The Pursuit of Happyness (Columbia) is a heartwarming tale based on an incredible success story that aired on ABC's "20/20" a few years ago.
The ever-appealing Will Smith plays Chris Gardner, a struggling medical supply salesman in 1980s San Francisco who must sell two body-density scanners each month to make ends meet for his wife, Linda (Thandie Newton), and 5-year-old child Christopher (Smith's real-life son, Jaden Christopher Syre Smith). When the movie begins, he's way below that quota.
Always a whiz at math, Chris decides to purse a new career path as a stockbroker, a pie-in-the-sky notion that sends hardworking, long-suffering Linda tearfully out the door for good, leaving him to raise young Christopher on his own.
He wins the confidence of brokerage executive Jay Twistle (Brian Howe) by demonstrating his proficiency with a Rubik's Cube, and secures a prestigious internship at Twistle's firm, though the six-month program pays nothing. Even though one of the interns will eventually be offered a permanent position, Chris has no guarantee he'll be the one chosen.
Along the way, Chris must deal with ever-increasing financial pressures, eviction and other vicissitudes. Eventually, he's reduced to spending nights with his son in a homeless shelter, and when that shelter is full, they sleep on the floor of public restrooms or on the subway.
Despite these episodes, director Gabriele Muccino never makes things too heavy or grittily realistic, but maintains an engaging, lightweight tone. Though overly long and occasionally repetitive in showing the succession of hard knocks Chris must endure, there's a lump-in-the-throat payoff.
The movie scores high on the inspirational message scale, with Chris, the ultimate loving father, demonstrating a commendable work ethic. At one point, extenuating circumstances force him to stiff a taxi driver, but otherwise Chris projects admirable decency.
And, in case you were wondering, the movie does not promote illiteracy. That misspelling of "happiness" is intentional and has a dramatic point.
The film contains a few instances of crude language and marital discord. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II — adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 — parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
