pursuit of happyness movie summary essay

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The Pursuit of Happyness

• A struggling salesman takes custody of his son as he's poised to begin a life-changing professional career.
• Based on a true story about a man named Christopher Gardner. Gardner has invested heavily in a device known as a "bone density scanner". He feels like he has it made selling these devices. However, they do not sell well as they are marginally better than x-ray at a much higher price. As Gardner works to make ends meet, his wife leaves him and he loses his apartment. Forced to live out in the streets with his son, Gardner continues to sell bone density scanners while concurrently taking on an unpaid internship as a stockbroker, with slim chances for advancement to a paid position. Before he can receive pay, he needs to outshine the competition through 6 months of training, and to sell his devices to stay afloat. — John Wiggins, Alf Fonz
• 1981, San Francisco. In what limited academic opportunities he has had in his life, Chris Gardner has demonstrated that he is a smart man. Yet he is struggling financially in his life. He has invested all his money on portable bone density scanners, which he personally sells to physicians. Despite being a better product than x-rays machines, they are also far more expensive, meaning that they are an unnecessary luxury for most physicians. He needs to sell three scanners per month just to meet the basic necessities to support his family, his wife, Linda, and their five year old son, Christopher, on who he dotes since he didn't know his own father when he was a child. But lately, that has been three per month more than he has sold, resulting in an increasing embittered Linda continually needing to work double shifts doing manual work at a laundry, which still isn't enough to cover those basic costs, they being currently behind three months rent. Chris can't afford to pay his parking ticket, meaning that he has to take the bus everywhere now as the clamp remains on the tire of his car. Feeling like the scanner is not the answer to their financial problems, Chris, with or without Linda's blessing, decides to take a chance by switching careers when he sees that brokerage and securities firm Dean Witter has a six month internship program, which only admits twenty applicants, leading to only one intern being hired at the end of the process. It isn't until he is well immersed into the process that he learns that the internships are non-paying. Based largely on his chutzpah, Chris, against the odds, gets one of the twenty positions. With some changes in their lives resulting in fewer expenses, Chris figures he needs to sell his remaining six scanners just to scrape by for those six months. But some unexpected issues arise which leads to the Gardners possibly not making it through this phase of their lives financially, something he has to hide from his superiors at Dean Witter if he has any chance at all of making it through the internship and getting that paying job with them. — Huggo
• Already struggling to eke out an existence, against the backdrop of early-1980s San Francisco, the earnest and hard-working bone-density-scanner salesman, Chris Gardner, finds himself with the back to the wall. Left with nothing when his wife abandons the family, the financially hard-pressed father will have to take care of his five-year-old son, Christopher, all by himself when, unexpectedly, the prestigious stock brokerage firm of Dean Witter offers Gardner an unpaid six-month internship. Now, bent on becoming a stockbroker, Chris is willing to go to great lengths to succeed; however, life can be challenging and cruel. Will Chris' efforts pay off? Can the determined parent make his dream come true? — Nick Riganas
• A true story film about a middle-aged male doing everything that he can to keep himself and his family living off the streets in a dangerous city. He does everything that he can to gain every opportunity as he can to find a decent job and a good home for his growing family. — RECB3
• In 1981, in San Francisco, the smart salesman and family man Chris Gardner ( Will Smith ) invests the family savings in Osteo National bone-density scanners, an apparatus twice as expensive as an x-ray machine but with a slightly clearer image. This white elephant financially breaks the family, bringing troubles to his relationship with his wife Linda ( Thandiwe Newton ), who leaves him and moves to New York where she has taken a job in a pizza parlor. Their son Christopher ( Jaden Smith ) stays with Chris because he and his wife both know that he will be able to take better care of him. Without any money or a wife, but committed to his son, Chris sees a chance to fight for a stockbroker internship position at Dean Witter, offering a more promising career at the end of a six-month unpaid training period. During that period, Chris goes through a lot of hardship personally and professionally. When he thinks he is "stable," he finds that he has lost $600 when the government takes the last bit of money in his bank account for taxes. He is rendered homeless because he can't pay his rent. He is forced at one point to stay in a bathroom at a train station, and must scramble from work every day to the Glide Memorial United Methodist Church, which offers shelter to the homeless. He must leave work early every day so that he is there by 5:00 in the evening along with his son so that he may be assured of a place to sleep. He is seen carrying his suitcase to work because he doesn't have a home. At work, there are nineteen other candidates for the one position. One day, he is called into an office and in it were the heads of Dean Witter. Chris thinks that he is about to be told the job will not be his as he says that he wore a shirt and tie for his final day. Then they tell him that he has been an excellent trainee and that tomorrow he will have to wear his shirt and tie again as it will be his first day as a broker. Chris struggles to hold back tears. Outside he begins to cry as the busy people of San Francisco walk past him. He rushes to his son's daycare, hugging him and knowing that after everything him and his son had been through things would be all right. The final scene shows Chris walking with his son down a street. His son is telling him a joke, when a wealthy business man in a suit walks past. Chris looks back as the man continues on. The man in the suit is none other than the real Chris Gardner.

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Psychology in The Pursuit of Happyness Film

Introduction, pursuit of happyness movie psychology analysis: personality, pursuit of happiness psychology: theoretical basis to motivation, the pursuit of happyness film analysis: learning styles, pursuit of happiness psychology: affective theory, the pursuit of happyness: behaviors in an organizational culture, the pursuit of happiness psychological analysis: conclusion.

The Pursuit of Happyness  is a film that includes a wide range of psychological and organizational behavior theories. These are exemplified by character behaviors and plot points that fit within the context of organizational culture. Organizational behavior is a subset of human psychology that promotes social interaction.  The Pursuit of Happyness  depicts individual traits that aid the protagonist in achieving success through self-efficacy, goal-setting, and learning styles, which become invaluable as he incorporates them into the culture and workflow of the stockbroker organization.

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is an introspective psychological test that determines how an individual perceives their environment and preferences. It is commonly used in business to assess personality types which are a determinant of behavior as well as mental and emotional characteristics. These can then be used to find strong areas and skills for the individual. The protagonist, Chris Gardner, can be considered an individual that is sociable and extroverted. He is often assertive in pursuing his goals, both in his personal life and career opportunities. He is approachable and unafraid to state his opinion. These traits help him to succeed by opening doors to new opportunities.

One of the most applicable theories in this film is Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Popularized in the mid-20th century, it became the primary model of individual development. The premise is that human needs are built upon a pyramid-like structure. In order to reach the next level, the previous one has to be fulfilled to an extent. The base level is physiological needs, followed by safety, love, and esteem. The final level is self-actualization which is the epitome of the human condition. Not meeting needs leads to a state of disequilibrium, which can only lead to stability if the goal is achieved. Human behavior is inherently guided by needs and, at times, can provide the drive to achieve them (Jonas, 2016).

The purpose of self-actualization is to set goals and accept the potential challenges and obstacles in achieving them. Gardner’s story in the film is one of self-actualization. He is aware of his talents and drive for entrepreneurship, which leads him to invest in bone density scanners. However, the investment proves to be a failure, throwing the family into poverty. Therefore, as a struggling salesman, Gardner cannot fulfill his and his family’s underlying physiological and safety needs. The financial impact seemingly undermines the whole dream of self-actualization for him. However, using the last available resources and motivation, Gardner, against insurmountable odds, can get the internship and eventually receive the position, which resolves most of his other issues on various stages of Maslow’s pyramid. It demonstrates a unique case of a top-down approach to the theory but ultimately results in the same stability in life for the protagonist.

One of the critical components of human behavior is based on the motivation and reasons behind particular decisions and actions. The film portrays several of them. The Equity Theory developed by psychologist John Adams in 1963 is based on the concept of distributed justice. In the context of business and organization, equity is a fairness concept that is based on costs and rewards. The theory proposes that people seek relationships where net costs and benefits will be similar to those around them. If an individual is under-rewarded, they will experience distress and attempt to establish fairness. Theoretically, this means that an individual will experience motivation to adjust their approach and work harder until the goal is achieved. This theory is based on a balance of inputs (effort, number of hours worked) and outputs (salary, benefits). It is a subset of the psychological contract concept, which oversees the relationship between an employee and an employer.

In the film, Gardner perceives this inequity when he first encounters the stockbroker arriving in an expensive vehicle. He views the people working in the industry as truly happy because of their socio-economic status and asks himself why he cannot be the same. It motivates him to re-establish equity by attempting to learn the trade and seek a position in the organization. It was an idea that Gardner believed would make him happy and allow him to create a life for his family.

Motivation is based on emotional and mental perceptions, which require a motive to pursue specific goals. There are two types of motivation, intrinsic and extrinsic. Intrinsic motivation is based on the wants and needs that come from within. It is established through cognitive and affective processes. Internal motivation drives a person to explore, learn, and develop in areas of interest. Intrinsic motivation is often prolonged, consistent, and more powerful at enhancing performance.

Meanwhile, extrinsic motivation is based on external and materialistic rewards (wealth and power) or punishment. These are pressures from society and the environment of an individual. The end goal drives a person, and the motivation fades once the objective is achieved or becomes irrelevant.

In intrinsic motivation, the underlying concept is recognizing the significance of behavior and one’s actions. The significance is determined by individual goals. The Goal Setting Theory by Locke and Latham suggests that objectives become a regulator of human behavior. Actions are triggered by the stress conditions of the desire to achieve success. Therefore, motivation and behavior are intertwined, reflecting organizational culture, market forces, and interpersonal relationships (Locke & Lathan, 2002).

Self-efficacy and goal setting should be considered within the context of the film. Gardner’s objective to become a stockbroker is a stimulus. The intrinsic motivation to provide for his family, combined with the extrinsic motivation of a high-salary job, are the foundation of his motivation. However, these goals are difficult to achieve based on his life position and socio-economic status. Despite this, the challenge becomes a driving factor for Chris due to his personality type. Self-efficacy pushed him to overcome obstacles. Meanwhile, with determination, he can climb out of poverty.

Within an organizational culture, motivation is a critical indicator that can reflect performance and reaching objectives. It helps to provide direction and substance to the effort of the “pursuit of happiness.” In other words, Maslow’s hierarchy can be directly tied to motivation since there is a complex correlation between individual needs and organizational goals. Physiological needs are achieved through the payment of a salary allowing employees to support themselves. Safety needs are met by providing job security and appropriate working conditions. Social aspects are developed through interpersonal relationships and professionalism amongst peers and management. Self-esteem needs can be met through promotion and recognition with positive feedback. Meanwhile, self-actualization is present in providing employees with opportunities to progress and develop based on individual skills (Jonas, 2016).

All these aspects fit into the context of organizational structure and culture. The satisfaction of a specific level of needs creates motivation to reach the next level. Self-fulfillment occurs when all needs are met. Furthermore, in labor psychology, motivation becomes a central component of performance. Herzberg proposed the 2-Factor Theory of motivation-hygiene. Job motivators include opportunities, involvement, and recognition, which lead to growth and satisfaction.

Meanwhile, hygiene factors are aspects of maintenance such as safety, salary, and security. These are often under threat and, in one way or another, cause dissatisfaction. The motivators become activated only after hygiene factors are met (“Motivating employees,” n.d.). 

In organizations, social values are important aspects of motivation and performance. Recognition and appreciation come through co-workers, job responsibilities, and professional self-fulfillment. These aspects and monetary rewards continue to drive performance and development in the work environment. Regardless of the type of organization, intrinsic motivation has the most significant impact on output. Therefore, companies that maintain a positive business culture, which supports the development and maintenance of hygienic needs, tend to have employees with the best satisfaction and output rates (Burton, 2012). Within the context of the film, this approach explains why Gardner succeeded in stockbroker practice while failing as a salesman of the bone density scanner. The internship, although unpaid, provided Gardner with an opportunity for growth by pushing candidates with the promise of reward. The culture within the organization is based on the recognition of talent and appreciation of results. This is the reason why Gardner received the internship and, eventually, the job by exceeding expectations.

The theory of Kolb’s individual learning styles suggests that humans use a 4-step learning process. Most often, people have weaker stages of learning while emphasizing more preferential aspects. It is important to consider that humans are unique and different in their learning styles, each fitting best for an individual to acquire complex skills. The accommodating learning style type matches Gardner. It is a style of learning with active experimentation as the primary mode. It is a pragmatic method of education that relies on emotion and experience for decision-making. This style is extremely useful in management and sales. Its defining characteristics include leadership, risk-taking, adaptability, and initiation (McLeod, 2017). Gardner adopts this learning style as an aggressive attempt to enter the stockbroker business. He does not have the necessary analytical background to evaluate decisions. However, Gardner has years of sales experience and a sociable attitude that he uses to his advantage. Instead of taking a theoretical approach to the industry, the protagonist succeeds through pragmatism. It is exemplified by his approach to sales, where he uses an unorthodox script and method to gain clients.

It is reasonable to suggest that emotions directly impact attitudes and behaviors at work. They influence an individual’s perception of the job’s value and importance. The Affective Events Theory proposed by Weiss and Cropanzano outlined how major emotions of sadness, anger, fear, joy, surprise, and love affect the workplace. Many jobs, particularly connected to working with customers, require emotional labor, which causes workers to force emotions and pretend. It can be exhausting and result in stress and cognitive dissonance. Emotional intelligence helps to mitigate this by allowing one to grasp an awareness of the emotions of oneself and others. It helps with self-management, which allows for controlling emotions.

Furthermore, a social awareness that can aid in recognizing emotions leads to relationship management that establishes healthy and supportive relationships (“Emotions at work,” n.d.). In the context of the film, emotion had a significant impact on job performance. In fact, it served as the central point of the plot as the protagonist sought to pursue happiness that he was not experiencing at his job as a medical device salesman. Constant stress from sales calls led him to sadness. Gardner was dissatisfied and did not value his job. Eventually, it reflected on his careless attitude to losing the scanner several times. When Chris acquired the internship and began to feel satisfaction, motivation, and joy from the job, it impacted his performance and attitude, even as he continued to sell medical equipment.

The Pursuit of Happyness presents several lessons about behaviors in a business organization that are valuable and applicable to real life. These are personal aspects the author has drawn from watching the film in the context of this course. However, many of these can be related to Cialdini’s six influence strategies. These are factors that researchers consider to be influential in persuading others based on emotion and human behavior. They include reciprocity, scarcity, authority, consistency, liking, and consensus (“Principles of persuasion,” n.d.). The protagonist uses these principles to navigate the organizational culture and establish social ties to achieve success. Combined with motivational factors, unique personality, and skills, Gardner can have influence and use persuasion with the managerial board to attain the internship and receive the job. 

One of the central themes of the film is that self-belief is critical to achieving personal goals. Gardner was stumbling in every aspect of life and failing to fulfill his responsibilities as a father. He had lost practically everything from a materialistic perspective. It leads to the next point of finding opportunities that bring positive outcomes and rewards. The initial lack of ability to succeed as a salesman for medical equipment was related to the fact that the job lacked any monetary and professional potential. It was the primary driving force for Gardner to enter a stock brokering career. There were concrete rewards tied to the effort that he was giving it. The film emphasizes that risk is an inherent part of success. It serves as a catalyst for change which then fosters growth. Taking the risk to enter the industry and then performing sales calls outside the protocol eventually led to extraordinary outcomes. 

Another aspect of Gardner’s success at the firm is strongly based on his extrovert personality. His attitude of positivity and determination became the foundation for his decision-making. It also impacted the impression that he made on colleagues and managers. Despite lacking the high-profile social status and education like others, he showed work ethic and respect throughout his internship. Furthermore, he developed his social and networking skills. Gardner’s ability to interact with others and offer help even when he could not afford it, and his positive attitude all serve as forces that established him as a team player within the company that promoted a positive workplace culture.

The Pursuit of Happyness portrays how individual traits aid the protagonist to achieve success through self-efficacy, goal-setting, and learning styles, which then become invaluable as he incorporates them into the culture and workflow of the stockbroker organization. This story of the rise to wealth and professional success can be seen as the fulfillment of self-actualization and the American dream. Using determination and perseverance, Gardner overcame poverty and struggles to find a place within a positive workplace culture that supported his growth and development.

Burton, K. (2012). A study of motivation: How to get your employees moving . Web.

Emotions at work . (n.d.). Web.

Jonas, J. (2016). Making practical use of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs theory to motivate employees: A case of Masvingo Polytechnic. Journal of Management and Administration, 2 , 105-117. Web.

Locke, E. A., & Latham, G.P. (2002). Building a practically uses theory of goal setting and task motivation. American Psychologist, 57 (9), 705-717. Web.

McLeod, S. (2017). Kolb – Learning styles . Web.

Motivating employees. (n.d.). Web.

Principles of persuasion . (n.d.). Web.

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Movie Review | 'The Pursuit of Happyness'

Climbing Out of the Gutter With a 5-Year-Old in Tow

By Manohla Dargis

• Dec. 15, 2006

A fairy tale in realist drag, “The Pursuit of Happyness” is the kind of entertainment that goes down smoothly until it gets stuck in your craw. Inspired by a true story, as they like to say in Hollywood, the film traces the fleeting ups and frightening downs of Chris Gardner, whose efforts to keep his family from sinking into poverty evolve into a life-and-death struggle of social Darwinian proportions. It’s the early 1980s, and while Ronald Reagan is delivering the bad economic news on television, Chris is about to prove you don’t need an army to fight the war on poverty, just big smiles and smarts, and really sturdy shoes. (It also helps that the star playing him is as innately sympathetic as Will Smith.)

Given how often Chris breaks into a run on the streets of San Francisco, it’s a good thing his shoes are well built; his lungs, too. Written by Steven Conrad and directed by Gabriele Muccino, “The Pursuit of Happyness” recounts how Chris, plagued by some bad luck, a few stupid moves and a shrew for a wife, Linda (Thandie Newton), loses his apartment and, with his 5-year-old, Christopher (Jaden Christopher Syre Smith, Mr. Smith’s own beautiful son), joins the ranks of the homeless, if not the hopeless. Evicted from the mainstream and bounced from shelter to shelter, Chris holds firm to his dignity, resolve, faith, love and independence. His optimism sweeps through the film like a searchlight, scattering clouds and dark thoughts to the wind.

It’s the same old bootstraps story, an American dream artfully told, skillfully sold. To that calculated end, the filmmaking is seamless, unadorned, transparent, the better to serve Mr. Smith’s warm expressiveness. That warmth feels truthful, as does the walk-up apartment Chris’s family lives in at the start of the film, which looks like the real paycheck-to-paycheck deal. As does the day care center, which is so crummy it can’t even get happiness right (hence the title).

This is no small thing, considering the film industry’s usual skewed sense of economic class, a perspective encapsulated by the insider who described the middle-class family in “Little Miss Sunshine” to me as working class, perhaps because the mother drives a gently distressed Miata rather than next year’s Mercedes.

Money matters in “The Pursuit of Happyness,” as it does in life. But it matters more openly in this film than it does in most Hollywood stories that set their sights on the poor, largely because Chris’s pursuit of happiness eventually becomes interchangeable with his pursuit of money. He doesn’t want just a better, more secure life for himself and his child; either by scripted design or by the example of the real Chris Gardner, he seems to yearn for a life of luxury, stadium box seats and the kind of sports car he stops to admire in one scene. His desires aren’t just upwardly mobile; they’re materialistically unbound. Instead of a nice starter home, he (and the filmmakers) ogles mansions. It’s no wonder he hopes to become a stockbroker.

That may sound like a punch line, at least to some ears, but it’s the holy grail in “The Pursuit of Happyness.” A self-starter, Chris has sunk all of the family’s money into costly medical scanners that he tries to sell to doctors and hospitals. But the machines are overpriced, and the sure thing he banked on has landed them in debt. Forced to work two shifts at a dead-end job, Linda angrily smolders and then rages at Chris, which seems reasonable since he has gambled all of their savings on an exceptionally foolish enterprise. (And, unlike her, he hasn’t signed up for overtime.) But this is a film about father love, not mother love, and Linda soon leaves the picture in a cloud of cigarette smoke and a storm of tears.

Chris and the filmmakers seem happy to see her go, but life only gets tougher once she and her paychecks disappear. Much of the film involves Chris’s subsequent efforts to keep himself and his child housed and fed while he is enrolled in an unpaid internship program at a powerful stock brokerage firm. Bright and ferociously determined, Chris easily slides into this fantastical world of shouting men, ringing phones, gleaming surfaces and benevolent bosses. He goes along to get along, and when one of his bosses asks for money to pay for a cab, he quickly opens his wallet. Chris himself stiffs another working man for some money because that wallet is so light. But this is a film about him, not the other guy.

How you respond to this man’s moving story may depend on whether you find Mr. Smith’s and his son’s performances so overwhelmingly winning that you buy the idea that poverty is a function of bad luck and bad choices, and success the result of heroic toil and dreams. Both performances are certainly likable in the extreme, though Mr. Smith shined brighter and was given much more to do when he played the title character in Michael Mann’s underrated “Ali.” That film proves an interesting comparison with this one, not in filmmaking terms, but in its vision of what it means to be a black man struggling in America. In one, a black man fights his way to the top with his fists; in the other, he gets there with a smile.

“The Pursuit of Happyness” is rated PG-13 (Parents strongly cautioned). It includes mild adult language and some parental fighting.

THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS

Opens today nationwide.

Directed by Gabriele Muccino; written by Steven Conrad; director of photography, Phedon Papamichael; edited by Hughes Winborne; music by Andrea Guerra; production designer, J. Michael Riva; produced by Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal, Steve Tisch James Lassiter and Will Smith; released by Columbia Pictures. Running time: 117 minutes.

WITH: Will Smith (Chris Gardner), Thandie Newton (Linda) and Jaden Christopher Syre Smith (Christopher).

Lessons from “The Pursuit of Happyness” Movie

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There are many reasons people may like the movie The Pursuit of Happyness, and the fact that it is based on a true story should never be neglected. In addition to a perfect cast and crew, including Will Smith, Jaden Smith, and Thandie Newton, its director, Gabriele Muccino, succeeded in discussing urgent topics and using adequate music background. The struggle of Chris Gardner to survive in this world financially and emotionally is a core theme in The Pursuit of Happyness that proves the correctness of choice to sit and watch the movie.

In the modern world, people may be challenged by a variety of factors like their relationships, jobs, community responsibilities, or health. The Pursuit of Happyness is not fiction where the characters face the problems that a screenwriter makes up. It is a true story a natural entrepreneur, Chris Gardner, survived. Its strength is not only to show how a man strives for his rights but an example of how father-child relationships must be developed.

Chris gives a profound lesson that when “you got a dream, you gotta protect it. People can’t do something themselves, they wanna tell you you can’t do. If you want something, go get it” (The Pursuit of Happyness). Finally, the scene when Chris borrowed $5 from his potential employer having nothing more in his pocket, is a vital story element. Sometimes, it is worthwhile to give everything in order to obtain something more.

In their struggle for happiness and richness, many people forget what it means to be a human. The Pursuit of Happyness is not only a lesson on how to achieve success in life but an example of how to protect a family, be devoted to personal beliefs and never give up. Christopher Gardner revealed a captivating story, Gabriele Muccino made it watchable and educative, and Will and Jaden Smith performed, probably, the best roles in their lives.

The Pursuit of Happiness. Directed by Gabriele Muccino, performances Will Smith and Jaden Smith. Columbia Pictures, 2006.

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The Pursuit Of Happiness Summary Essay

A Pursuit of Happiness is a 2006 American biographical drama film directed by Gabriele Muccino and starring Will Smith as Chris Gardner, a homeless salesman.

The film is based on the true story of Gardner’s life, which was chronicled in the best-selling 2003 memoir of the same name written by Gardner with Quincy Troupe.

The screenplay by Steven Conrad is based on the book’s epilogue, “Ten Years Later”, in which Gardner looks back at his experience.

The Pursuit of Happyness was released on December 15, 2006 and grossed $307 million worldwide. It received generally positive reviews from critics and was nominated for several awards, including four Golden Globe Awards (winning two), four Academy Awards (winning one), and a Screen Actors Guild Award (Smith’s only win out of his four nominations).

The film begins in 1981 with Gardner working as a salesman for bone-density scanners. Despite his intelligence and diligent work, he is homeless and lives in shelters with his young son Christopher Jr. (“CJ”) (Jaden Smith). A few months later, Gardner finds himself the sole caregiver to CJ after his girlfriend Linda (Thandie Newton) abandons them.

Gardner comes up with a plan to sell medical devices door-to-door; however, he is quickly rejected by several potential employers, including Dean Witter Reynolds and Bear Stearns. A chance encounter with Jay Twistle (Brian Howe), the senior vice president of Drexel Burnham Lambert, buys Gardner some time by landing him an interview with the company. Despite his lack of experience, Gardner impresses Twistle with his gregarious personality and salesmanship, and is given a job as a stockbroker trainee in one of the firm’s San Francisco branches.

Gardner’s life takes another turn when he and CJ are evicted from their apartment for failing to pay the rent. They move into a homeless shelter where Gardner is now allowed only one hour of sleep per night and CJ is constantly harassed by other children in the shelter.

A turning point comes when Gardner finds himself at rock bottom, sleeping on a bench in a subway station bathroom and contemplating suicide. He is awakened by a police officer, who tells him to move along but not before noticing Gardner’s bone density scanner. Inspiration strikes, and Gardner realizes that he can sell his scanners to doctors’ offices.

With this newfound hope, Gardner manages to get back on his feet and eventually turns his life around. He eventually becomes one of the most successful stockbrokers at Drexel Burnham Lambert, making millions of dollars. In the end, Gardner is shown giving a speech to a group of students at the University of Pennsylvania about his story and how he managed to achieve his American dream despite all odds.

A Pursuit of Happiness is an inspiring film that will leave you feeling motivated and hopeful. Smith gives an outstanding performance, and the film is definitely worth watching.

The true story of Chris Gardner is the inspiration for Pursuit of Happiness. In this movie, Will Smith played Christopher Gardner. For me, this tale is very emotional and has a lot of lessons to teach us. The Bone Density Scanner is a device that Chris Gardner invested his family money in. He believes the gadget will be some sophisticated equipment that every medical practice would use and profit from selling it

However, it turns out that the device is not as great as he thought and he could not even sell one. Gardner’s wife had left him and took their son with her because she could not handle the stress anymore. Gardner was struggling to make enough money to support himself and his son. He had to do anything to make money even if it means being a homeless man on the street. Gardner did not give up on his dream and he eventually made it big time. This just goes to show that no matter how hard life gets, you should never give up on your dreams.

I would definitely recommend this movie to anyone who wants an emotional roller coaster ride. It is a very inspiring story and Will Smith did an amazing job portraying Christopher Gardner.

Despite the fact that they were almost identical to current technology but at a higher price, those gadgets did not appear to attract as much attention as he had anticipated. His wife leaves him, his home is repossessed, and his bank account and assets are frozen because of this. They’ve been forced to live on the streets together with their kid in order to make ends meet. Gardner is desperate for work since he cannot pay the bills.

She eventually finds a job as a janitor at one of the buildings her husband was selling his devices to. One night, after she had put their son to bed, she came across an article about a stockbroker who had made millions. This inspired her to pursue a career in stock brokerage. Gardner is able to get an interview with the same man who wrote the article, and he eventually gets hired. With determination and focus, he quickly learns the ropes of the business and starts making money. A Pursuit of Happiness is ultimately a story of hope, dreams, and overcoming adversity. It is sure to inspire anyone who watches it.

The plot of the film is about a father, whose son has been imprisoned for drug charges. Despite the fact that Sam is incarcerated and his relationship with his father hits rock bottom, he still tries to communicate with him by writing letters on toilet paper in hopes of obtaining an audience.

But when Avi Gardener’s character goes to write one such letter on the bathroom wall, it disappears without trace! This part of the story was really sad yet Avi Gardener’s character did not give up and genuinely tried to connect with his kid. Before he can get paid, Avit Gardener’s character must go through six months of training with 20 other candidates.

But he has only one month to do it. A Pursuit of Happiness is based on a true story about a man who believe in the American dream and his son. The movie A Pursuit of Happiness directed by Gabriele Muccino, Will Smith played Gardner and his son Christopher was Jaden Smith. In A pursuit of happiness, Gardner had lost his job as a salesman because the company downsized and he could not find another job to support his family.

A Pursuit of Happiness also shows us that anyone has an opportunity to improve their lives if they work hard enough for it regardless where they came from or what cards they were dealt with in life. This movie definitely pulls at your heartstrings but it is worth watching. I highly recommend it. A Pursuit of Happiness is an inspirational movie that will make you appreciate what you have in life.

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A Collection Of Essays

The Pursuit of Happyness: Theme Analysis

The Pursuit of Happyness was a commercially successful film whose main appeal is its ‘feel-good’ ending.  It treads the much worn path of the rags-to-riches narrative, albeit with some variations in plot, characterization and context.  This essay would argue that despite the commercial success of the film, it fails as a social instrument.  In other words, if the purpose of cinema is not merely to entertain but also to educate, the Pursuit of Happyness fails on the latter count. The essay will also analyze the major themes in the film.

The main criticism is toward its core message that among the thousands of honest aspirants for the American Dream only a few lucky ones make through.  The final shot of the film is not merely the triumph of its protagonist, but equally the defeat of multitudes of his brethren. The defeated cannot said to have all been less industrious than our hero.  Luck plays a major role in deciding who succeeds. One also needs to question the kind of culture in which the odds are so stacked that only one in a thousand makes it big in life. If the purpose of the film is to celebrate the glamour of the American Dream, then it fails substantially in meeting this objective.

A disappointing feature of the film is its predictable plotline.  The much treaded rags- to-riches theme is tried yet again in the Pursuit of Happyness.  Almost from the moment the homeless hero is introduced one has a sense of predictability of what awaits him.  The already encumbered hero will be subject to further distress, before he emerges triumphant as a result of industry or ingenuity.  In Chris Gardner we have all apt qualities of the disadvantaged hero – black, impoverished, married and professionally uncertain.  His wife’s estrangement from him due to his financial failures adds to the melodrama. It can be claimed that director Gabrielle Muccino had gone a little overboard in creating sympathy for his lead characters.  It would have served the film well had the focus been more on crisp screenplay and editing.

The focus on the theme of consummation of the American Dream actually distorts the bitter reality of American society.  The story is based on the real life of Chris Gardner, who struggled through poverty and went on to become a successful businessman – he founded and managed his own brokerage firm in the 1990s.  But the verity of Chris Gardner’s story does not exclude the stark reality of homelessness in America.  While Gardner was fortunate enough to escape poverty, millions of Americans are yet homeless.

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Movie Analysis: the Pursuit of Happyness

Based on the real life story of Chris Gardner, the Pursuit of Happyness looks at the crests and troughs in Chris’ life on his way to becoming a stock broker, and eventually as everyone knows, a multi-millionaire. Will Smith played the role of Chris Gardner while Smith’s son, Jaden Smith played Gardner’s 7 or 8-year-old son. At one level, even though the movie is titled The Pursuit of Happyness (deliberately spelt wrong), it is pretty depressing.

Yes, the movie is supposed to focus on the struggles of the main protagonist as he chases what seems like a chimerical dream. However, every time you think that things are going to get better, they only get even worse for Chris. As Chris and his son move from one slump to another, you begin to wonder is there truly light at the end of the tunnel for this man? The movie starts off with Chris desperately trying to sell, with not too much luck, a bone density monitoring system. Every hospital he approaches does not seem to find a need for such a system.

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But at different stages in the movie, I did find it strange that, when things start going really wrong, and when you know he needs to dig deep to find a way out, Chris does manage to sell that very system to different doctors, even as he is trying to do his best at an unpaid internship at Dean Whitter brokerage firm, and also struggling to find a place to stay at night for himself and his son. So, initially, couldn’t he sell it because he didn’t try hard enough or because he knew that even if he didn’t sell it there was a way out with his wife doing two shifts at work?

It seems even weirder because the movie seems to focus on the strength of trying despite failures, on Chris’ unwavering perseverance and determination. Two scenes in the movie actually reflect this very well: first, when Chris gets a chance to impress his future employer, in 10 to 20 minutes on a cab ride. As the cab races to the destination, Chris struggles with the Rubik’s cube, turning it round and round desperately. The urgency in his moves is well-captured, for he knows he had to get it right, for this journey on the cab could well be a ticket to the journey of his life itself.

To me that scene in the cab summed up the movie – try, try and try again. You have to determine all the moves for yourself and you have to get it right. That is how one pursues happiness, and Chris’ life is a testimony to that. All this is voiced in one way or other when Chris talks to his son in the movie. In one scene when Chris is playing basketball with his son, he says he never made it as a basketball player and his son wouldn’t make it either. And just immediately after, he tells the kid, “Don’t ever let someone tell you, you can’t do something. Not even me. Or at another time he says, “You got a dream, you gotta protect it. People can’t do something themselves, they wanna tell you that you can’t do it. You want something? Go get it. Gardner”. And that’s what Chris does – he gets out there, works himself out and makes it – really makes it, giving hope to a lot of others like him. Not only does this scene voice that people should focus of the strength of trying despite their failures but it also depicts the love that parents have for their children can directly impact the children. This scene especially shows that was parents say and do can have a direct effect on the children.

By Chris telling his son to never let anyone tell him he can not do something and that if he has a dream to go get it. These are strong words that reflect what most parents wish to teach their children. To never give up and even in the worst conditions like in Chris’ situation, that you can still succeed in life. You just have to put your mind to it and have support from people who love you, like your parents. The title of this movie plays a huge role in what the movie is about. According to www. dictionary. com, success is the “attainment of wealth, position, or honours. Therefore, success can be measured by the amount of money an individual has, the position he or she has at work, and by the number of awards that have been won. Right? Years ago, in an interview with a man named Dilshad D. Ali, Chris Gardner was asked the familiar question: “Why is “happyness” spelled with a “y” in the title of your book? ” After a long pause, he eloquently stated that he wanted people to start thinking about their own definitions of happiness, what makes them happy, and “y” (why). If an individual lacks the knowledge of what truly makes him happy and why, it is impossible for him to chase his happiness.

Understand first, and then pursue. The “y” in “happyness” holds many different explanations as to what it symbolizes and reflects; however, the central message that each of these interpretations convey is that the pursuit of happiness is only possible when one is willing to battle through hardship and suffering. The road to seeking happiness is straightforward and clear, but it is never easy; the journey is filled with tests, trials, and hindrances of all sorts, and it is our jobs to triumph over these obstructions. Only then is the impossible possible.

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Homelessness in the movie “pursuit of happyness” short summary.

            Homelessness is a sociological problem that is strongly and creatively presented throughout the movie “Pursuit of Happyness,” which narrates the inspirational story of Chris Gardner as played by Will Smith. It is a movie that revolved around the life of Chris Gardner and his son Christopher, who is played by Jaden Christopher Syre Smith,

HR Movie Assignment: “The Pursuit of Happyness”

Some key Human Resource Management concepts are highlighted in the movie ‘The Pursuit of Happyness’. Chris Gardener, a man living in crisis-hit San Francisco of the 1980’s is the main character, and his journey to becoming a stockbroker at Dean Witter displays such concepts, as discussed below. One important concept is that of productivity. The twenty

Pursuit of Happyness Movie Review

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Movie Review: Pursuit of Happyness Being homeless, separated, and forced to raise a five year old isn’t exactly the ideal state for most people, but this is where Chris Gardner (Will Smith) finds himself. The year is 1981, and Chris has completely gambled away all of his money into buying bone marrow scanners to sell.

Pursuit Of Happyness by Gabriele Muccino Analysis

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In the movie Pursuit Of Happyness, directed by Gabriele Muccino, the bathroom setting plays a crucial role in revealing the depth of a character. Specifically, this setting showcases Chris Gardner (played by Will Smith) and Christopher (played by Jaden Smith) as they are compelled to sleep in a public toilet at a San Francisco subway

The Pursuit of Happyness Character Analysis

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The Pursuit of Happyness is a story based on Chris Gardner’s (played by Will Smith) life struggles and his obstacles before reaching his dream, or in this case, a dream job that would certainly lift off the financial burden for him and his son (played by Smith’s son Jayden) and allow them to live normally

COncept of positive psychology in movie pursuit of happiness Analysis

            Historically, Americans have flocked to theaters to find happiness, hope and heroes in film. Film producers were enormously successful at drawing in audiences and inspiring audience. In recent years, however, most movies have been more depressing than inspiring. Their quality has been mediocre at best. Nevertheless, a few movies of this decade have broken

Pursuit of Happiness Analysis

Abstract Pursuit of Happyness is a movie where a man, Chris Gardner is a salesman that goes from one medical facility to another trying to sell portable medical x-ray machines. When his sales do not go as planned, Chris and his family end up losing their home, his wife leaves, and he is left to provide

“Pursuit Of Happiness” Film Analysis

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The American dream is something that everyone in America wants to achieve. Being able to achieve your goals and working hard will help you get what you want. The American dream is having a family, a stable job, being rich and happy, and once you are able to put all of these pieces together you

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Within Star Wars: A New Hope and Return of the Jed, archetypes exist that exemplify the theme that good can triumph over evil through perseverance. Primarily, symbolic archetypes flourish within George Lucas' masterpiece. As an example, the contrast of colors in Luke Jaywalker's clothing represents a loss of innocence in the main character. As a

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The pursuit of happyness.

• Common Sense Says
• Parents Say 16 Reviews
• Kids Say 50 Reviews

Common Sense Media Review

By Cynthia Fuchs , based on child development research. How do we rate?

Inspirational but often emotionally wrenching story.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Will Smith will draw kids to this movie. But it's not an action flick or slapstick comedy -- it's an inspirational and often emotionally wrenching story. It includes some very sad scenes between family members, as well as a couple of emotionally scary ones. The mother becomes so frustrated…

Why Age 12+?

"F--k" written as graffiti on wall, noted and spoken by father and son; several

Mom smokes cigarettes several times.

Parents' loud argument worries their son; Chris is hit by a car, leaving his fac

Most products are used to mark the year (1981): A Rubik's cube figures prominent

Mother appears briefly in her bra and panties while changing into her work unifo

Any Positive Content?

Strong messages about the importance of persistence, hard work, believing in you

Noble father dotes on son and is dedicated to taking care of him through thick a

"F--k" written as graffiti on wall, noted and spoken by father and son; several uses of "damn," "hell," "s--t," "ass," and "a--hole." "You suck" written on wall.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Violence & Scariness

Parents' loud argument worries their son; Chris is hit by a car, leaving his face bruised and clothes bedraggled; father yells at son for crying, frightening him into obedience; Chris starts to fight a man in line at a shelter, frightening his son, who cries.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Most products are used to mark the year (1981): A Rubik's cube figures prominently in the plot; Members Only jacket; Raging Bull movie poster; Magic Johnson poster, Captain America action figure. Chris goes to work for the Dean Witter brokerage.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Mother appears briefly in her bra and panties while changing into her work uniform.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Positive Messages

Strong messages about the importance of persistence, hard work, believing in yourself, and being there for each other. The heart of the movie is the strong father-son bond between the two main characters.

Positive Role Models

Noble father dotes on son and is dedicated to taking care of him through thick and thin. He takes his son along on job-related excursions and lies in front of him (the kid looks appropriately skeptical when he hears it). Chris also briefly discourages and yells at his son, after which he is immediately apologetic. Perpetually irritated mom abandons her son early in the movie.

Parents need to know that Will Smith will draw kids to this movie. But it's not an action flick or slapstick comedy -- it's an inspirational and often emotionally wrenching story. It includes some very sad scenes between family members, as well as a couple of emotionally scary ones. The mother becomes so frustrated with her husband's inability to make a living that she leaves him and their son. Later, the father yells at his son for a trivial reason and gets in a fight, scaring the boy and making him cry. If your child is in a clingy period with you, this might upset him or her. There's a very brief allusion to the mixed effects of classism and racism on the son. The father's frustration sometimes leads to tears and sometimes to angry language (mostly damn and "s--t"). A graffitied "f--k" leads to a brief discussion of the word, and the son says it out loud. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

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Parent and Kid Reviews

• Parents say (16)
• Kids say (50)

Based on 16 parent reviews

that kid'll getcha

Real life issues - refreshing break from anthromorphism and fantasy, what's the story.

Based on a true story and set in 1981 San Francisco, Pursuit begins as Chris Gardner ( Will Smith ) and his wife, Linda ( Thandiwe Newton ), are having troubles. She works double shifts doing hotel laundry; he's trying to sell bone density scanners (i.e., specialty medical machines that, as Chris admits in voiceover, are too expensive for most doctors to buy). When Linda abandons the family, Chris remains determined. He spends six months working in an unpaid internship at Dean Witter, dead set on becoming a stock broker. He's smart enough and good with numbers, he figures, having proved that much by solving a Rubik's cube in front of a Dean Witter broker. As he studies and scrapes by, barely earning enough each week to pay for meals, Chris is sure he's going to make it.

Is It Any Good?

Jaden Smith is adorable; he delivers an endearing performance as Gardner's son, Christopher, in what turns out to be a simple, sentimental, but ultimately inspiring movie. The film deals with the American Dream from a particular perspective, focusing, as the title implies, on the constitutional right to "pursue" happiness, rather than the right to be happy. In this manner, the movie is able to avoid focusing much on institutional racism and how that factors into achieving the Dream. Instead, the relationship between father and son, through all the ups and downs of family strife and economic instability, take center stage, with lovely results.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about the appeal of stories like Chris'. Why do people like rags-to-riches tales? Why are they considered good material for movies? How close do you think the movie version is to the true story?

Families can also talk about the risks that Chris takes to provide a "better life" for his son. How does the movie show that little Christopher is both scared of having no place to sleep, but also utterly trusting of his dad? Is it OK that Chris tells a white lie in front of his son to get a job?

How does the film portray the decision by Christopher's mother to leave him? From whose point of view do you see this choice?

Movie Details

• In theaters : December 14, 2006
• On DVD or streaming : March 27, 2007
• Cast : Jaden Smith , Thandiwe Newton , Will Smith
• Director : Gabriele Muccino
• Inclusion Information : Female actors, Black actors
• Studio : Columbia Tristar
• Genre : Drama
• Run time : 117 minutes
• MPAA rating : PG-13
• MPAA explanation : some language.
• Awards : Common Sense Media Award , NAACP Image Award - NAACP Image Award Winner
• Last updated : August 8, 2024

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Suggest an Update

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Home — Essay Samples — Entertainment — Film Analysis — “The Pursuit Of Happiness” Film Reflection

Reflection Paper About Movie: "In Pursuit of Happiness"

• Categories: Film Analysis

About this sample

Words: 1599 |

Published: May 7, 2019

Words: 1599 | Pages: 3 | 8 min read

Table of contents

In pursuit of happiness: movie reflection paper, theme of poverty in the film, film analysis, works cited.

• Ansen, D. (2006). "In Pursuit of Happyness": A Father's Love. Newsweek, 148(24), 65.
• Berardinelli, J. (2006). In Pursuit of Happyness: A Story of Inspiration. Reelviews Movie Reviews.
• Chang, J. (2006). Review: In Pursuit of Happyness. Variety. Retrieved from https://variety.com/2006/film/awards/in-pursuit-of-happyness-1200516569/
• Gardner, C., & Rusten, S. (2006). The Pursuit of Happyness. HarperCollins.
• Hornaday, A. (2006). 'Happyness': Faithful Real-Life Story. The Washington Post. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/13/AR2006121302093.html
• Muccino, G. (Director). (2006). The Pursuit of Happyness [Motion Picture]. Columbia Pictures.
• Neeley, M. (2007). In Pursuit of Happyness: Resilience, Social Capital, and Entrepreneurship. Journal of Enterprising Culture, 15(2), 149-165.
• Reynolds, S. (2006). Pursuit of Happyness is heartening, if not realistic. Chicago Tribune.
• Scott, A. O. (2006). Review: Struggling With Love and Money in the Tenderloin. The New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/15/movies/15happ.html
• Thompson, A. (2006). In Pursuit of Happyness: A Triumph Over Adversity. BBC.

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The Pursuit of Happyness

43 pages • 1 hour read

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How does Gardner use the five senses to bring his joys, sorrows and inspirations to life in his book?

Explore how the ambitions and desires of the female characters in Gardner’s life are thwarted. In what ways does the text imply that it is more difficult for women to break the poverty cycle?

How do the conflicting desires for control and exploration play out in Gardner’s life story?

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