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Movies / Upcoming / The Pursuit of Happyness
The Pursuit of Happyness

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The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)

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Reviews Counted:165

Fresh:109

Rotten:56

Average Rating:6.4/10

Consensus: Will Smith’s heartfelt performance elevates The Pursuit of Happyness above mere melodrama.

Runtime: 1 hr 57 mins

Genre: Dramas

US Box Office: $162,586,036

Synopsis: In The Pursuit of Happyness, Chris Gardner (Will Smith) is a family man struggling to make ends meet. Despite his valiant attempts to help keep the family afloat, the mother (Thandie Newton) of his... In The Pursuit of Happyness, Chris Gardner (Will Smith) is a family man struggling to make ends meet. Despite his valiant attempts to help keep the family afloat, the mother (Thandie Newton) of his five-year-old son Christopher (Jaden Christopher Syre Smith) is buckling under the constant strain of financial pressure. No longer able to cope, she reluctantly decides to leave. Chris, now a single father, continues doggedly to pursue a better-paying job using every sales skill he knows. He lands an internship at a prestigious stock brokerage firm, and although there is no salary, he accepts, hopeful he will end the program with a job and a promising future. Without a financial cushion, Chris and his son are soon evicted from their apartment and forced to sleep in shelters, bus stations, bathrooms, or wherever they can find refuge for the night. Despite his troubles, Chris continues to honor his commitment as a loving and caring father, using the affection and trust his son has placed in him as an impetus to overcome the obstacles he faces. Columbia Pictures presents in association with Relativity Media an Overbrook Entertainment/Escape Artists Production The Pursuit of Happyness starring Will Smith, Thandie Newton and introducing Jaden Christopher Syre Smith. The film is directed by Gabriele Muccino and written by Steven Conrad. The producers are Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal, Steve Tisch, James Lassiter and Will Smith. The executive producers are Louis D’Esposito, Mark Clayman, David Alper and Teddy Zee. The director of photography is Phedon Papamichael, ASC. The production designer is J. Michael Riva. The film editor is Hughes Winborne, A.C.E. The costume designer is Sharen Davis. The music is by Andrea Guerra. The Pursuit of Happyness has been rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association of America for Some Language. The Pursuit of Happyness will be released by Columbia Pictures on December 15, 2006. -- © Columbia Pictures [More]

Starring: Will Smith, Jaden Smith, Dan Castellaneta, Thandie Newton

Starring: Will Smith, Jaden Smith, Dan Castellaneta, Thandie Newton, Brian Howe

Director: Gabriele Muccino

Director: Gabriele Muccino
Screenwriter: Steve Conrad
Producer: Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal, Steve Tisch, James Lassiter
Studio: Columbia Pictures

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Reviews for The Pursuit of Happyness

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1 - 20 (sorted by source; Australian critics are listed first)
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Full Review Source: In Film Australia | comment Comment
02/02/07
Luke Buckmaster
Luke Buckmaster
In Film Australia
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Sydney Morning Herald | comment Comment
01/13/07
Sydney Morning Herald
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Directed by talented young Gabriele Muccino, the film benefits from his outsider's observations, and he is far too smart a filmmaker to let schmaltz creep into the tone.

Full Review Source: Urban Cinefile | comment Comment
01/05/07
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The character of Christ... er, I mean Chris Gardner gets beaten down so much - and has a complete absence of faults - that it's really unbelievable.

Full Review Source: 7M Pictures | comment 9 Comments
12/15/06
Kevin Carr
Kevin Carr
7M Pictures

If patience isn't a virtue you possess, pass on The Pursuit of Happyness.

Full Review Source: About.com | comment Comment
12/13/06
Rebecca Murray
Rebecca Murray
About.com

An honest, intense look at the kind of day-to-day survival that too many Americans must contend with...This is absolutely one of my favorite movies of the year.

Full Review Source: Aisle Seat | comment Comment
12/27/06
Mike McGranaghan
Mike McGranaghan
Aisle Seat

An emotionally manipulative but astoundingly powerful rags-to-riches tale that recalls Frank Capra at his most heart-rending.

Full Review Source: Arizona Daily Star | comment Comment
12/14/06
Phil Villarreal
Phil Villarreal
Arizona Daily Star

This is Smith as you've never seen him -- an unsure, struggling, frustrated guy trying to hold together his family and failing.

Full Review Source: Arizona Republic | comment Comment
12/30/06
Bill Muller
Bill Muller
Arizona Republic

Smith's performance is terrific, but it's in service of a clumsy, heavy-handed film that believes the ultimate measure of a man is how hard he chases what he desires - wealth, fame, Oscars.

Full Review Source: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette | comment Comment
12/17/06
Philip Martin
Philip Martin
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

At its core The Pursuit of Happyness is a good story -- one that's literally rags to riches, and didn't need the many tweaks and embellishments that Italian director Gabriele Muccino and writer Steven Conrad have added.

Full Review Source: Associated Press | comment Comment
12/12/06
Christy Lemire
Christy Lemire
Associated Press

While he doesn't stint on the warm 'n' fuzzies, Italian director Gabriele Muccino doesn't mind showing us what sleeping in a homeless shelter or, worse yet, in the men's room at a BART station, looks like.

Full Review Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution | comment Comment
12/14/06
Eleanor Ringel Gillespie
Eleanor Ringel Gillespie
Atlanta Journal-Constitution

In the end the film feels like an average made-for-TV movie, if there were a cable channel for the sensitive man.

Full Review Source: Atlantic City Weekly | comment Comment
01/09/07
Lori Hoffman
Lori Hoffman
Atlantic City Weekly

If you’ve seen the schlocky trailer for The Pursuit of Happyness, you’ve seen a better version of the actual film.

Full Review Source: Austin Chronicle | comment 1 Comment
12/14/06
Toddy Burton
Toddy Burton
Austin Chronicle

A by-the-numbers piece of Hollywood inspiration.

Full Review Source: AV Club | comment Comment
12/17/06
Scott Tobias
Scott Tobias
AV Club

When these characters win their share of comfort and joy, they bring the audience bounties of wisdom and euphoria.

Full Review Source: Baltimore Sun | comment Comment
12/15/06
Michael Sragow
Michael Sragow
Baltimore Sun

Hokey title, but sometimes movie is good.

Full Review Source: Bangor Daily News (Maine) | comment Comment
05/10/07
Christopher Smith
Christopher Smith
Bangor Daily News (Maine)

Deserves kudos for avoiding saccharine sentiment, but its relentless emphasis on money as the cure for all ills is depressing. They might as well have called it The Pursuit of Richyness.

Full Review Source: BBC | comment 2 Comments
01/14/07
Paul Arendt
Paul Arendt
BBC

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Big Picture Big Sound | comment Comment
07/14/07
Joe Lozito
Joe Lozito
Big Picture Big Sound

It's a fine film, with a portrait of fatherhood that feels scuffed and driven and real.

Full Review Source: Boston Globe | comment Comment
12/15/06
Ty Burr
Ty Burr
Boston Globe
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Boston Phoenix | comment Comment
04/23/09
Tom Meek
Tom Meek
Boston Phoenix
 
 
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