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The
Pursuit Of Happyness
Just get ready to cry. Bring your tissues, a big
shoulder to weep
on, or some sort of handkerchief because The
Pursuit of Happyness is one of
those heartbreaking movies that yanks at your emotions starting with
the opening
scene, and doesn’t let go until the credits are finished
rolling. Not all of
the critics are going to love it,
but The
Pursuit of Happyness is destined to be a populist classic.
Set in 1981’s San Francisco,
Will Smith
stars as Chris Gardner – a decent, smart, hard working Navy
vet trying to make
it. While he and
the wife, Linda (Thandie
Newton), spend most of their time sparring over money and broken
dreams, Chris
does everything he can to be the best father possible to his young son,
Christopher (Smith’s real life son, Jaden Christopher Syre
Smith, do you get
more money if you have 4 names instead of the usual 3?). One day, Chris learns
about a 6-month broker
training program offered by Dean Witter, and sees it as a chance to
change his
life.
Can Chris get admitted to
the program, and win the job? Can
he
overcome the life destructing hurdles that will be thrown in his path?
The
Pursuit of Happyness is
one of the most emotional and inspiring movies of the year because it
really
happened to Gardner, and every person in the audience can see some
portion of
the film and remember being faced with similar obstacles in their lives. Writer Steve Conrad and
director Gabriele
Muccino don’t get all
wrapped up in the technical side of making a movie, and certainly
aren’t trying
to make a picture that will be studied in film schools.
Instead, they focus solely on the human side
of the story as Chris makes mistakes, tries to impress those who can
help him,
and, most importantly, does everything in his power to be a good father. It’s a movie
that is about feelings instead
of processes, and wins us over through Gardner’s
actions and Smith’s performance.
In
every way you can imagine, Will Smith is the heart and soul of The
Pursuit of Happyness, and puts
in a performance so good you can’t imagine anyone else
trying to attempt it. Smith
becomes the
symbol and embodiment of the type of raw determination and dedication
every one
of us hopes will pay off for the down and out nice guy, but he truly
excels on
the extremes. He
wins us over in those
quiet, tender scenes where Chris is telling a story to his son to
distract him
from the disaster occurring around them, or those moments of
explosiveness when
he just can’t take another disappointment, or the times
filled with despair
when Chris just can’t come to terms with how badly life has
turned out. It’s
a performance that avoids becoming hokey
and melodramatic, and, instead, makes you realize Smith is an
amazing
actor. It’s
a dignified, restrained showing
where Smith displays real emotion, and draws the same out of the
audience. Sure,
we
have a feeling how it is going to
end (they don't exactly write movies about the guy who gets kicked out
of a 6-month training program), but Smith makes sure that climax is
stunning, and one you will not forget.
The
Pursuit of Happyness is a fantastic movie to see with your
older children or anyone
who needs a bit of inspiration to take that next step.
3
½ Waffles (Out
Of 4)
The
Pursuit Of Happyness is rated PG-13 for some
language
Copyright
2006 - WaffleMovies.com
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