The Pursuit of Happyness

The Pursuit of Happyness is a 2006 drama film based on Chris Gardner`s close to one-year struggle with homelessness. Will Smith plays Gardner`s role and what definitely adds value to the movie is young Jaden Smith, Will Smith`s son, playing Gardner`s son Christophjer Jr. Film is directed by Gabriele Muccino.
The film takes the audience back to the year of 1981, when in San Francisco, Chris Gardner has invested his family`s savings in portable bone-density scanners. And his plan is to sell them to doctors to support his family. But doctors find the scanners unnecessary and expensive as they give only a slightly denser picture than the x-ray. That financially breaks the family and as a result, his wife, who had been working double shifts for months, can`t take it anymore and leaves him to move to New York. Their son remains with the father. On one fatal day while downtown trying to sell a scanner, Chris incidentally meets a stockbroker, who tells him that Dean Witter is recruiting interns. The stranger appears very happy to Chris. In fact, he finds everybody leaving and going into the Dean Witter`s building happy. Happy because they are financially secured. Happy because they probably don`t have to worry about unpaid bills or how to feed themselves and a child with five dollars. Happy for being financially secured. And financial security, is what the singel parent, Chris, seems to desire most in the world at that moment. Therefore he decides to apply for the internship. And although, on the applicaton he has nothing to write on the three lines reserved for education after high school, he gets it. Unfortunately it`s an unpaid postiton and he yet has to prove himself better than other interns to get a paid position on the firm. That is when the real struggle begins. A struggle that leaves Chris no choice but to find refuge for him and his child in a homeless center more than a few times and even sleep in a public toilet
Before starting writing, I took some time to read what others have wrote about this movie. I stumbled on a review that depreciated everything but Jaden Smith`s performance, saying that Chris Gardner`s incredible story definitely needed to be made into a film but this one just isn`t it. As I am not that familiar with Chris Gardner`s story, I only have seen this movie and don`t know anything more about the guy, I can`t agree or disagree with that reviewer. But I can say, that this movie as an inpsiring and dramatic story about fatherhood, is just fantastic. And that every child would be happy to have a father like Chris Gardner.
The tomatometer gives this one 6.4 points out of 10 and IMDB`s users 7.8. As this truly was 117 minutes of my life spent watching a great and heart touching movie, I must say, I agree more with IMDB`s users on this one or no. I don`t agree. It deserves more. I`d give it at least 8.5 points out of 10. And I do recommend it to anyone and especially to all the dads.