The Pursuit of Happyness

[Brian in Mesa]

Muccino Helming Will Smith's Happyness
Source: Production Weekly
May 3, 2005

Italian helmer Gabriele Muccino has come aboard to direct Will Smith in Columbia Pictures' The Pursuit of Happyness. The project is based on the true-life rags-to-riches tale of investment banker Chris Gardner.

Gardner's story, which aired as a segment on ABC's 20/20 in January, has gained national attention and was hotly pursued by several Hollywood producers and studios. It is a real-life tale of survival over life's toughest challenges. After a chain of circumstances left Gardner jobless and homeless at age 30, he found himself and his baby son living in a bathroom at a San Francisco train station.

Despite the negative situation, Gardner continued to fight toward his goal of becoming a broker, eventually landing a job as a trainee and rising through the ranks at such companies as Dean Witter and Bear Stearns to his current standing -- partner and owner of the Chicago-based minority brokerage firm Gardner Rich & Co. and self-made millionaire.

Steve Conrad, who wrote The Weather Man, penned the film's script. The project will begin filming in the San Francisco area this August.

 

[Pariah]

"Happiness"

:HollywoodBIM:

 

[Dback Jon]

"Happiness"

:HollywoodBIM:

- I thought the same when I saw the thread.

 

[Mike Olbinski]

Surprised no one has posted or seen this...

Great, great movie...Will Smith was awesome, and his little boy just amazing.

Bring some kleenex...

I loved it!

 

[Jersey Girl]

It's on my list.

 

[Espo]

I thought this film was amazing. Great movie, great acting and great story. Smith will probably get an oscar nod.

 

[Linderbee]

my folks just saw it & loved it. I really wanna see it, too.

 

[Brian in Mesa]

The Pursuit of Happyness

Release Date: December 15, 2006
Studio: Columbia Pictures
Director: Gabriele Muccino
Screenwriter: Steve Conrad
Genre: Drama
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for some language)
Website: The Pursuit of Happyness

Starring: Will Smith, Thandie Newton, Jaden Smith

Plot Summary: "Don't ever let somebody tell you you can't do something. ...You got a dream, you gotta protect it... If you want something, go get it. Period."

In Columbia Pictures' "The Pursuit of Happyness," Chris Gardner (Will Smith) is a bright and talented, but marginally employed salesman. Struggling to make ends meet, Gardner finds himself and his five-year-old son evicted from their San Francisco apartment with nowhere to go. When Gardner lands an internship at a prestigious stock brokerage firm, he and his son endure many hardships, including living in shelters, in pursuit of his dream of a better life for the two of them.

 

[Brian in Mesa]

my folks just saw it & loved it. I really wanna see it, too.

My in-laws saw it and loved it.

I've read a lot about the real guy and his son. The story is even more incredible when you realize his son was really under two years old at this time in their lives. In the movie his son is shown as a 5 year-old (most likely for dialogue purposes).

 

[former user 1]

I'm looking forward to seeing this movie. I think it's going to be Will Smith at his best. I know that I'll need a box of Kleenex though.

 

[Stout]

It was good, and I would even put it at above average, but I don't think it is nearly as great as a lot of people do. Yes, it is a great story. Sure, the acting was pretty good. It's just not blow-you-away good like a Little Miss Sunshine or a Dirty Pretty Things. I certainly don't think it deserved the ovation it got at the end in the theater I watched it.

 

[Rats]

The Theater I was in did an ovation as well and I did think it was a good film. My problem is that when I go to a movie I want to escape real life stuff and be entertained for the money we spend there. I felt depressed after watching this as it is some pretty real life stuff being dealt with by alot of people. I just do not see it as quality entertainment, which is why I go to the movies. It is a rental quality movie to me. Thats it.

 

[Jersey Girl]

The Theater I was in did an ovation as well and I did think it was a good film. My problem is that when I go to a movie I want to escape real life stuff and be entertained for the money we spend there. I felt depressed after watching this as it is some pretty real life stuff being dealt with by alot of people. I just do not see it as quality entertainment, which is why I go to the movies. It is a rental quality movie to me. Thats it.

I saw it this weekend, and I can see your point about the depression thing. However, I also was inspired by the film, like, hell, if this guy could do all this then there is absolutely no reason why I (with money, a supportive family and some decent friends) can't accomplish what I want to accomplish.

If anything, this movie made me what to help others.

All that said, I thought it was a decent film. I was expecting more though. Perhaps that's because I read so much about Will Smith's acting (which was absolutely great) or because I am just used to seeing so many movies with action and craziness and whatnot.

 

[Rats]

I saw it this weekend, and I can see your point about the depression thing. However, I also was inspired by the film, like, hell, if this guy could do all this then there is absolutely no reason why I (with money, a supportive family and some decent friends) can't accomplish what I want to accomplish.

If anything, this movie made me what to help others.

All that said, I thought it was a decent film. I was expecting more though. Perhaps that's because I read so much about Will Smith's acting (which was absolutely great) or because I am just used to seeing so many movies with action and craziness and whatnot.

Yeah JG I can see how the movie is inspiring to many and the acting was really very good. I just want more entertainment value out of a Theatre flick and I was left asking myself if I could have risen above and accomplished what he did. He was the minority in every since that rose above. The majority sink in this instance rather than swim. I could see the movie being a really good book. But again, at the theatre I want to escape and be intertained. This did not do it for me.

 

[Bada0Bing]

I just watched it. I found myself feeling a little depressed, especially when he kept catching all the bad breaks. However, this is exactly why I loved the movie. Will Smith did such an amazing job of letting us know what it felt like to be in his position.

I liked the addition of the Rubik’s Cube scenes, even though they were fiction. I loved those things when I was a kid.

 

[arthurracoon]

good movie

 

[phillycard]

Very good flick. His son was awesome. Kid actors amaze me sometimes.

 

[Gee!]

"Happiness"

:HollywoodBIM:

- I thought the same when I saw the thread.

Hope youve both seen it by now and understand why its spelled that way..

Anyways, I own this on dvd, like most Will Smith movies, and watch it from time to time..

 

[Ryanwb]

Anyways, I own this on dvd, like most Will Smith movies, and watch it from time to time..

Even Men In Black II, I Robot and Wild Wild West?

 

[Gee!]

Even Men In Black II, I Robot and Wild Wild West?

I have I Robot on dvd.. I think I had the MIB movies on vhs just never bought them on dvd.. And who the hell would buy WWW?

 

[Ryanwb]

I have I Robot on dvd.. I think I had the MIB movies on vhs just never bought them on dvd.. And who the hell would buy WWW?

I was just checking, I didn't know you were a Will Smith man lover

 

[Gee!]

I was just checking, I didn't know you were a Will Smith man lover

Nothing wrong with Will Smith.. I remember bumping "He's the DJ, I'm The Rapper" and "Rock The House" around 1988.. What was I? I think about 11 years old.. Then his TV show (my all time favorite show), then his movies (some good, some great, few flops).. Ya, Imma Will Smith fan what of it? lol

 

[Gaddabout]

Kevin Smith tells a great story about how that stupid mechanical spider made it into Wild Wild West.

 

[Nasser22]

I liked WWW...that was when I was like 6 or 7 I think but I'd watch it again. MIB and I Robot were pretty cool too. I'm also a big Will Smith fan.

 

[dodie53]

i almost cried watching The Pursuit of Happyness..