The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)

Director:

Gabriele Muccino

Writer (WGA):

Steve Conrad (written by)

Release Date:

15 December 2006 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Salesman | Stockbroker | Hit By Car | Rubik's Cube | Break Up

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 9 wins & 17 nominations

Cast

Will Smith	...	Chris Gardner
Jaden Smith	...	Christopher (as Jaden Christopher Syre Smith)
Thandie Newton	...	Linda
Brian Howe	...	Jay Twistle
James Karen	...	Martin Frohm
Dan Castellaneta	...	Alan Frakesh
Kurt Fuller	...	Walter Ribbon
Takayo Fischer	...	Mrs. Chu
Kevin West	...	World's Greatest Dad
George Cheung	...	Chinese Maintenance Worker (as George K. Cheung)
David Michael Silverman	...	Doctor at First Hospital
Domenic Bove	...	Tim Ribbon
Geoff Callan	...	Ferrari Owner
Joyful Raven	...	Hippie Girl
Scott Klace	...	Tim Brophy

Also Known As:

The Pursuit of Happiness (International: English title) (alternative spelling)
Untitled Chris Gardner Project (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some language.

Runtime:

117 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

UK:12A | Ireland:12A | Singapore:PG | Netherlands:6 | Sweden:7 | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | USA:PG-13 (certificate #42013) | Italy:T | Australia:M | Portugal:M/12 | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | France:U | Argentina:13 | Finland:S | Brazil:Livre | Hong Kong:IIA | South Korea:All | Malaysia:U

Filming Locations:

Alameda, California, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Jaden Smith stars as Christopher, Chris Gardner's son in the movie. Jaden Smith is Will Smith's son in real life, Christopher is actually Jaden's middle name.

Goofs:

Factual errors: When the Gardner’s are leaving for the football game in Walter Ribbon's Mercedes, the license plate is for a truck, not a car.

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.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 64th Annual Golden Globe Awards (2007) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Morning, Morning

Great performances, inspiring story

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.