Movie Review of 'The Pursuit of Happyness'

by Lewis Robinson

“The Pursuit of Happyness” is a 2006 movie that stars Will Smith and his son Jaden. This biographical film won a lot of awards and is recognized as a movie that everyone should watch at least once. The film follows Chris Gardner as he tries to deal with the responsibilities of being a parent while also going through the trials of being homeless.

Homelessness Put in the Spotlight

Homelessness is one of those things that people tend to avoid talking about as a whole if they can get away with it, and when they do decide to acknowledge it, the goal is never to solve the problem. A ton of social experiments have been conducted, and it has been found that people are more likely to help a homeless person if all they want is drugs and alcohol to get through the next day, instead of someone who needs help so they can provide for their children.

“The Pursuit of Happyness” takes the stigma and shows it to the very people who are perpetuating it, letting them know that every homeless person deserves help, no matter whether they are just looking for a drink or if they have suffered a series of unfortunate events that left them with nothing to their name. While it may be easier to ignore a problem that an area has had for a long time, that does not mean it is right to do so. Ignoring something makes it worse, and it will not go away simply because people wish it to.

Hard Work and the Right Opportunity Can Ignite Change

There are a lot of things that Gardner has to deal with, and through it all, he is able to work as hard as he can to eventually earn his happy ending. However, as the movie shows, the hard work that someone puts in is not always enough. One stockbroker was willing to listen to Gardner's plight and help him out, even going so far as to take Gardner and his son to a football game so he can network with other stockbrokers while having a good time. The same stockbroker ends up offering Gardner an interview due to his impressive sales strategy, and eventually a position that will get him out of homelessness and provide a stable home for his son. 

While Gardner did everything he possibly could and dressed for success, the kindness that that one stockbroker showed was what made it possible for Gardner to improve his life and achieve the dreams he had been working so hard to achieve. Though Gardner's work did earn the kindness, the stockbroker that helped him could have just heard his story and expressed sympathy without doing anything else. That combination of hard work and the offer of various opportunities was what pulled Gardner out of poverty.

Family Helps Keep One Going

If Gardner had not had his son, he might have thought about giving up and might have even done so. However, having a child immediately makes things more complicated. Gardner had a defenseless child to take care of, and he was not able to get help beyond what the daycare staff could provide, as Christopher's mother had gone to New York and left him with his father. Christopher served as a motivation for Gardner to do better. After all, nobody can throw in the towel when they have someone depending on them. 

There is a reason that “The Pursuit of Happyness” was so well-received and continues to be as more and more people watch it. This film deserves to be categorized as a classic and serves to teach everyone about what is really important and what it takes to get back to the top once someone is sent to the bottom.