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The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)

Director: Gabriele Muccino

Average user rating
6 reviews

Synopsis

A single father takes an internship at a prestigious stock brokerage firm to provide a better future for his family.

Movie review

From Time Out London

With its title taken from a misspelling on the wall of the child-care centre to which salesman Chris Gardner (Will Smith) sends his five-year-old son Christopher, this tale of one man’s struggle over adversity to live the American Dream is so far-fetched that if it wasn’t ‘inspired by a true story’, you’d never believe a word of it.

With bills stacking up and his wife (Thandie Newton) gone to NYC, college dropout Chris enrols as an intern at a stockbrokers’. Life couldn’t get much worse. Kicked out of their apartment, father and son (played by Smith’s kid Jaden) bounce between homeless missions until Chris, hopefully, secures a job.

Given the task of marshalling the saccharine in Steven Conrad’s script, it’s a credit to Italian director Gabriele Muccino and Smith that they largely eschew the sentimental option. Smith hits all the right notes – understated, engaging, inspirational – even if his young son threatens to charm him off the screen.

Author: Mark Salisbury

Time Out London Issue 1899: January 10-17 2007


User reviews of this film

  • Buda mzima said...
    Posted on Jun 12 2011 02:10 I would say this story is touching and you know hard to sayit is the best thing to show encouragnent and thank you mr. will smith you have helped us alot through the times of sorrow you never gave . thank you world
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  • Shiek Ibrahim said...
    Posted on Jun 12 2011 01:47 this movie is a true story in ESL D there was a comparason between the two scene
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  • Rachel said...
    Posted on Feb 17 2009 19:48 Absolutely loved it! You have to see it!
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  • jay said...
    Posted on Nov 24 2008 13:06 i soooo luv this film definatly THE best film to make you feel all sorts of emotions there truly r no words i no i always stream with tears when watching this is definatly a must see film and a film 2 c b4 u die
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  • amie said...
    Posted on Sep 14 2008 19:21 the film was beautufl, and i dont know another film that could really compare to it. it makes the audience cry well me defiantly and its a must see!
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  • TJ said...
    Posted on Apr 22 2008 11:13 a brillent film loved every minite of it the fact it was based on a true movie made it more wounderful
    Report as inappropriate
6 comments

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