THE PURSUIT OF
HAPPYNESS
It's (Not Quite) A Wonderful Life: The Art of Chris Gardner's Drive,
Struggle, Hustle and (Cash) Flow, by Will Smith
PopcornReel.com Movie Review: "The Pursuit Of HappYness"
By Omar P.L. Moore/December 14, 2006
Tough times and helping hands: The
relationship between real-life father and son, Will Smith and Jaden Christopher
Syre Smith (as onscreen father and son Gardners) in Gabriele Muccino's "The
Pursuit Of Happyness". (Photos: Zade Rosenthal/Sony Pictures)
Gabriele Muccino directs one of the most
difficult films a director can: the story of one's life. How to quantify,
what to select, what to leave out? Chris Gardner's autobiography entitled
"The Pursuit Of Happyness" is required reading, with all of the incredible,
remarkable, traumatic and miraculous ups and despairing downs of the 51 year-old's
life, and it isn't fair to compare this film, which is "inspired by a true
story" we are told at its very start, to Mr. Gardner's book.
However, Mr. Muccino -- who was hand-picked by Will Smith to direct "The Pursuit
Of Happyness" -- which opens on Friday -- does a remarkably good job with his
direction of a story about a most complex man. And Will Smith does an
amazingly stellar acting turn here as Chris Gardner, a man who endured eviction
and divorce, homelessness with his 5-year-old son for over a year or two on the
streets of San Francisco (and in some cases in subway stations and underneath
the desk of a company where he worked) only to eventually become a
multi-millionaire stockbroker (who now has his own multi-million dollar
business.)
Two hours doesn't do justice to a story of one's life let alone one so varied,
so it is with great happiness (not the misspelled title, which is explained in
both the movie and the book) that Mr. Muccino, an Italian filmmaker who has his
own distinguished resume, has accomplished a tidy, endearing and occasionally
painful drama that has a touch of Capra sprinkled in. Will Smith is the
21st century's big-screen everyman, knocking on the worldwide box-office mantle
of his good friend Tom Cruise. Smith is today's Jimmy Stewart, a
wholesome, clean-cut, easy-going, handsome, charismatic man with universal
appeal, who cares about a good, honest decent living for all.
"Pursuit" takes slices of Chris Gardner's life, from 1981 San Francisco up until
the mid-1990's and labels them in chapters, with Smith's narration. "This part
of my life is called running", or "this part of my life is called being stupid."
This style is essential as a reminder that the film is only a fragment of
Gardner's hellish existence in the rough-and-tumble 1980's. Smith verbally
spars with Thandie Newton who plays Gardner's his wife Linda, as a harsh,
abrasive woman who is deeply burdened by the financial stresses that lead to her
exit from their marriage as well as responsibility for Christopher their son.
Newton excels supremely here, and it is interesting that her last major role was
in "Crash", in which she played a harsh and demanding upscale wife married to a
rich man (Terrence Howard), while here she plays a harsh and demanding cleaner
married to a poor man.
Happy times for father and son: Will
Smith as Chris Gardner and real-life son Jaden Christopher Syre Smith (who is
priceless as Christopher Gardner), in "The Pursuit Of Happyness". (Photo:
Zade Rosenthal/Sony Pictures)
Gardner gets an internship with Dean Witter and after approaching a man in a red
Ferrari and ask him something to the effect of "what do you do to get that
car?", begins to display the charm, confidence and charisma that endears him to
Jay Twistle (Brian Howe) one of the managers at Dean Witter. The 1980's in
"Pursuit" are symbolized accurately by the presence of former U.S. president
Ronald Reagan and Rubick's Cubes, the cube specifically capturing the
complicated journey that Chris Gardner takes. Gardner is on the ascendancy
after winning the internship.
But money is always tight.
Gardner is looking to get money (a precious and priceless $14) owed to him from
a local, while he tries to regain the bone-density scanners he sells that a
hippie girl might try and steal (which equals a loss of about "a month's worth
of groceries" to Gardner) or that a homeless man declares is a "time machine".
He also has to maneuver around Alan Frakesh, a rakish supervisor at Dean Witter
(well-played by "The Simpson's" Dan Castellaneta) in his pursuit of "happiness".
Despite the terrific acting (Will Smith is exemplary in his display of Gardner's
endless confidence, brilliance and imagination), the real star of this film is
one eight-year-old Jaden Christopher Syre Smith. He plays Christopher, Mr.
Gardner's son. And in case you may have been unaware, Smith is Will's
real-life son. There is a naturalness and ease between them onscreen which
is breathtaking. In this his first big screen role, young Jaden is the
best actor on the screen, showing a keen-eyed discipline, acumen and charisma
that comes directly from his megastar father. Several of their scenes
together, including one where they are walking through Chinatown, are priceless.
The other revelation about this film is that it showcases positive relationships
between black men and their sons -- something that isn't often seen in Hollywood
films. And even more so in "Pursuit", a positive relationship despite the
adverse circumstances in which Gardner and his son live and survive. There
are other films like "Antwone Fisher" that have done this in recent years, and
to an extent Charles S. Dutton's father figure character in "Menace II Society"
as well -- but these are few and far between. In their own way, each of
these films is a slice of the pursuit of the American dream, and "Pursuit"
excels with that theme. That the film excels this way is a tribute to Mr.
Gardner himself, who in his book talked about his need to have a great bond and
close relationship with his son -- which he did, even during the roughest of
times financially.
The music score by Andrea Guerra is hopeful, inspiring and discreet, working to
suit the film in all the right ways. Seal's end credit song "A Father's
Way" is a nice closer to the film.
Will Smith has an amazing acting ability in dramatic roles ("Ali" and "Enemy of
the State") and those films' technical aspects subsumed that talent. Here
however, the muted tone and quietly European-feel to this film mostly shot in
San Francisco (a uniquely European-type of city within America) helps Smith and
he excels, as he did so memorably in "Six Degrees Of Separation". In one
of the final scenes of "Pursuit", Smith's remarkable acting sums up the amazing
emotional rollercoaster ride of Chris Gardner.
"The Pursuit Of Happyness" is ideal for the holidays. It combines hope,
anguish, despair, success, happiness and sadness -- the kinds of emotions that
at this time of year are either heightened or muted in everyday people.
Not only is the real-life Mr. Gardner -- a tall, stylish man who strides
confidently across the big screen right at the very end of "Pursuit" -- proud of
this film, but audiences are likely to be as well. Mr. Smith could find
himself on Oscar's mind next month.
Thank you, Mr. Smith: Will Smith, megastar actor
and Chris Gardner, formerly homeless and now CEO and Founder of the
multi-million dollar financial brokerage and trading firm Gardner Rich & Company
at the film's premiere in December 2006 in San Francisco, benefiting Glide
Church, where Gardner ate when he was homeless. (Photo: Omar P.L. Moore)
Related story -- photo gallery
"The Pursuit Of Happyness" is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association
of America for language. The film runs for one hour and 57 minutes.
The film features fine production design of San Francisco (J. Michael Riva) and
cinematography (Phedon Papamichael). Will Smith and producing partner
James Lassiter were among several of the film's producers.
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