and moves to New York where she has taken a job in a pizza parlor. Their son Christopher ( Jaden Smith ) stays with Chris because he and his wife both know that he will be able to take better care of him. Without any money or a wife, but committed to his son, Chris sees a chance to fight for a stockbroker internship position at Dean Witter, offering a more promising career at the end of a six-month unpaid training period. During that period, Chris goes through a lot of hardship personally and professionally. When he thinks he is "stable," he finds that he has lost $600 when the government takes the last bit of money in his bank account for taxes. He is rendered homeless because he can't pay his rent. He is forced at one point to stay in a bathroom at a train station, and must scramble from work every day to the Glide Memorial United Methodist Church, which offers shelter to the homeless. He must leave work early every day so that he is there by 5:00 in the evening along with his son so that he may be assured of a place to sleep. He is seen carrying his suitcase to work because he doesn't have a home. At work, there are nineteen other candidates for the one position. One day, he is called into an office and in it were the heads of Dean Witter. Chris thinks that he is about to be told the job will not be his as he says that he wore a shirt and tie for his final day. Then they tell him that he has been an excellent trainee and that tomorrow he will have to wear his shirt and tie again as it will be his first day as a broker. Chris struggles to hold back tears. Outside he begins to cry as the busy people of San Francisco walk past him. He rushes to his son's daycare, hugging him and knowing that after everything him and his son had been through things would be all right. The final scene shows Chris walking with his son down a street. His son is telling him a joke, when a wealthy business man in a suit walks past. Chris looks back as the man continues on. The man in the suit is none other than the real Chris Gardner.

Contribute to this page

• IMDb Answers: Help fill gaps in our data
• Learn more about contributing

More from this title

More to explore, recently viewed.

Peter Moore

Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Select a format:

[An] absorbing book... Moore has a keen eye for the sort of eloquent detail that enlivens biography, and he expertly evokes Franklin's transformation from proud artisan to member of a new American elite. He's particularly good on the quirkiness of Franklin's early adulthood . . . Moore [is] a crisp writer and adept at narrative sweep

About the  author

More from this author.

Sign up to the Penguin Newsletter

By signing up, I confirm that I'm over 16. To find out what personal data we collect and how we use it, please visit our Privacy Policy

‘A Missing Part’ Review: Tender Drama Showcases a Nuanced Performance From Romain Duris

Roman Duris plays a French driver in Tokyo, mired in Japan’s unusual child custody legislation as he seeks contact with his 12-year-old daughter.

By Catherine Bray

Catherine Bray

• ‘A Missing Part’ Review: Tender Drama Showcases a Nuanced Performance From Romain Duris 9 hours ago
• ‘Blue Road: The Edna O’Brien Story’ Review: Well-Timed Doc Reads Between the Lines of the Late Novelist’s Life 5 days ago
• ‘Between the Lights’ Review: Low-Key Romantic Drama with Spiritual Dimension Shows Another Side of England 2 months ago

Related Stories

4D Movie Tech Lacks Consumer Awareness: Survey

Egyptian Features From Emerging Filmmakers Lead the Arabic-Language Titles at the Venice Festival

Popular on variety.

And what a system it is. Jessica is plausibly incredulous and despairing as she’s told that her ex is well within his rights to simply cut her out of her son’s life. The theory, according to Japanese law, is that it’s best for the children to have one home and one parent, and in cases where one of the parents is Japanese and the other isn’t, the foreigner has an uphill struggle on their hands. Duris does a tremendous job in scenes where Jay attempts to help Jessica come to terms with her new reality: Jay’s advice is all based on how he should have behaved and didn’t, and Duris conveys that sense of wisdom hard-earned with naturalism and grace.

It’s exactly the kind of part actors take on with half an eye on their awards cabinet, but Duris does a decent job of focusing on inhabiting the role rather than showboating during the close-ups. Jay’s predicament is a tough one, but the meeting with Lily and subsequent events give plenty of scope for light and shade, and if the film does gain any awards traction, it’s likely to recognize the performances as the stand-out here. One obstacle may be that as a character, Jay is necessarily fairly passive, at least during the period of his life covered by the film, mostly boxed in by the need to obey the rules.

Still, there’s a painful sense of passion all-but spent, of love almost smothered by despair, in his portrayal of Jay. His performance inspires tremendous compassion for the character, though he also admits vaguely to having behaved very poorly back in France, acting out and allowing anger to drive him. The role of his wife is a minor one, but Yumi Narita plays her as fragile and visibly frightened, which hints at a version of the story where his tenacious pursuit has darker qualities. But this is not that film.

As on-screen barriers to happiness go, manifestly unfair legislation is a pretty good screenwriting choice, giving characters a seriously difficult opponent to wrangle with. The only problem is that unless you’re writing about a landmark case that changed the law, the legislation that obstructs the character is likely to remain defiantly unconquered by the time the credits roll, and that’s inevitably the case here. Still, the screenplay does what it can to find a lighter grace note in its closing minutes, though to any parents contemplating divorce in Japan, it’s the country’s forthcoming legal reforms that will offer the more substantive hope.

Reviewed online, Sept. 8, 2024. In Toronto Film Festival. Running time: 98 MIN. (Original title: “Une part manquante”)

• Production: (Belgium-France) A Be For Films presentation of a Les Films Pelléas, Versus production. (World sales: Be for Films, Brussels.) Producers: Jacques-Henri Bronckart, David Thion.
• Crew: Director: Guillaume Senez. Screenplay: Guillaume Senez, Jean Denizot. Camera: Elin Kirschfink. Editor: Julie Brenta. Music: Olivier Marguerit.
• With: Romain Duris, Judith Chemla, Mei Cirne-Masuki, Tsuyu, Shungiku Uchida, Yumi Narita, Patrick Descamps, Shinnosuke Abe. (French, Japanese dialogue)

More from Variety

‘Ginny & Georgia’ Season 3 Casts Ty Doran and Noah Lamanna as Production Wraps

Can Today’s Tech Touchstones Solve Hollywood’s Loneliness Epidemic?

‘The Perfect Couple’ Director Susanne Bier on Working With Nicole Kidman and Turning Down ‘The Night Manager’ Season 2

Netflix Renews ‘Dinner Time Live With David Chang’ For Holiday-Themed Season 2 (EXCLUSIVE)

‘Will & Harper’ Trailer: Will Ferrell’s Best Friend Came Out as Transgender, So They Took a Road Trip to Rediscover Each Other

More from our brands, dj xandra has some pointed words for male detractors: ‘f—k’em all’.

Shinola Hotel Brings Some Serious Style to Detroit

Tagovailoa’s Concussion History Clouds Contract Guarantees

The Best Loofahs and Body Scrubbers, According to Dermatologists

TVLine Items: Ginny & Georgia Adds Two, Nimoy’s Widow Visits Brilliant Minds and More