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 11 wins & 24 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:

hare krishna | american dream | internship | stockbroker | salesman | 

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Genres:

Biography | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some language

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, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$163,566,459

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$307,077,295

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation,Relativity Media,Overbrook Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

117 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Mr. Ribbon asks his secretary to call Mr. Ristuccia. This surname is often used by Gabriele Muccino in his movies.

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Goofs

The movie shows all-glass bus shelters with large poster ads. The San Francisco MUNI adopted all-glass bus shelters in the 1990s. The posters first appeared in the late '90s.

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Quotes

[about Chris' bone-density scanner]
Homeless Guy #1: It's a time machine... I know it's a time machine...
Christopher Gardner: [voice-over, while sitting on a bus] This machine in my lap? It is not a time machine.

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Connections

Spoofed in 2007 MTV Movie Awards (2007)

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Soundtracks

I Know It's a Sin
(1958)
Written by Jimmy Reed and Mary Reed

User Reviews

Take your parents to see it over the holidays

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.