Brian Howe, Dan Castellaneta, David Fine

Chris Gardner is a bright and talented, but marginally employed salesman. Struggling to make ends meet, Gardner finds himself and his five-year-old son evicted from their San Francisco apartment with ...( read more  read more... )nowhere to go. When Gardner lands an internship at a prestigious stock brokerage firm, he and his son endure many hardships, including living in shelters, in pursuit of his dream of a better life for the two of them.

Flixster Users

88% liked it

511,179 ratings

Critics

66% liked it

165 critics

PG-13, 1 hr. 56 min.

Directed by: Gabriele Muccino

Release Date: November 25, 2006

Invite friends to see

DVD Release Date: March 27, 2007

Get It:

Stats: 57,203 reviews

Get movie widget Recommend it Add to Favorites

Your Rating



clear rating

Flixster Reviews (57,203)


  • September 18, 2009
    Will Smith is an actor who goes from strength to strength in every film he does (Apart from Hitch). I found his son quite annoying though and I can't stand Thandie Newton.
  • September 4, 2009
    Based on a true story of a salesman down on his luck, who's wife leaves him because they are broke and out on the street. He does everything he can to provide for his son, even taking anunpaid interinship to create a better life for them. It is sweet as Will is really Jayden's da...( read more)d. The scene in the men's room is heartbreaking. Be ready for teary eyes.
  • June 9, 2009
    Such a great movie, it is truly inspirational.
  • March 19, 2009
    "It was right then that I started thinking about Thomas Jefferson on the Declaration of Independence and the part about our right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. And I remember thinking how did he know to put the pursuit part in there? That maybe happiness is s...( read more)omething that we can only pursue and maybe we can actually never have it. No matter what. How did he know that?"

    Photobucket

    I admit it, I already hated The Pursuit of Happyness before I even watched it. How could I not? A literal rags-to-riches story wrapped in "America, the Land of Opportunity" propaganda about a guy who, despite all odds, with great perseverance and dedication to his son, goes from being strapped to being broke to being homeless to being a very rich stockbroker? Ick. The guy is played by funny, super-adorable Will Smith and the son is played by Will Smith's extra-super-adorable son? Double and triple ick. Stop me if I'm making you nauseous, but going into it, there is absolutely no reason to believe that this will be anything but a syrupy feel-good flick as cute and simple-minded as its misspelled title. Somehow it is and it isn't.

    Expertly paced, intimately shot (courtesy of its Italian director, Gabriele Muccino), cunningly scored and competently acted, The Pursuit of Happyness benefits as much from the inspiring true story it was based on as it suffers from it; the series of hard-luck events that put Chris Gardner and his son on the streets are comical in their relentlessness, while the two's struggles are quite unfunny in their reality. Smith and, er, Smith, not surprisingly, have a solid rapport and embrace their roles believably, but it's Thandie Newton - as the shrewish and slightly unhinged bitch of a wife who instigates their downward spiral - who provides the most animated spark.

    Smith's take on Gardner is numbly stoic: We only see him cry twice; once when happy, once when at a true low point. While the mischievous (and somewhat annoying) glint the actor brings to many of his roles is toned down here, the master-class bullshitting skills that he displays as Gardner are the extent of his "personality." Still, The Pursuit of Happyness - as over-the-top as it seems conceptually - actually deals out its heartstring cards subtly and never comes off as too cloying. It's the sort of feel-good film that doesn't make your teeth hurt.
  • February 10, 2009
    A down yet inspiring story. Great performance by the Smiths.
  • November 20, 2009
    wow i like it so so so much
  • November 20, 2009
    I enjoyed every minute.
  • November 19, 2009
    all praise for these movie everyone surely can relate to it. it's a tearjerker good feel movie which tell everyone that even though life's tough these days there is still H.O.P.E. must see.
  • November 19, 2009
    This movie is moved !!
  • November 18, 2009
    mcm nk nangis tgok cite ni. setiap kesusahan ,ada kesenangan.

Critic Reviews


December 17, 2006
Pete Hammond, Maxim

Will Smith has his best screen role ever and he runs with it. He's flat-out great. full review

December 15, 2006
Stephanie Zacharek, Salon.com

Some people will see The Pursuit of Happyness as a glorification of capitalism, but the movie is much less about 'getting' than it is about 'not having.' full review

December 15, 2006
Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times

Ultimately, the real Chris Gardner emerges as an inspirational American success story -- and Will Smith emerges as a fine and nuanced actor. full review

December 15, 2006
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

Will Smith has the right quality for the role -- he's an easy man to root for -- but he augments this by channeling some inner quality of desperation and need. full review

December 15, 2006
Amy Biancolli, Houston Chronicle

The whole thing works. This earnest, modest, sweet little ode to paternal love is meant to warm the cockles of our hearts in a season overrun with cockle-warming, and even a recalcitrant Scrooge may s... full review

December 15, 2006
Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail

For an expensive, mainstream Hollywood movie, The Pursuit of Happyness is crisscrossed with mixed motives. full review

December 14, 2006
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

The role needs gravity, smarts, charm, humor and a soul that's not synthetic. Smith brings it. He's the real deal. full review

December 14, 2006
Claudia Puig, USA Today

Thankfully, humor leavens the dark journey, and little Jaden and his jokes go a long way to warm our hearts. full review

December 14, 2006
Colin Covert, The Minneapolis Star Tribune

Smith hasn't delivered this kind of earnest, emotionally raw performance since Ali, and his Chris Gardner is every bit as complex. full review

December 11, 2006
David Edelstein, New York Magazine

The movie is an economic cliff-hanger. full review

View more The Pursuit of Happyness reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

Comments


  • AsianNorthOfThailandGeneration
    March 9, 2009
    Glitter Graphics

    Glitter Monday Graphics


    glitters you rock


    " Hey you know it made me crier with 'em actions on the filmed . You know it's so great the filmed.Have you watch it? "
  • fazelix
    January 1, 2009
    pretty emotional and very touching movie i love it
  • lili2bsb
    October 24, 2008
    in fact, happiness is just a short period of time or just a short moment, but the hardship before it you might face is terrible, you will fell distress, depressed or angry, but in the end you will find it worth the effort, that’s fine. To pursuit happyness, you should master your own life and make your own choice and the most important is just keep going.
  • bucha
    October 16, 2008
    its a very nice movie.. very inspiring.. did you know that in the last scene of the movie, the guy that passed chris and his son is the original chris gardner?.. this story is true.. and now, chris gardner is old, but multi-millionaire.. his son now, is i think, late twenty's.. this really inspires me to do good...
  • hopkinsab
    August 15, 2008
    i love this movie my self i have watched over and over will smith is a great actor
  • itsallgonnabreak
    August 3, 2008
    gotta agree with "themoreuse". What is this movie supposed to mean? The guy went through all this shit and didn't realize much. He still entered into the machine after seeing throughout the movie that all of this was complete crap and fakeness. Ok acting overall.
  • perfectgentlemn
    July 20, 2008
    Cute Kid, Story seemed a bit incomplete.... Wife?? Anyways...not bad though... :-)
  • thelittledreamer
    May 27, 2008
    This is a brilliant movie with lots of sadness and sympathy. It's really hard to believe that this actually happens... the deadly secret in the world.
  • Empty100
    March 17, 2008
    This is his best movie!!!! I loved it!!!
  • nuritpaola
    March 14, 2008
    I liked this movie. It is a good example of when you want to get something you do many things to get it

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Official Trailer

More Like This


Click a thumb to vote on that suggestion, or add your own suggestions.

  • Spider-Man 3
    Spider-Man 3 (62%)
  • Stomp the Yard
    Stomp the Yard (63%)
  • Raising Helen
    Raising Helen (67%)
  • Fletch Lives
    Fletch Lives (35%)

Facts


No facts approved yet. Be the first

The Pursuit of Ha... : Watch Free on TV


The Pursuit of Happyness Trivia


  • what is the 2006 hit picture with will smith?  Answer »
  • In which movie did a man take care of his son while trying to become a stock broker and lived a hard life filled with sadness, despair, homelessnes, and rejection?  Answer »
  • Starring Will Smith and his young son, who are on the road to find something everyone should have in life.  Answer »
  • what did geoff callan say to will smith in the pursuit of happyness?  Answer »

Recent News


No recent headlines. Got one?

Most Popular Skin