Film Reviews

The Pursuit Of Happyness

• Rating:
• Director: Gabrielle Muccino
• Starring: Jaden Smith
• Details: US / 117mins (12A).

With this is one role, Will Smith has reinvented himself as this generation's Jimmy Stewart. Smith plays Chris Gardner, a down on his luck salesman struggling to make ends meet in San Francisco in the early '80s. When his wife (Newton), fed up with the constant financial pressure the family is under, walks out on Chris and their five-year-old son Christopher (Jaden Smith), Chris is forced to reassess his situation and applies for a stockbroker training programme with a wealthy company. However, with no money coming in, can Chris survive the tortuous and lengthy programme? Don't let the title mislead you - The Pursuit Of Happyness is a real downer, a contemporary Bicycle Thieves. Not once does director Muccino make it easy for the audience, as we are taken step by step on Chris' harrowing journey to financial security. Muccino delivers the obvious big moments of Chris dilemma: being evicted (twice), traipsing around the city struggling to sell what no one wants, etc. But what is a welcome surprise is that the director gives the little moments as much screen time: watching the cab meter go beyond what money he has in his pocket and lending his would-be boss five of his last seven dollars. This is how Muccino appeals to everyone - we've all been there. However, what stops The Pursuit Of Happyness of being a truly great movie is that the viewer is never in doubt that Chris' situation will come good, and there are more than a few hints to that. Smith has never been better. We feel sorry for his Chris and we're on his side - that's a given from the outset - but Smith never hams it up or even looks for our sympathy. He feels he's got himself into this situation and only he can get himself out. It's a reserved performance that just may make Smith a happy man come Oscar night.

Review by Gavin Burke