The Pursuit YES, the Happiness NOT

Rating: 6/10 (30 December 2006)

Will Smith puts forth his best performance since his gut-wrenching portrayal of "Muhammad Ali" in Ali and his son, Jaden Smith gives one of best child performances in the past decade but all those things don't mean this is a great picture. The film tells the story of Chris Gardener, a single dad who has had a few too many bills pile up and decides on a career change. He becomes an unpaid intern at a prestigious stock firm and his only source of income is selling microscope machines to doctors and hospitals. During this time he has tax problems, home issues, family separations, and many other things that could plow down the spirit of any human being. The story is entirely predictable and it's just the performances that pull you through.
I feel the movie flaws in the fault of the writer, Steve Conrad who has written past misfires The Weather Man and Wrestling Ernest Hemingway. The film is "inspired by a true story" and he made it into this unbelievable, downfall after downfall film that features Will Smith running entirely way too often and luck getting worse for no apparent reason. Logically, life does throw you curveballs and coincidences do happen, but come on, the audience isn't stupid. We need a bit more substance than that.
Been homeless? Parents struggle immensely raising you? Feel like you're doing good in life and then something comes and knocks you down? If you answered yes, to any of those questions, then you should be touched by this picture. The sequences of Will Smith becoming homeless and watching his spirit collapse with his son sleeping in his arms in a bathroom stall is really heartbreaking. Due to Smith's powerful performance you feel the fear and anxiety right beside him and that daunting wondering of what to do next.
The true revelation of the picture comes from Smith's young son Jaden Smith. May be more of the "cute kid" factor but I walked out of the theater thinking of him the most. His "knock knock" jokes, crying over his Captain America and general enlightenment of his father are the most poignant piece of the film. When the experience of the movie is over you want to know very badly where his son is and what he is doing. Jaden Smith created that for us; that love for little Christopher and wanting to teach him life lessons and make sure he doesn't get plowed by the negativity around him.
Italian Director Gabriele Muccino played the film extremely safe with shot to shot dialogue and leaving no room for artistic imagery. But it is a solid effort and I wouldn't hesitate to see his next American film. All in all, The Pursuit of Happiness is a movie that a family could enjoy together and it will make you grateful for what you have but take it all with a grain of salt. This film stretches the mind and not in a good way.
Grade: **1/2/****