Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2594 in DVD
• Released on: 2007-05-14
• Rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Formats: Anamorphic, Dubbed, PAL
• Original language: English
• Dubbed in: Spanish
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 113 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
A heartwarming film that demonstrates how good, hard-working people can become homeless almost overnight, Pursuit of Happyness is a tour-de-force showcase for Will Smith, who convincingly portrays a down-and-out dad trying to better his family's life. Smith, who usually is cast in effortlessly boyish roles (Men in Black, Independence Day), is wonderful in the film--even in the scenes that shamelessly tug at viewers' heartstrings. Based on the true-life story of Chris Gardner, a San Francisco salesman forced at times to shelter his young son (played by Smith's adorable look-alike offspring Jaden Smith) in a men's room, there is little suspense to the film in terms of Chris' outcome. (His story and eventual success a successful and wealthy Chicago businessman was well-publicized on the newsmagazine show 20/20.) And let's face it, Hollywood's not too keen on making feel-good movies with unhappy endings.

The beauty (and suspense, to a certain extent) of this film is in the way the story is told. Though he is constantly rushing around to get to appointments and pick up his child, things do not happen quickly for Chris. When he accepts an internship with a prestigious stock brokerage firm, there's a catch: The position is unpaid, suitable more for trust-fund children than single parents with no other source of income. In many scenes, the viewer panics along with Chris, wondering how he's going to feed his child. While Smith and his son, Jaden, share many tender moments together, Thandie Newton has the thankless role of playing Chris' shrill wife, who deserts her family early in the film. It's not a particularly challenging part for the talented actress, and her departure doesn't impact the storyline much at all. As for the movie's misspelled title, it's inspired from a scene in the film. (Seeing a mural drawn by the children at a daycare center, Chris points out to the proprietor that "happiness" is spelled incorrectly. She notes that it doesn't matter how the word is written--just that the kids have it.) With Pursuit of Happyness, Smith has come out of his safety zone and, in turn, ends up playing his most heroic role to date. --Jae-Ha Kim

Synopsis
Will Smith is a father struggling to take care of his young son in this touching tale based on a true story. In San Francisco circa 1981, Chris Gardner's (Smith) luck has run out. A bad business investment, a bevy of parking tickets, and back taxes in addition to rent, childcare, and groceries keep him constantly scrambling for cash. Chris thinks his luck is changing when he is accepted into a highly competitive internship program at a brokerage firm. But the internship is unpaid and soon, despite his best efforts, Chris and his five-year old son, Christopher (Jaden Christopher Syre Smith--Will Smith's real life son), find themselves homeless. Chris might spend his days training to invest and make millions, but he and Christopher spend their nights in shelters and public transportation stations. Gardner's story is a testament not only to the love between a father and son, but also to the strength of the human spirit. Will Smith turns in a fine, nuanced performance as a man determined to protect his son and make a life for himself and his family. Jaden Smith is an adorable scene-stealer as young Christopher. The real-life father and son pairing translates well onto the big screen; the two have terrific natural chemistry. Their affection for each other is apparent, even as they weather the tough times. This is Italian director Gabriele Muccino's (THE LAST KISS, REMEMBER ME MY LOVE) first film in the English language. Thandie Newton also stars as Christopher's overworked and defeated mother in this tearjerker which was inspired by a segment on the television news program 20/20.

Customer Reviews

Heartwarming and uplifting film on potential
This movie is great for affirming the belief that anything is possable if you try hard enough.The casting is magical and if you like Will Smith ( who is great for this part )then wait till you see his hugely talented, even cuter son Jaden.Part of the believabilty and heart of this movie comes from the interaction between the father and son roles- echoing the charachter Chris Garners bond with his son. Garners remarkable story is heartbreaking and gripping but full of hope.
Garner struggles in almost hopeless circumstances- one parent father, uneducated, total poverty and yet still manages to realise his dream- and potential- through a huge leap of faith. At some parts in the film you will be reduced to tears and despair as things go from bed to worse to dire.Gardners seems to be losing his fight to have a better life for his son while reduced to sleeping in toilets and shelters.
This film really shows a mans struggle to better himself in gritty realism and the beautiful bond that exists between father and son .Through the storyline Garners and his son go on a journey but by the beautiful acting the viewer goes thers too. One to definately watch if you want to inspire yourself or remind yourself that the world can be a good place. I hope to see a lot more of Jaden Smith to as he steals every scene.

Smith took this role and ran with it.,
Smith is a gifted actor, and this film really showcases his emotional range. His natural rapport with his son is in no way one-sided; Jaden Smith is believable and very charming. Certainly, the audience can feel secure that Chris Gardner, the main character, will succeed in some fashion or else a film would never have been based on his autobiography, but the simple, sentimental score, well-written screenplay, subtle direction and, above all, Will Smith's acting make us strive with Gardner, cry with him, and hurt with him.

Gardner's tale is like "Die Hard" for the masses; he has to endure being arrested, being evicted, fighting for a bed at the homeless shelter, trying to keep appointments and to study while holding down two full-time jobs with no car, sprinting all over San Francisco, attempting to keep himself and his son clean--it just does not stop. Watch Smith's face during the film--he shows us a man who only just manages to fend off despair. He bleeds and weeps because of the injustice in the world, with disappointment at how his potential has been wasted, with the weight of all his past failures, and with worry for his son. But he clings to the path he has chosen in the belief that it will lead him from this torment. One can actually see the dead look in Smith's eyes, the punch-drunk expression of one who is suffering, who is juggling so many burdens that his mind spills over with the effort, for whom a seemingly minor setback is a Big Deal. Smith gets it, and he makes us get it, too.

Incidentally, he could probably have been a stuntman or a professional athlete. He has had running scenes in many of his films to date, and in this movie he looks ready to set a new record for the 400 meters. Smith is a little too fit and energetic for a homeless guy who hardly sleeps and eats in a soup kitchen for much of the movie, but his running and carrying feats illustrate Gardner's bulldog tenacity, and how his own physical power and endurance aided him in achieving his ends. All I have to say is this movie is one of the best this year. I couldn't believe how good Will Smith did in this film. I also couldn't imagine a bone density scanner salesman lived a part of his life this way. Sleeping in a bathroom at a Subway station! On top of toilet paper! It made me feel good that I sleep in a bed at night! I do hope with an inspiring story like this, that he claims any upcoming awards.

True life story - what more do you need.
It's all very well sitting in the comfort of your own home, nice and warm with your central heating keeping you cosy and knowing you only have to open your refrigerator door to get a tasty snack and to go on-line via your PC or laptop to complain about how dissapointed your were with this film, because of X, Y or Z.

The fact is that critics are picking holes in this film just for the sake of it. Maybe it's because "it's the guy from Men In Black" or just to seem hip and with it to criticise this film. Well, ignore all that - This is a true life story, brought stunningly to life by Will Smith in his strongest performance yet. Stop for one moment, ignore all your creature comforts and actually realise that there ARE people out there struggling to survive.

The run of bad luck that Chris Gardner encountered is very indicative of life today, let alone in the 80's. His constant struggle to survive, fueled by his indefitagable determination to protect his Son grabs at your heart strings culmininating in you sharing his unbridled joy and utter relief when his mammoth effort to succeed finally pays off.

This film brought more than a tear to my eye and gave me hope that sometimes in this life you get what you deserve.

I applaud Will Smith for his role in, what is, an excellent film and a very humbling reminder that you should be thankful for what you've got.