Calculated Hope

Rating: 7/10 (30 March 2007)

'Pursuit of Happiness' certainly isn't one of the best movies of the year, but it delivers on its promise of being one of the year's best feel-good stories. There's something so genuine about it, that it's nearly impossible not to be won over by its charm and heartbreak. Will Smith delivers a terrific performance, one of his best, and ultimately helps override one looming question: How could one person go through so much?
Chris Gardner is a struggling husband doing his best to provide a decent life for his wife and young son. But sometimes, trying just isn't enough. When his wife picks up and walks out of his life, it leaves Chris and five-year-old Christopher alone and without a home. Chris becomes determines to do something with his life, refusing to live a life from paycheck to paycheck. He finds hope in the stock broking business, and soon embarks on an internship that'll test not only his character, but his ability to be a father. Yet through all the hardships, the trials and tribulations, Chris weathers through. He seeks refuge where he can, and not once does he give up as he strives to overcome his obstacles. But the question remains, will it be enough?
There's nothing in 'Pursuit' that we haven't seen before, like the sugary-sweet birthday card we get from our grandparents every year. It goes down easy, and for a brief moment makes our day a little better than it was. But there's something about those cards that don't get old, no matter how many times you hear its saccharine message. And so, you understand what 'Happiness' is all about. We've grown up hearing success stories, how someone with nothing became someone with something. For Chris Gardner, I do wonder how much of his story has been embellished. But in the end, does it really matter? If all we're supposed to take away from the film is that, whoever we are, we can make something out of ourselves, should that really matter? No, probably not. And sure, we can focus on how unbelievable it may be that one person suffers so much in a single lifetime, but that'll get us nowhere. We have to accept 'Happiness' for what it is: something that for a brief moment makes our day a little better.
Without a doubt, the best thing about the film are the incredible performances it churns out. Not only from Will Smith, but its supporting cast as well. Thandie Newton is back after her Oscar-worthy performance in 2005's 'Crash', and it's great to see her again. Though she doesn't have a great deal of screen time playing Gardner's wife, her talent is certainly felt. Such a wonderful talent, I don't understand why she doesn't receive more attention than she has in the past. One person who shouldn't have to worry about that is Jaden Smith, real-life son of Will Smith who plays Chris Gardner's son in the movie. He brings to the film a sense of innocence, and genuinely becomes the part. It probably didn't hurt having his dad on set everyday to act with, who himself delivers one of the best performances of his career. Will Smith brings life to Gardner's story, and helps give it a sense of reality instead of becoming just another TV-rate production. Perhaps not Oscar-worthy, but very notable.
'The Pursuit of Happiness' represents the American Dream, and Italian director Gabriele Muccino takes that idea and runs with it. And does he ever. It's a flawed film with a so-so script, but nonetheless will have moviegoers across the country standing up and applauding. It's a moving story, even if it teeters on the edge of melodrama. It embodies determination and hope, ideals that America was founded on hundreds of years ago. Ideals that still ring true today, and can still go towards crafting a solid movie.