The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)

The Pursuit of Happyness (2006) tells the story of Chris Gardner, a down on his luck father who overcomes a series of setbacks to create a life for himself and his 5 year-old son. To be honest, this would probably not be a film I would go out of my way to see. I expected a much more saccharine treatment. I was pleasantly surprised.

Will Smith plays the lead, and his real-life son Jaden plays his fictional son, with a face so cute, and hair so adorable, you can't help but root for them from the beginning. I really liked Will back in the Six Degrees of Separation days, and here, too, his performance is very refined. Chris goes through one stupid situation after another, none of it contrived or histrionic, just stupid, just like life. Losing a shoe, running across town for a meeting, catching the subway to escape being beaten, but losing his bone-scanner machine - his only source of income. It's a reminder that it really does all come down to those silly details, how life is so much an exercise in timing and luck, and that the only piece we can control is our own sense of happiness and comfort.

The film is directed by Gabriele Muccino, who also directs Will's 2008 film Seven Pounds, not to mention the oft-lauded Viva Laughlin. Cinematography is by Phedon Papamichael, who seems to have worked quite a bit for a lot of different directors, most recently on W for Oliver Stone. The director and camerawork are fine, nothing extraordinary. Smartly, they let Will do the majority of the work, maintaining his dignity and pride and love for his son, even in the most drastically dark circumstances. Much of the action happens on Will's face, and the filmmakers did a good job of allowing the camera to linger, longer than we might expect, to really give a glimpse into the range of emotions Chris is going through. Will, for his part, is to be commended for not overacting. A nice early morning feel-good movie.