The Pursuit of Happyness

The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)

  • 66% of critics liked it
    (170 reviews)

  • 88% of users liked it
    (511,179 ratings)

The rousing, true-life story of a single dad who went from living on the streets to owning his own brokerage firm is brought to the big screen by superstar Will Smith, appearing for the first time opposite his real-life son Jaden Smith. Set in early-'80s San Francisco, the film charts the hard… More

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PG-13,
Directed By
Written By
Steve Conrad
Genres
Drama
In Theaters
Dec 15, 2006 Wide
Sony Pictures

Critic Reviews

  • Mark Salisbury, Time Out

    Smith hits all the right notes - understated, engaging, inspirational - even if his young son threatens to charm him off the screen.

  • Bill Muller, Arizona Republic

    This is Smith as you've never seen him -- an unsure, struggling, frustrated guy trying to hold together his family and failing.

  • Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper

    As cynical as I am, I have to admit I was completely won over by Smith's sincere and deeply effective work as a guy who was knocked down again and again, but refused to stay on the canvas.

  • 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.'

  • Geoff Pevere, Toronto Star

    The Pursuit of Happyness can't imagine anything worse than being poor. Except maybe being surrounded by poor people.

Read all 20 critic reviews

See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes

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

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

Featured Audience Ratings

  • Carlos M


    Will Smith is absolutely splendid in this inspirational real story of struggle and determination that holds an intense dramatic power without need to become a cheap melodrama - which is something Hollywood has long grown used to, unfortunately.

  • Raymond W


    A story that is inspirational, and moving, predictable, and moves a little too slowly is elevated considerably by the incredibly moving and touching performances of Will Smith and Jaden Smith. It could have been extremely melodramatic, but the great performances and comic moments… More

  • Universal D


    A father with his back to the corner battles his way back to the center of the ring. Will Smith and his son, Jaden, are superlative is this confirmation of the American dream, and you root for them every step of the way. I began thinking that Will brought out the best in his son… More

  • Film C


    I really enjoyed this movie, its so sweet and its nice to see Will Smith with his actual son which was a good idea as i feel it made the story come across as even more realistic. Its sweet and heart warming that many people can relate to! Well worth the watch!

  • Albert K


    -Spoiler alert- "The Pursuit of HappYness" is an okay movie. Will Smith's performance is, of course, great. The direction is what you'd expect. However, my main gripe about this movie is how it hits audiences over the head over and over with how horrible Will… More

Read all 20 featured audience ratings

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