The Pursuit of Happyness

A "heart-warming" and "life-affirming" film gets an appropriately syrupy DVD.

When I mentioned to a friend that I was covering Will Smith's new movie, The Pursuit of Happyness, the only thing he said to me was "make sure you ask Will Smith why the hell they misspelled 'happiness.'" Well, rest assured, Steve, the answer to that question (and many others) lies in the movie itself; besides, Will Smith stopped returning my calls months ago (if only I hadn't pressed him so hard on that "Parents Just Don't Understand" follow-up, "Parents Really Just Don't Understand"). But at any rate, Smith gives the performance of his career in a movie for which phrases like "heart-warming" and "life-affirming" were made, or if not they would certainly have had to be invented.

Smith plays Chris Gardner, a struggling salesman who spends his days trying to sell expensive, unnecessary medical equipment to doctors who don't need it. When he randomly runs into a Wall Street trader who informs him all one needs to do his job is be good with people and numbers, Chris decides to pursue a coveted internship at a brokerage. Unfortunately, the job is unpaid, which means that he will have to support himself and his son Christopher (Jaden Christopher Syre Smith) without any promise of a paying job in the future.

There isn't much more to tell about Happyness in terms of plot, but it's not because nothing happens; rather, the obstacles that Chris faces are likely familiar to many or most people who watch, read about or follow underdog stories like this. The difference between this tale and others, however, is that it's based upon a true story -- naturally with some of the details changed. For example, the real Chris Gardner's son was only about a year old, not five as in the film; whether this was changed because the real story seemed too outlandish or just because Smith's son Jaden was available to play the role remains unknown, but rather than undermining the believability of the tale it adds a counterpoint -- namely, the child's perspective -- that enriches Gardner's struggles.

But what feels most striking about this film is not its truth or accuracy, at least not in a technical sense. Rather, it's that the film does not seek blame or create unfounded obstacles for the character -- particularly racial ones -- instead enabling Chris' triumph as a personal one unencumbered by social or political context. Ultimately, this isn't the story of a black man learning how to succeed in a white world, or a poor person becoming rich, but the achievement of one man who looked past the litany of obstacles to which he could have easily surrendered. The fact that no one in the film looks down on him because of his sometimes unkempt appearance, much less the color of his skin, is a testament to the unfiltered purity of the real Gardner's story, and what makes the movie accessible to all audiences.

Smith, meanwhile, gives a fantastic, selfless performance as Chris. An actor with almost quantifiable likeability, Smith relinquishes the actorly vanity that kept him charming in movies past and creates a real, complicated and not always sympathetic figure. Admittedly, the film is front-loaded with ample opportunities for the actor to utilize his trademark charisma, not the least of which is a scene where he has to convince his prospective bosses he's the right person for the job while dressed only in disheveled, paint-covered clothing. But his commitment mirrors the character's, and elevates his acting to a level heretofore not seen -- including his vivid but comparatively hollow impersonation of Cassius Clay in Michael Mann's Ali.

The rest of the film is tied together by director Gabriele Muccino's capable direction, which keeps the proceedings substantial, but never melodramatic. Like in his previous film Remember Me, My Love, Muccino juggles the disparate story elements -- Gardner's deteriorating marriage, his desperate parenting, his unpredictable career detours -- with more than enough dexterity to feel as if all have been given equal focus. The Italian filmmaker appears to have a lot of potential even in Hollywood if he continues to find projects (and more importantly, stars) that nurture his vision rather than trampling it. But then again, one supposes that's exactly what The Pursuit of Happyness is all about -- setting goals and accomplishing them, proper spelling be damned.

(Movie review by Todd Gilchrist)

Score: 8 out of 10

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