Product Description: A real-life tale of survival over life's toughest challenges. After a chain of circumstances left Gardner jobless and homeless at age 30 he found himself and his baby son living in a bathroom at a San Francisco train station. Despite the negative situation Gardner continued to fight toward his goal of becoming a broker eventually landing a job as a trainee and rising through the ranks at such companies as Dean Witter and Bear Stearns to his current standing -- partner and owner of the Chicago-based minority brokerage firm Gardner Rich & Co. and self-made millionaire.Features:Documentaries (Making-of documentary)Featurette (Father and Son: On Screen and Off)Interview(s) (The Man Behind the Movie: A Conversation with Chris Gardner)Audio commentary (with director Gabriel Muccino)System Requirements:Runtime: 117 minsFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA Rating: PG - 13 UPC: 043396150850 Manufacturer No: 15085
Amazon.com: A heartwarming film that demonstrates how good, hard-working people can become homeless almost overnight, Pursuit of Happyness is a tour-de-force showcase for Will Smith, who convincingly portrays a down-and-out dad trying to better his family's life. Smith, who usually is cast in effortlessly boyish roles (Men in Black, Independence Day), is wonderful in the film--even in the scenes that shamelessly tug at viewers' heartstrings. Based on the true-life story of Chris Gardner, a San Francisco salesman forced at times to shelter his young son (played by Smith's adorable look-alike offspring Jaden Smith) in a men's room, there is little suspense to the film in terms of Chris' outcome. (His story and eventual success a successful and wealthy Chicago businessman was well-publicized on the newsmagazine show 20/20.) And let's face it, Hollywood's not too keen on making feel-good movies with unhappy endings. The beauty (and suspense, to a certain extent) of this film is in the way the story is told. Though he is constantly rushing around to get to appointments and pick up his child, things do not happen quickly for Chris. When he accepts an internship with a prestigious stock brokerage firm, there's a catch: The position is unpaid, suitable more for trust-fund children than single parents with no other source of income. In many scenes, the viewer panics along with Chris, wondering how he's going to feed his child. While Smith and his son, Jaden, share many tender moments together, Thandie Newton has the thankless role of playing Chris' shrill wife, who deserts her family early in the film. It's not a particularly challenging part for the talented actress, and her departure doesn't impact the storyline much at all. As for the movie's misspelled title, it's inspired from a scene in the film. (Seeing a mural drawn by the children at a daycare center, Chris points out to the proprietor that "happiness" is spelled incorrectly. She notes that it doesn't matter how the word is written--just that the kids have it.) With Pursuit of Happyness, Smith has come out of his safety zone and, in turn, ends up playing his most heroic role to date. --Jae-Ha Kim
Extras from The Pursuit of Happyness
Behind the scenes footage of The Pursuit of Happyness high bandwidth
Chris Gardner: "On Being Studied By Will Smith" high bandwidth
Will Smith And Jaden Smith: "On Will Always Being In Character" high bandwidth
An inspirational tale of staying in the game Not until the last three minutes of the movie were the story filled with every reason for the main character to just lose it, take it out on society, or simply give up on life; but his love for his son gave him the almost-superhuman-like discipline and next-to-impossible-enduring patience, if at all possible, to have a slim chance to turn things around. Life is not always a happy ending, but if you don't even give yourself that chance, life certainly won't either. But when it is a happy ending, the meaningless world suddenly becomes meaningful. This is what "Pursuit of Happyness" is about.
pretty good i enjoyed this movie. there were a couple of parts that didn't have to be in it, but overall it was good.
THE PURSUIT OF RIPPING PEOPLE OFF I'm a fan of Will Smith in general, but I can't say much for this movie. I know from first hand experience that Stockbrokers/Financial Advisors make a living ripping other people off. So, while I commend the real life character for coming up in the world, I assure you it was at the expense of many others. Namely, his clients. I can't expect people to understand what I'm saying. You have to have worked in the industry (as I have) to truly understand. But ALL of them, from the top producers to the bottom producers, are ripping people off. They know it and they don't care. The companies know it and they don't care. All they care about is the Pursuit of Money. Pure and simple. I cannot support a movie that shows the "hero" as a Stockbroker, Financial Advisor or Consultant. They might as well make a rags to riches movie about a father who succeeds as a shady used car salesman.
Will Smith DELIVERS WOW is all I can say about this movie. I've had this dang movie sitting in the DVD rack for some time now and finally got around to watching it with my girl. I'm so ridiculously surprised at how good the movie was (yes she picked it out the rack).
I'll have to say that Will Smith has definitely become by far one of the best actors out there. Coming from his beginnings on Fresh Prince were he didn't have a clue as to what he was doing to were he is at now is just ridiculous. I don't think there has ever been an actor that can stand up to his level. He's bar far the most versatile actor to date in my honest opinion.
In this movie he shows himself as an outstanding figure to his son who is determined to take on the world to make a better life for his family.
This movie is pretty much a definition of Will himself in how he went from nothing and built everything he's become today. OUTSTANDING movie from start to finish.
PERFECT THIS WAS AWESOME, IT WAS SO EASY TO PURCHASE. IT CAME IN ON TIME, NEAT AND WELL PACKED. I REALLY LOVE THIS MOVIE, IT'S A TEAR DRIPPER ALL THE WAY THROUGH.
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