The Pursuit of Happyness

Chris Gardner's life was all about pursuit of happiness, that little phrase found in the Declaration of Independence. There was never any guarantee that he was going to get happiness, but he sure went after it with all he had.
Gardner's pursuit is at the center of the new movie, The Pursuit of Happyness, with Will Smith starring as the real-life Gardner. Jaden Smith, Will's son, plays Gardner's son in the movie.
This is a Horatio Algiers-type story, a tale of the great lengths a man will go to achieve greatness.
And though we know what the end result will be, the story is in the journey. And what a journey it is.
As played by Smith, Gardner is a bright man who makes boneheaded decisions, like the one where he puts his family's savings into selling a bone-density scanner that doctors actually don't need. The IRS is after him, he's two months behind on rent and his car is towed away for unpaid parking tickets. Plus, his wife, played by Thandie Newton, is about to leave him.
Could things get any worse? Yes, they do. But the silver lining is an intership at Dean Witter, where Gardner hopes to become a stockbroker.
Obstacle after obstacle falls in his path. Gardner loses his wife and his home and he's working as an unpaid intern, so no money is coming in. The burden of raising his son amid all of his failures as a man is seen through Smith's nearly crumbling face.
This is by far one of Smith's most serious roles. His charm and good looks do him no good here. Smith gives a powerful performance as a man who struggles to make a better life for himself and his son.
Smith disappears into his role, though glimpses of what has made Smith such a likable star over the years can be gleaned. Jaden Smith is a natural on the screen, effortless in his performance.
The ending.... well, we all know that Gardner's pursuit is not in vain, but that beautiful moment of tear-filled joy feels well-earned.