The story of Chris Gardner, a man with vision, a role model to his son and a

classical example of how a homeless man with a child can exert himself from being
poor to become one of the most outstanding man who successes, and go above and
beyond what people think of him. In describing Chris Gardner personality traits, I
would say it consist of the fact that he very aggressive ambitious and loyal to his
son. Referring to Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, his physiological thirst
was become a stock broker to improve his living condition. In providing his child
with a safety place to bathe, sleep and eat. Chris knows that he poor therefore, he
accepted himself for whom he is. His self-actualization is that do better for himself
and his son is drive to achieve the goal that he established for himself. From
reviewing the interview and movie he seems to be a person that doesn’t give up.

He works extremely hard to get to where he needs to be. An example being raped
by other men or being abused by his step father doesn’t stop or causes him to give
up. Chris Gardner is determined to succeed as he quoted “you can beat me down,
but I could read and I’m going place”. With the responsibility of supporting himself
and his son he made a pact to himself that he would not abandon his son like his
father has done. Thru thick and thin, both will work together to get through the
obstacle that arises.
Using the big five personality mode, I think that Chris is a very extraversion
individual in that in order for him to work as a sale men or become a stock broker
he need to show that his a very gregarious and sociable person. He need to have
the willingness o be open minded. One of the trait of become a sale person is that
to make sales, he need to be outgoing, talkative and confidence of his ability to
make the sales. Chris is a very conscientiousness person because he shows that...

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. 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...

The Pursuit of Happyness, Member Bookworm91

The Pursuit of Happyness is about Christopher Gardner, a man who went through many trials
and tribulations to be successful. He was born to a mother who spent time in jail and experienced
abuse. He did not know who his father was; his mother’s abusive boyfriend threw that in his face
every chance he got. Chris joined the Navy as an adult and began medical training. He got
married and had a son. His wife left him due to financial issues. The experience of having no
father allowed Chris to be a good father to his son at all circumstances. After seeing a red Ferrari,
he wanted to be a stockbroker. He worked towards that, homeless and all. That shows
determination and motivation; to work towards a goal when it seems almost impossible. After
being hired by Bearstone’s stock company, Chris gradually succeeded as a stockbroker. He later
went on to open his own brokerage firm. I think the message to readers is to not give up when
things get difficult and that success is worth working hard for. I think the book is a good book for
teenagers who want to know where they want to go in life. People who hadn’t really been
through anything should read this book and realize how fortunate they are. I think this book
teaches readers that they are one choice away from being in Chris’s former predicament. I like
this book because it shows the steps Chris took to become successful. The book didn’t just go
straight to the success story. I recommend this book to high schools, colleges, and correctional
institutions and jails should offer this book as an option because it gives off a good message.
Review by Matthew Rodgers

Will Smith is a bonafide box office phenomenon, Fact. So much so that for a period of time the
coveted 4th of July weekend was given the moniker “Big Willie Weekend” in the US. The
former Fresh Prince hasn't just been elevated to the top of the earnings list by busting
intergalactic bugs, being a bad boy, and “getting jiggy wit it”. Will Smith can act, fact.
Performances in Six Degrees of Separation, the much maligned The Legend of Bagger Vance,
and an Oscar-nominated turn in Michael Mann's Ali have proven this. You can now add The
Pursuit of Happyness to the list.

Telling the “true” story of Chris Gardner (Smith) and his excruciating battle to be a committed
father despite the insurmountable obstacles that life is throwing his way; His wife Linda, a
suitably bitchy Thandie Newton (Crash) has abandoned him as she is constantly disappointed by
his failure to live up to the dreams they once shared, coupled with this he has been evicted from
his apartment and forced to sleep in shelters, bus stations, and all with his young son Christopher
(Jaden Christopher Syre Smith) in tow. How does a father find the strength to chase the
American dream and keep his fractured family afloat?

It sounds like “movie of the week” scripting and in the wrong hands it could have fallen straight
into a large vat of sickly sweet Hollywood self indulgence, but with the Spanish director of The
Last Kiss (which was recently given the remake treatment starring Zach Braff), Muccino on hand
it avoids veering into that territory too often. Muccino's direction is extremely subtle. The film is
given an 80s context to exaggerate the aforementioned American dream which would have been
lost had the film been set in a disillusioned modern society and this is done subtly using the odd
film poster scattered on bus stops or an 80s song on the radio.

Muccino's main strength though is to keep the camera still and let it focus on the combined
talents of his major players. Newton is immensely dislikeable and extremely convincing in her
brief role, all restrained anger and pent up hostility towards a man that despite his shortcomings
is doing everything he possibly can for the family he loves. That man is Will Smith in perhaps
his most restrained role to date as the deteriorating father. There isn't the physical presence of his
impeccable Ali role here, or the cocksure nature of all his quip firing roles in the summer
blockbusters. He is even given an unnecessary grey tint in his hair so that we take him more
serious.

However, the filmmakers needn’t have done that because it is a performance that elevates the
film above its humble ambitions. It is almost impossible not to feel the bottom lip tremble as
Chris has to take shelter in a public toilet with his five-year old son because he has nowhere else
to go, foot against the door to prevent anybody coming in, it is one of the most uncomfortably
effective scenes in a long time – no words, just a powerhouse performance from a fantastic actor.

The relationship between father and son must also be believable because that is who Chris is
doing this for, and it is, so it's no surprise to find that Smith's real life son is playing his onscreen
counterpart. He is never as annoying as your standard Hollywood rent-a-sprog and the chemistry
shared by the two is extremely effective.

The Pursuit of Happyness (spelt that way for the purpose of the story) isn’t going to win awards
for scriptwriting or originality but it is a superbly predictable, emotional wallop of a movie that
is worth seeing for Will Smith's performance alone.

The story of Chris Gardner, a man with vision, a role model to his son and a
classical example of how a homeless man with a child can exert himself from being
poor to become one of the most outstanding man who successes, and go above and
beyond what people think of him. In describing Chris Gardner personality traits, I
would say it consist of the fact that he very aggressive ambitious and loyal to his
son. Referring to Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, his physiological thirst
was become a stock broker to improve his living condition. In providing his child
with a safety place to bathe, sleep and eat. Chris knows that he poor therefore, he
accepted himself for whom he is. His self-actualization is that do better for himself
and his son is drive to achieve the goal that he established for himself. From
reviewing the interview and movie he seems to be a person that doesn’t give up.

He works extremely hard to get to where he needs to be. An example being raped
by other men or being abused by his step father doesn’t stop or causes him to give
up. Chris Gardner is determined to succeed as he quoted “you can beat me down,
but I could read and I’m going place”. With the responsibility of supporting himself
and his son he made a pact to himself that he would not abandon his son like his
father has done. Thru thick and thin, both will work together to get through the
obstacle that arises.
Using the big five personality mode, I think that Chris is a very extraversion
individual in that in order for him to work as a sale men or become a stock broker
he need to show that his a very gregarious and sociable person. He need to have
the willingness o be open minded. One of the trait of become a sale person is that
to make sales, he need to be outgoing, talkative and confidence of his ability to
make the sales. Chris is a very conscientiousness person because he shows that...
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. 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...

The Pursuit of Happyness, Member Bookworm91

The Pursuit of Happyness is about Christopher Gardner, a man who went through many trials
and tribulations to be successful. He was born to a mother who spent time in jail and experienced
abuse. He did not know who his father was; his mother’s abusive boyfriend threw that in his face
every chance he got. Chris joined the Navy as an adult and began medical training. He got
married and had a son. His wife left him due to financial issues. The experience of having no
father allowed Chris to be a good father to his son at all circumstances. After seeing a red Ferrari,
he wanted to be a stockbroker. He worked towards that, homeless and all. That shows
determination and motivation; to work towards a goal when it seems almost impossible. After
being hired by Bearstone’s stock company, Chris gradually succeeded as a stockbroker. He later
went on to open his own brokerage firm. I think the message to readers is to not give up when
things get difficult and that success is worth working hard for. I think the book is a good book for
teenagers who want to know where they want to go in life. People who hadn’t really been
through anything should read this book and realize how fortunate they are. I think this book
teaches readers that they are one choice away from being in Chris’s former predicament. I like
this book because it shows the steps Chris took to become successful. The book didn’t just go
straight to the success story. I recommend this book to high schools, colleges, and correctional
institutions and jails should offer this book as an option because it gives off a good message.

Review by Matthew Rodgers

Will Smith is a bonafide box office phenomenon, Fact. So much so that for a period of time the
coveted 4th of July weekend was given the moniker “Big Willie Weekend” in the US. The
former Fresh Prince hasn't just been elevated to the top of the earnings list by busting
intergalactic bugs, being a bad boy, and “getting jiggy wit it”. Will Smith can act, fact.
Performances in Six Degrees of Separation, the much maligned The Legend of Bagger Vance,
and an Oscar-nominated turn in Michael Mann's Ali have proven this. You can now add The
Pursuit of Happyness to the list.

Telling the “true” story of Chris Gardner (Smith) and his excruciating battle to be a committed
father despite the insurmountable obstacles that life is throwing his way; His wife Linda, a
suitably bitchy Thandie Newton (Crash) has abandoned him as she is constantly disappointed by
his failure to live up to the dreams they once shared, coupled with this he has been evicted from
his apartment and forced to sleep in shelters, bus stations, and all with his young son Christopher
(Jaden Christopher Syre Smith) in tow. How does a father find the strength to chase the
American dream and keep his fractured family afloat?

It sounds like “movie of the week” scripting and in the wrong hands it could have fallen straight
into a large vat of sickly sweet Hollywood self indulgence, but with the Spanish director of The
Last Kiss (which was recently given the remake treatment starring Zach Braff), Muccino on hand
it avoids veering into that territory too often. Muccino's direction is extremely subtle. The film is
given an 80s context to exaggerate the aforementioned American dream which would have been
lost had the film been set in a disillusioned modern society and this is done subtly using the odd
film poster scattered on bus stops or an 80s song on the radio.

Muccino's main strength though is to keep the camera still and let it focus on the combined
talents of his major players. Newton is immensely dislikeable and extremely convincing in her
brief role, all restrained anger and pent up hostility towards a man that despite his shortcomings
is doing everything he possibly can for the family he loves. That man is Will Smith in perhaps
his most restrained role to date as the deteriorating father. There isn't the physical presence of his
impeccable Ali role here, or the cocksure nature of all his quip firing roles in the summer
blockbusters. He is even given an unnecessary grey tint in his hair so that we take him more
serious.

However, the filmmakers needn’t have done that because it is a performance that elevates the
film above its humble ambitions. It is almost impossible not to feel the bottom lip tremble as
Chris has to take shelter in a public toilet with his five-year old son because he has nowhere else
to go, foot against the door to prevent anybody coming in, it is one of the most uncomfortably
effective scenes in a long time – no words, just a powerhouse performance from a fantastic actor.

The relationship between father and son must also be believable because that is who Chris is
doing this for, and it is, so it's no surprise to find that Smith's real life son is playing his onscreen
counterpart. He is never as annoying as your standard Hollywood rent-a-sprog and the chemistry
shared by the two is extremely effective.

The Pursuit of Happyness (spelt that way for the purpose of the story) isn’t going to win awards
for scriptwriting or originality but it is a superbly predictable, emotional wallop of a movie that
is worth seeing for Will Smith's performance alone.