The Pursuit of Happyness *** (2006, Will Smith, Thandie Newton, Jaden Smith) – Classic Movie Review 3834

Will Smith stars with his real-life son Jaden Smith as a father named Christopher ‘Chris’ Gardner facing ruin with his little kid in director Gabriele Muccino’s evidently sincere and well-meaning 2006 true-story heart-warmer.

It is 1981 and Gardner is suddenly homeless after all his money is blown on investing in a medical invention of a bone density scanner that nobody wants to buy and his wife Linda (Thandie Newton) walks out.

Battling back from the brink, Gardner lands the mixed blessing of a six-month unpaid job trial at a brokerage firm but he has to sleep rough to survive.

Written by Steven Conrad, the film is a bit too slick for the convincing portrayal of a life with such hard edges. But Will Smith’s charm and conviction, as well as the film-makers’ heart-on-sleeve brand of sincerity, combine to make it a success.

© Derek Winnert 2016 Classic Movie Review 3834

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