In the heart of San Francisco in 1981, where life could be particularly challenging, especially for the black community, it was in this environment that Chris Gardner embarked on his difficult and challenging journey.
"The Pursuit of Happyness," inspired by Chris Gardner's true story and starring Will Smith as Chris Gardner, unfolds how he tenaciously finds and pursues happiness and success despite all the challenges. From homelessness to a successful stockbroker, Gardner's story is about an ordinary man with his not-so-ordinary life.
The film starts with a heartwarming moment between Chris and his son, Christopher. What takes this film to another level is that Christopher is played by Smith's real-life son, Jade Smith. Desperate to support his family, Chris invested all his savings into portable bone-density scanners, believing they could make a high profit from reselling them to medical professionals. You might think he's too bold and confident to make such a decision, and indeed he is—Chris is filled with optimism and hope for the future.
While he was trying to seek a job opportunity as a stockbroker, Chris made a big mistake, leaving his machine with a street-singing girl he had just met. As expected, the girl took off with the machine. And this was not the only time his scanner was stolen; in another scene, an old man mistook it for a time machine and took it again. This part of the story, is Smith being stupid.
Just when you think Chris's life couldn't get any worse, life proves otherwise. As he was unable to sell the machines, he was unable to cover his son's tuition fee or rent. This dire situation led his wife, Linda, to leave them. Being homeless, Chris was forced to spend a night in a subway bathroom with his son. The scene where silent tears come down from Chris's face as he's trying to cover his son's ears to shield him from the knocks on the bathroom door is the scene that hits me the most. He must be wondering, Why am I the one who has to live such a miserable life?
Nonetheless, even in the darkest times, there is always a glimmer of hope. Chris's exceptional skills with the Rubik's cube got him a chance to interview at Dean Witter. Although he was jailed for tax issues the night before and arrived in a singlet with white paint all over his body, he still managed to impress the interviewer with his humour and determination. Long story short, he succeeded in both the interview and the internship, becoming the only candidate to secure a position at Dean Witter. This part of his story, is Chris’s internship and happiness.
While you might think that Chris finally found his happiness in life, he reflects that "happiness is something we can only pursue but never have, no matter what." As someone who's currently finding my happiness as well, I believe what he meant is that the pursuit itself is how we find happiness; it's something we can never fully own, yet we can still feel its presence in our lives.
The ending, for me, was quite an interesting one. After securing his job at Dean Witter, there are no scenes of him spending his earnings. Instead, the film concludes with Chris holding his son as he crosses the street. Chris is wearing his usual suit, and his son is holding a ball, which was his birthday present, and a book. It's simple, nothing special, an ordinary moment that carries profound meaning.
“Don’t ever let somebody tell you you can’t do something. You got a dream, you gotta protect it. If you want something, go get it.”
- Chris Gardner, The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)
"The Pursuit of Happyness" is more than just a movie; it is a film showcasing how Chris believes in and finds happiness throughout his challenging life. It tells us that we should never give up on our dreams, even if there's no one supporting us. In short, if you’re currently feeling lost in life and don’t know what to do, I believe you can find your answer in this film.
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