The Pursuit of HappYness (2006)

There are very few movies that make me think, that really create a spark of inspiration in my mind. “The pursuit of happYness” is surely one such movie. I got this movie from a friend, who in turn downloaded it from the net. The first time i heard about this one was only when i read the movie’s name in his hard-disc. Before that i never heard the name or the story-line or the cast. The name of the movie sounded interesting to me, which was the only reason i decided to choose it among the 10 other movies i was having with me. But surely, it was a wise choice i made. The story revolves around a central character “Chris Gardner”, played by Will Smith. The movie shows Chris as a salesman for a company which manufactures a “Bone densitometer”. Chris is always seen moving around a with a big machine in his hand, going to various doctors and clinics, try selling his machine. As for Chris’ family, he has a wife and a child. a wide, who is always dissatisfied with his work and a child whom he loves the most. The family works hard to earn a living and is shown struggling in the race of life. One day on his way to a clinic Chris stops to admire a beautiful car. He immediately asks the owner “Sir, what do u do to own such a masterpiece?”. The man smiles and replies “I’m a stock broker”. That day Chris decided that he too is going to enter the business. He enters the office and enquires about the formalities of applying for a job at that place. He is told that the company takes 20 people for a probation period of 3 months, without any salary, and then one among those twenty is confirmed for the job. Chris goes back to his wife to discuss the matter, who instead of being supportive criticizes his decision and eventually leaves him. So now, Chris is left with his son, a meager amount of money and after a two months, when he’s not able to pay the rent, a public dormitory to spend the night at. The movie moves ahead showcasing the struggle of Chris against all the adversities and how he manages to complete the internship and eventually bag the job. The sequences and scenes depicted are very touching at times. The movies looses it’s charm at times and goes on the slower side, but it is really enjoyable on the whole. The Director is successful in harnessing the emotions of his viewers and has gone on the old beaten path of a failure turned success. You can draw parallels between the movie and a similar Bollywood saga “Akele hum Akele Tum” but the two are quite different in many respects too. Unlike a typical bollywood ending, Chris’ wife doesn’t come back to him in the end, once he gets the job and becomes rich. I’d really recommend you to watch this movie if you are a Will Smith fan. You can see him in a completely different shade. A different aged look, a mature role and a very touching performance.

Imdb
My Rating : $$$$
Cast: Will Smith, Thandie Newton, Jaden Christopher Smith, Dan Castellaneta, Zuhair Haddad
Directed by: Gabriele Muccino
Produced by: David Alper, Teddy Zee, Mark Clayman
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