‘Happyness’ is hard to come by
Film falls just short in its message of triumph
By Sean Quast
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This film has got tons of attention. It is seen as a great triumph movie, it shows how the human spirit can overcome all odds … yada, yada, yada.
Will Smith has played some great roles. He has told numerous tales from action to drama to a cherished comedy.
He is a great actor and does a great job portraying Chris Gardner in his latest film, “The Pursuit of Happyness.”
Chris Gardner came from poverty to be a multimillionaire stockbroker. His story begins when he was forced into poverty while attempting to get a job from an unpaid internship, in which only one person out of 20 is offered a job.
Throughout the film the audience can feel the pain and struggle that Chris and his son, Christopher, played by Will Smith’s son Jaden, share during their hard times. The movie constantly shows the sacrifices they both made.
Christopher even struggles through the loss of his favorite childhood toy, a Captain America action figure, when it is dropped in the street when they are chasing a bus to make it to the homeless shelter before it fills up.
This film has received tons of attention. It is seen as a great triumph movie, it shows how the human spirit can overcome all odds … yada, yada, yada. You heard this from everyone.
The film does show how the Gardners receive a new hardship every couple of minutes in film time. But that’s really all it shows. Minute after minute, hardship after hardship, the audience gets a beat down emotionally.
The film relies so much on the audience’s pity and attachment to the Gardners that it never shows some of the other struggles that Chris Gardner faced in the pursuit of his dream.
There seems to be very little about what it was like for Gardner in the office. Audiences notice that he is the only black man in the internship program. Every other man is white and most likely has a better education. The film barely touched on this issue. The total time they get to see Gardner struggling against his competitors in the office is about five minutes.
The film ends with Gardner getting a job. The audience is surprised shortly after he accepts the job how fast the credits roll.
There is no family reward in this film. You don’t get to see Christopher lie down in his bed in his new room. Where is the replacement for the lost Captain America?
The film ends with only Gardner getting a reward for the family’s hard times. The story focused so much on the family struggle of the pair that we need to see them both get rewarded in the end. I wanted to see their new house, apartment or condo.
The film was a touching story and the actors did a phenomenal job. Only minor story details prevent this film from being an Oscar winner, instead of just another nominee.



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