by paulie1975

Created on: January 23, 2011

The Pursuit of Happyness is a beautiful film about making your life better through hard work and determination, based on the true story of Christopher Gardner, he is a man who has invested his families life savings in 'Bone Density Scanners', medical devices, he is convinced he can sell to hospitals as they are the future of medicine. Unfortunately nobody else is convinced by them and without a solid income, his wife leaves him and his son, and he loses his home, his car and his possessions. 

Whilst his life is collapsing around him, he walks past a stockbrokers and notices how happy (and well off) everyone is, he visits the stockbrokers and through determination, some luck and sheer bloodymindedness, he manages to get himself on the companies intern programme, this gives 20 interns the opportunity of 1 job, through working their backsides off selling share programmes to well off individuals and companies over 6 months, the only catch is that he won't be paid. For the next 6 months Christopher, must work the intern programme putting his everything into it, whilst caring for his son, selling the scanners and finding money for food, childcare and accommodation, things are never as easy as they seem though, and prison, down and out shelters and nights in metro toilets await for Christopher and his son, but can they against the odds rise up and gain the one stockbroker job available at the end of this MASSIVE gamble? 

Cast: 

Will Smith ... Chris Gardner 
Jaden Smith ... Christopher 
Thandie Newton ... Linda 
Brian Howe ... Jay Twistle 
James Karen ... Martin Frohm 
Dan Castellaneta ... Alan Frakesh 


My View: 

This is about aspirations and also about how easy it is to go from relative security to the streets, it is inspirational in parts and has you stressed as hell in others. The story could come straight from a self-help book and no doubt the subject has written such a book for this film to be made, but it somehow worked for me, I was gripped from the first moment to the end, I hoped I knew how it would end and had invested enough emotional attachment to Will Smith and his son Jayden as the Gardner's that it was important that this man with strong moral codes and direction for his son achieved his dream, to find happiness. 

In some ways the moral of finding happiness through money is wrong, but I think it is more about security and being able to give your child a good life and find something you enjoy and can be rewarded

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>