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The Pursuit of Happiness (1971)
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Overview
User Rating:
Release Date:
16 July 1971 (Finland) moreTagline:
"I don't want to run anymore..."Plot:
A young college student is sent to prison as much for killing a pedestrian with his car as for not paying his parking tickets... more | add synopsisUser Comments:
Not bad for its time moreCast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Michael Sarrazin | ... | William Popper | |
| Barbara Hershey | ... | Jane Kauffman | |
| Arthur Hill | ... | John Popper | |
| Ruth White | ... | Mrs. Popper | |
| E.G. Marshall | ... | Daniel Lawrence | |
| Robert Klein | ... | Melvin Lasher | |
| Sada Thompson | ... | Ruth Lawrence | |
| David Doyle | ... | James Moran | |
| Barnard Hughes | ... | Judge Vogel | |
| Peter White | ... | Terence Lawrence | |
| Tom Rosqui | ... | District Attorney Keller | |
| William Devane | ... | Pilot | |
| Gilbert Lewis | ... | Convict George Wilson | |
| Albert Henderson | ... | Convict McCardle | |
| Ralph Waite | ... | Detective Cromie |
Additional Details
MPAA:
Rated PG-13 for sexuality, nudity, drug content and brief violence. (2009 rating)Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parentsRuntime:
93 minCountry:
USALanguage:
EnglishColor:
Color (Eastmancolor)Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 moreSound Mix:
MonoCertification:
USA:PG-13 (certificate #22563) | Finland:K-12 | Sweden:11 | USA:GP (original rating) | USA:PGFun Stuff
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Usually these Young-People-against-The-System films from the late 60's-early 70's are populated with groovy-talking stoners, angry radicals, and even angrier authority figures (cops, parents, etc.) But this one dispenses with those cartoons. Sarrazin and Hershey play idealistic college students, but Sarrazin is realistic enough to understand he needs help from his family connections when he gets into trouble, and Hershey doesn't have a beat-the-system attitude when Sarrazin escapes from custody; in fact, she can't fathom why he was so stupid.
It all revolves around an accident involving Sarrazin hitting a pedestrian with his car. It has nothing to do with campus politics and no attitudes are posed. The filmmakers don't try and truckle to the youth crowd by having the establishment types be played over-the-top. When Sarrazin mildly mocks the justice system, his lawyer played by E.G. Marshall shuts him up fast with a well-written lecture that reasonably explains Marshalls' viewpoint. And, noticeably, it is Marshall's law assistant, of the same age as Sarrazin, who is played as far more hard-core establishmentary than Marshall, or Sarrazin's father, played by Arthur Hill. The film also features a young Robert Klein, who is quite good as Sarrazin's buddy. It also features a small but striking performance from William Devane as an airplane pilot hired to help Sarrazin. Devane is on screen no more than thirty seconds before he becomes more interesting than anyone else in the film (although Sarrazin's grandma is quite a kick, even though one note). And yes, Hershey does show off her very nice young figure in a couple of scenes. Unfortunately, the film also features Randy Newman drone-singing one of his boring songs at the opening and closing.