The Pursuit of Happyness

Inspired by a true story, The Pursuit of Happyness is a biographical drama film based on the struggles a man and his son have with homelessness. It features Will Smith as Chris Gardner, an intelligent yet unemployed salesman, struggling to financially survive on the streets of San Francisco, as well as Jaden Smith who co-stars alongside his father, portraying the role of Christopher Jr., Chris’s endearing 5 year-old son.

Set in the early 80’s, the movie tells a motivating yet often emotionally wrenching story about Chris Gardner, a man who heavily invests his family's savings on portable bone-density scanners he unfortunately fails in persuading doctors to purchase. As a result, this financially breaks his family apart which leads to his wife, Linda leaving him alone to care for his son Christopher Junior. Chris is later set back even further when his bank account is garnished due to his failure of paying fines and taxes, causing him and his young son to be evicted. Consequently, they are left out on the streets with nowhere to go, sleeping in shelters for the homeless and at one point are even forced to spend the night in a bathroom at a subway station, which I found was one of the most emotionally distressing scenes of the entire movie.

Whilst going through all these difficulties, Chris also struggles to train for a stockbroker internship job he is straining to get. He desperately studies day and night, keen on getting the job along with a roof to place over his head.

I personally consider The Pursuit of Happyness as an extremely inspirational film that never fails to emotionally move me every time I watch it. In my opinion, Will Smith’s heart-touching character is, hands down, the best thing about the movie as he turns in a raw and heart-rending performance as a man who struggles to give his child the quality life that escaped him while fighting in the pursuit of protecting his dreams.

Nevertheless the movie does result in a happy ending as Chris, chosen out of 20 others, is offered the job and eventually after time goes on to form his own multi-million dollar brokerage firm. This proves that in spite of the setbacks and complications he has gone through, he surmounts a lack of education, stubborn naysayers and homelessness, overcoming all the obstacles he is forced to face in life, to finally turn out to be more successful than he ever dreamt of becoming. This motivating film, based on a true story, definitely changed my personal outlook on life in so many ways as it made me more grateful and appreciative for the life that I already have. Overall I believe that The Pursuit of Happyness is by far and without a doubt, one of my favourite movies of all time.