The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)

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

Director:

Gabriele Muccino

Writer:

Steve Conrad (as Steven Conrad)

Stars:

Will Smith, Thandie Newton, Jaden Smith

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 12 wins & 25 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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

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 it made selling these devices. However, they do not sell well as they are marginally better than x-ray at a much higher price. As Gardner works to make ends meet, his wife leaves him and he loses his apartment. Forced to live out in the streets with his son, Gardner continues to sell bone density scanners while concurrently taking on an unpaid internship as a stockbroker, with slim chances for advancement to a paid position. Before he can receive pay, he needs to outshine the competition through 6 months of training, and to sell his devices to stay afloat.

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Plot Keywords:

motivational | passion | hardwork | american dream | cameo appearance by real life subject | 

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Taglines:

Inspired by a true story.

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Genres:

Biography | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some language

Did You Know?

Trivia

Will Smith wanted Gabriele Muccino to direct this movie after seeing his films The Last Kiss (2001) and Remember Me, My Love (2003).

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Goofs

Chris's basketball is from "Classic Sport," which was founded 1993. His ball was introduced in 2000.

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Quotes

Christopher Gardner: [voice over, chasing after the hippie girl carrying his bone density scanner] This part of my life is called running.

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Connections

References Bonanza (1959)

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Soundtracks

Feelin' Alright
(1968)
Written by Dave Mason
Performed by Joe Cocker
Courtesy of A&M Records
Under license from Universal Music Enterprises

User Reviews

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.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Sony Pictures [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English Cantonese

Release Date:

15 December 2006 (USA)

Also Known As:

Untitled Chris Gardner Project

Filming Locations:

Alameda, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$55,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$26,541,709, 17 December 2006

Gross USA:

$163,566,459

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$307,127,625

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures, Relativity Media, Overbrook Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

117 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1