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The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)

PG-13  |   |  Biography, Drama  |  15 December 2006 (USA)
7.9
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Ratings: 7.9/10 from 318,346 users   Metascore: 64/100
Reviews: 603 user | 198 critic | 36 from Metacritic.com

A struggling salesman takes custody of his son as he's poised to begin a life-changing professional endeavor.

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Writer:

(as Steven Conrad)
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Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 11 wins & 22 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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Christopher (as Jaden Christopher Syre Smith)
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World's Greatest Dad
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Chinese Maintenance Worker (as George K. Cheung)
David Michael Silverman ...
Doctor at First Hospital
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Ferrari Owner
Joyful Raven ...
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Storyline

Based on a true story about a man named Christopher Gardner. Gardner has invested heavily in a device known as a "Bone Density scanner". He feels like he has made these devices. However, they do not sell as they are marginally better than the current technology at a much higher price. As Gardner tries to figure out how to sell them, his wife leaves him, he loses his house, his bank account, and credit cards. Forced to live out in the streets with his son, Gardner is now desperate to find a steady job; he takes on a job as a stockbroker, but before he can receive pay, he needs to go through 6 months of training, and to sell his devices. Written by John Wiggins

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Genres:

Biography | Drama

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some language | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

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Details

Country:

Language:

|

Release Date:

15 December 2006 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

Untitled Chris Gardner Project  »

Filming Locations:

 »

Box Office

Budget:

$55,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$26,541,709 (USA) (15 December 2006)

Gross:

$162,586,036 (USA) (23 February 2007)
 »

Company Credits

Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

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Color:

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1
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Did You Know?

Trivia

The title: The Pursuit of Happyness is misspelled. The correct spelling is 'happiness'. Happyness is not found in the dictionary and is not a word in the English language. See more »

Goofs

When Chris is viewing Candlestick Park from the 'box seats', the camera pan shows glassed-in luxury boxes, which were added in the mid-1980s. See more »

Quotes

Martin Frohm: What would you say if man walked in here with no shirt, and I hired him? What would you say?
Christopher Gardner: He must have had on some really nice pants.
See more »

Connections

Spoofed in Robot Chicken: Celebutard Mountain (2007) See more »

Soundtracks

Young Man
(1969)
Written by Mose Allison, Richard Dorfmeister, and Peter Kruder
Performed by Peter Kruder (as Kruder) and Richard Dorfmeister (as Dorfmeister) featuring Mose Allison
Courtesy of G-Stone Recordings
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Frequently Asked Questions

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User Reviews

 
Take your parents to see it over the holidays
30 November 2006 | by (United States) – See all my reviews

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.


327 of 393 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you?

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Was He A Bad Father? danmax67
Great film, illogical plot. Can somebody help me? zuhairi1994
On the test, why did Chris Gardener have an Essay Question? joshua_eash
Capitalist indoctrination? nandoflorestan
Hit by car high_society06
So he was like a telemarketer? zuckerkorn
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