a dull rag to riches story

Rating: 3/10 (16 December 2006)

This part of the story is called: "Why oh why did I buy those bone density machines." The story behind the Pursuit of Happiness revolves around an extremely generic and hollow rag to riches story. Will Smith plays Chris Gardner, a humble, headstrong and steadfast salesman who seeks a better life for his family in search of personal endeavors. However, his bitter wife Linda (Thandie Newton), plays an unconvincing role, in which she out rightly criticizes Chris for all her unhappiness. Right from the get-go this flaw detaches the audience from Chris Gardner's character. Additionally, a cute five-year-old Christopher (played by Smith's real life-life son Jaden) tries to provide humor all throughout the movie, which fails due to the film's poor chemistry and connection of father and son. Also, the overall depressing and gloomy sentiments encompassing the overall film doesn't add sympathy because matters thereof.
Chris decides to pursues his happiness (or should I say happiness) by applying for a six-month internship at the prestigious stock-broking firm; which does not require a college education, but could lead to a fortune and furthermore happiness for the whole family. Chris finds his lucky break by proving he can solve the over-popular Rubik's cube puzzle. This evidentially gives Chris a chance to prove his mettle and determination in order to differentiate him from his competitors. Although he encounters some hard times in-between, he proves his will and perseverance through witty and earnest comments to the some big-time stockbrokers. Then unexpectedly, an hour into the film, the plot ceases to continue, and the last half of the movie is a sappy, dull and uninspiring movie which fails to resonate with the audience.
In spite of Smith's sterling performance an unwavering devotion to his son, all the toil and misery he endures, seems wasted since it's coated with Hollywood's superfluous touches. I might feel some remorse and pity for Garnder, yet I cannot imagine ever finding a public bathroom as impeccable as the one in the film.
But what commonly packages up these unglamorous films is an overzealous and heavy-handed moral message that leaves little to the imagination. In this case, Italian director Gabriele Muccino and screenwriter Steve Conrad's culmination resounds in Gardner's simple yet profound message, stated quite clearly, to his son:"Don't let anyone tell you that you can't do something." If you are looking for something to stir and fill your heart with glee, you mustn't look too far. It's a typical film of a man's discontent longing for something better; to sum it up: a rehash of the triumph of the human spirit, shown countless times, beyond that, little else remains. This movie delivers precisely that, albeit, it also carries an exasperating number of other problems that lead to the demise of the movie.