La poursuite du bonheur

Chris Gardner is a struggling salesman who finds himself having to look after his son when his wife gives up and leaves him. Using his charm as much as his academic record, Chris wins his way onto an internship programme of twenty, with only one job at the end. He has the determination to make it but with no salary and almost no income from his sales efforts, Chris finds himself homeless and increasingly desperate as he tries to keep up with his peers by day and survive the rest of the time.

This is an unusual film that, were it totally successful, could be called a victim of that success. Certainly the story it is telling is uplifting and very much testimony to the determination and courage of one man to make it despite tremendous odds. OK so he is not diving into burning buildings to save babies but it is still an engaging and inspiring story because of the sheer endless scale of the challenge and disappointment. It also helps that the sheer weight of soul-destroying challenges that he works through makes it almost impossible for all but the hardest hearted viewer not to feel happy for Chris when he finally makes it (as we know he ultimately will, or else his story would not be a film!) even if "making it" is "making money", which some viewers may find to be not totally worthy in itself. Ironically though this same weight of events also works against the film because it does make it a consistently hard watch. It is praise in a way because I personally tensed up with every added sorrow and this happened because of how convincing and heartbreaking this festival of misery and unfairness was.

A massive part of this working as well as it does is Smith's performance. I last saw him in I Am Legend where I thought that the narrative development in that film totally undid his wonderfully convincing performance in the first half. Here again he is quite brilliant – utterly convincing, showing a flicker of spirit deep within him while also clearly showing each kick, each challenge on his increasingly worn face. Smith junior could have been one of those terribly cute-kid type roles but just about avoids it. Sure he is cute but he is not annoying, mainly because of how natural he is. I think he is really helped by the fact that he does seem to be able to act (or at least "pretend") but more than he already has a relationship with his father that feeds their on screen one. They work well together but ultimately the film is owned by Will Smith, who is great.

Overall then this is an engaging and ultimately inspiring film but not one that is a lot of fun to watch. By virtue of how convincing Smith and the overall delivery is, I felt the tension in my own body, felt the crushing blows of each misfortune or challenge. It helps the film in a way but it did seem like the "uplifting" material is a long time coming.

I was fortunate to see this movie in a screening. I really enjoyed it, and felt that it lived up to the teary and heartwarming trailer. While the movie has an uplifting "go for your dreams" message, the deepest theme is that of family.

Will Smith did a great job as the father trying to protect his son from their circumstances of becoming homeless as much as he can, while at the same time trying to work in the competitive world of stocks as an un-paid intern. Jaden Smith was outstanding as the preschool-aged kid who knows things are going wrong and tries to have a stiff upper lip, but just can't do it all the time.

The story is very touching and was close to home for me. My family has been through some tough times, and this movie just reminded me of how much my parents struggled to provide for our family and yet kept life fun as much as they could. I am excited to go see this with my parents as a way to say thank you.

I was involved with one of the first test audiences almost a year ago, and came away quite impressed with the acting performances and heartfelt punch of Pursuit of Happiness. This is easily one of Smith's best films, as he pours his heart and soul into the main character. While the plot may remain a bit transparent, it leaves you asking the question of yourself - how long would you keep battling to get what you really want out of life? I plan on seeing the film again when it releases to the general public, and am very interested to see what changes were made after running it through the test screenings. As I saw it then, it needed very few, if any, changes.

I have been a fan of Will Smith for years and I have to say this may be his best film yet! "The Pursuit of Happiness" is just a wonderful (based on a true) story, full of adventure, hope, and pain. I saw the movie last night in a packed theater. Big Willie Weekend has returned, and for good reason! It's a great movie to see during the holidays and definitely a tear-jerker! Perfect for a date, a night out with friends, or even with family. If you ever thought Will Smith really couldn't act (and shame on you!), you'll think otherwise once you see this movie. You can really feel what he's going through just by looking in his eyes. And Jaden Smith is too adorable! Their on screen chemistry is almost unbearable to watch! Go see this movie! Great acting, great directing, great writing...you won't regret it!

In 1981, in San Francisco, the smart salesman and family man Chris Gardner (Will Smith) invested the family savings in Ostelo National bone-density scanners, an apparatus twice more expensive than x-ray with practically the same resolution. The white elephant financially breaks the family, bringing troubles to the relationship with his wife that leaves him and moves to New York. Without money and wife, but totally committed with his son Christopher (Jaden Smith), Chris sees the chance to fight for a stockbroker internship position at Dean Witter, disputing for one career in the end of six months training period without any salary with other twenty candidates. Meanwhile, homeless, he has all sorts of difficulties with his son.

"The Pursuit of Happiness" is a touching story of perseverance, commitment and objective in life, and one of the most beautiful and enlightened biographies I have ever see in a movie. The survival capability of Chris Gardner and his love for his son are fantastic examples in a world where we just read and see disgraces in the newspapers and in the television news. The DVD presents the real Chris Gardner, who found the investment firm Gardner Rich in 1987 and became a wealthy man, in the credits, and I loved the last scene when Will Smith and his son crosses and looks at Chris Gardner wearing a suitcase. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "À Procura da Felicidade" ("The Pursuit of Happiness")