05 Jan

The Pursuit of Happyness

Lissa Coffey

Lissa Coffey

Lissa Coffey

Grade: B

Based on the real life story of Chris Gardner, The Pursuit of Happyness stars Will Smith and his talented and adorable young son Jaden.  Chris struggles to support his family with his sales jobs, but when his wife, Thandie Newton, leaves him he and his son end up on the streets.

But Chris is scrappy, and intelligent and he knows he can do better for himself.  Against all odds he gets chosen for an internship at Dean Witter.  By day he works hard – and in the evenings he works harder, as a dad trying to find shelter for himself and his son, making every penny count.  At times it seems like his luck is so bad that the world is conspiring against him.  It’s hard to watch sometimes.  We know he’s a good guy, but he’s got a really tough life.  What makes this character so likeable is his attitude.  He’s a devoted father, and his son loves him, He keeps trying, he keeps hanging in there.  And eventually it all pays off.

Of course there’s about an hour and 40 minutes of struggle for about 10 minutes of payoff at the end, but there is an uplifting message here.  If this guy can do it, any of us can.  Just don’t give up.  Follow your dreams, don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do it.  This movie makes you count your blessings, and it gives you hope.

Will Smith is in every scene, and this is the best he’s ever been.  Jaden Smith is a natural, and we’ll be seeing a lot more from this young man.

Share this