The Pursuit of Happyness

Movie Details:

Cast & Characters:

• Will Smith as Chris Gardner
• Jaden Smith (credited as Jaden Christopher Syre Smith) as Christopher Gardner Jr.
• Thandiwe Newton (credited as Thandie Newton) as Linda Gardner
• Brian Howe as Jay Twistle
• James Karen as Martin Frohm
• Dan Castellaneta as Alan Frakesh
• Kurt Fuller as Walter Ribbon
• Takayo Fischer as Mrs. Chu
• Mark Christopher Lawrence as Wayne
• Chris Gardner as Walking Man in Business Suit (uncredited)

Storyline:

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.

About Movie:

The Pursuit of Happyness is an American biographical drama film directed by Gabriele Muccino, starring Will Smith as Chris Gardner, a homeless salesman and Thandiwe Newton as Linda Gardner. Smith’s son Jaden Smith co-stars, making his film debut as Gardner’s son, Christopher Jr.

The screenplay by Steven Conrad is based on the best-selling 2006 memoir of the same name written by Gardner with Quincy Troupe. It is based on Gardner’s nearly one-year struggle being homeless. The unusual spelling of the film’s title comes from a mural that Gardner sees on the wall outside the daycare facility his son attended.

Chris Gardner realized his story had Hollywood potential after an overwhelming national response to an interview he did with 20/20 in January 2003. Gardner published his autobiography on May 23, 2006, and later became an associate producer for the film.

In order to create a dramatic impact, the film artistically altered Gardner’s life story by compressing several years’ worth of events into a shorter period of time. Gardner makes a tiny cameo at the end of the film, walking past the fictional version of himself. The movie is set in San Francisco in 1981.

The film was released on December 15, 2006, by Columbia Pictures, and received positive reviews, with Smith’s performance and the emotional weight of the story garnering acclaim. Smith was nominated for an Oscar and a Golden Globe for Best Actor.

Budget & Box Office Collection: