The Pursuit of Happyness

Out of the frying pan, into the fire... Chris Gardner’s life in a nutshell. The Pursuit of Happyness has just three shortcomings, but they are so serious that they make this potentially good movie into a wreck that has nothing to offer. The first is the overly-long running time, then it’s the rather lackadaisical and plodding directing and then the main protagonist. Although Will Smith’s acting is perfect as usual and his character is absolutely convincing. Which, rather paradoxically, is the biggest problem because he plays the most awfully unpleasant central character that the silver screen has ever seen. Sycophantic, incapable of providing for his family, ingratiating, bothersome, selfish, dumb (he has no common sense at all). Simply the kind of guy that everyone would despise. I couldn’t shake the feeling throughout the movie that he does everything just for himself and his son just stumbled randomly into this situation. When I think about how much this is idealized and far from reality, I am surprised that anybody wanted to make a movie about a guy like that. But the truth is that it is a story about reforging the American Dream into reality. Something that we have already seen countless times with protagonists that I felt I could wish all the success in the world to. A sub-average movie with excellent actors and a neat soundtrack. It’s not unbearable, but it’s totally superfluous. (08/17/2007)

A big surprise for me. I knew Will Smith could act well, but I didn’t expect that the ordinary story about a man trying to come back to normal life from rock bottom could be made in such an entertaining and fresh way. Although I approached the film with skepticism at the beginning, at the end I was left with nothing but satisfaction from a job well done without any major mistakes. (01/06/2007)

The final scene (the first and the last emotions) and the performances of Will Smith and Thandie Newton are brilliant, but the film is very predictable and overly idealistic. But well, these stereotypical stories about how an average Joe became (almost) a king are nothing but inspiration for the masses, where an irresponsible fuck-up of a father manages the family budget to perfection and puts food on the table, until his wife leaves him and he sleeps on toilets in the subway with his son, yet still works hard every day for free to successfully reach the finale. Anyone who takes this melancholic fairytale seriously, they will be in deep trouble in practical life. Very distantly inspired by a true story, just as it suits the tearful audience. Shamefully unsuccessful imitation of a real journey towards a dream, where more than just blindly looking forward is needed. Maybe even around oneself. (07/29/2015)

This movie can be viewed as incredibly hypocritical - it praises values such as work, which is the most important, and treating people like trash - or as a victory of one person over fate. I don't know which version to choose, but thanks to Will Smith, the choice usually falls on the second one. What is actually a win in this story? Is it finding a job with people who seem to express a certain respect for him as a person, but are otherwise thoughtless scoundrels and essentially slaveholders? Is the film intentionally so critical, or did it happen by accident? If it's intentional, then I applaud. If it wasn't intentional, then it's great that it turned out that way. (04/04/2014)

A sad “film from life” that tells you that you are not alone and that things will get better someday. The Pursuit of Happyness is melancholic, with a slow pace, but it’s not boring. The film’s driving force is the focused performance of Will Smith, who brilliantly portrays all of the situations of a troubled man and thus elevates the film above the level of average. An actor who had not gone through something similar in his own youth wouldn’t have done such a credible job. (02/11/2007)