Great Story. Great Acting.

Rating: 8/10 (2 January 2007)

Inspired by true events, The Pursuit of Happiness follows the story of a struggling salesman (Will Smith), who takes custody of his son after his wife leaves, and tries to work his way up to becoming a stockbroker through internship. Faced with a nearly empty bank account, he must try to care for his son the best he can, and pray that his hard work will pay off, and give him the job that will save his life, all in the pursuit to find happiness. Will Smith has come a long way since The Fresh Prince of Bell-Air. This appears to be his shoot for an Academy Award, and his phenomenal acting is definitely worth an Oscar nomination. The story is very emotionally moving, and truly inspiring, however, at times it is quite depressing and drags a little bit. There is a little humor thrown in here and there, but for the most part, the film is quite serious. The viewer really becomes attached to Smith's character, and the movie makes you root for him to succeed all the way through. Although you could call The Pursuit of Happiness a "feel-good" movie, for the most part it is on the depressing side. Despite that, it is a great story, told wonderfully by top-notch acting.