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Will Smith, Jaden Smith, Thandie Newton, Brian Howe, James Karen ... see more see more... , Dan Castellaneta , Kurt Fuller , Takayo Fischer , Kevin West , George Kee Cheung , Michael Silverman , Domenic Bove , Geoff Callan , Raven Joyful , Scott Klace , Rashida Clendening , Eric Schniewind , Peter Fitzsimmons , Maurice Sherbanee , Zuhair Haddad , Victor Raider-Wexler , Mark Christopher Lawrence , Darryl Fong , George Maguire (II) , Joseph A. Nuņez , Adam Del Rio , Rocky LaRochelle , Erin Cahill , Reuben Grundy , Ming Lo , John Kovacevich , Bonnie Akimoto , Stu Klitsner , Esther Scott , Tina D'Elia , Rev. Cecil Williams , David Fine , George Moffatt , Amir Talai , Mike Garibaldi , Jason Frazier , Kevin Crook , David Haines , Jim Finnerty , Abigail Van Alyn , Bob Greene , Robert Anthony Peters , Terri Orth-Pallavicini , John Robb , Daniel Wilder , Cathy Fithian , Keith Stevenson , Jeff Applebaum , Victor Hoagland , Richard Bischoff , Edward Donlin , Larry Hunt , Rose Aispuro , Arbin C. Kumar , The Glide Ensemble , Jerry Edwards McLilly , Shareef Allman , Jeffrey Moon , Peaches Hutchinson , Brandon Dadwiler , Tateanna Wheeler-Lezine , Karen Kahn , George Maguire (I)

The rousing, true-life story of a single dad who went from living on the streets to owning his own brokerage firm is brought to the big screen by superstar Will Smith, appearing for the first time opp... read more read more...osite his real-life son Jaden Smith. Set in early-'80s San Francisco, the film charts the hard times and eventual comeback of Chris Gardner, a suddenly single salesman who has custody of his son, but finds that providing for the two of them is a challenge in the increasingly unstable economic climate. He struggles to work his way from unpaid intern at Dean Witter to something more substantial, even as life continues to offer him setbacks. Making his Hollywood debut, Italian director Gabriele Muccino was championed by Will Smith for the project. ~ Michael Hastings, Rovi

Flixster Users

88% liked it

511,179 ratings

Critics

66% liked it

170 critics

PG-13, 1 hr. 57 min.

Directed by: Gabriele Muccino

Release Date: December 15, 2006

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DVD Release Date: March 27, 2007

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Stats: 59,147 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (59,147)

  • fb701560354
    April 27, 2012
    fb701560354
    A story that is inspirational, and moving, predictable, and moves a little too slowly is elevated considerably by the incredibly moving and touching performances of Will Smith and Jaden Smith. It could have been extremely melodramatic, but the great performances and comic moment... read mores keep it at great, emotional drama.
  • moonrivers
    April 11, 2012
    moonrivers
    A father with his back to the corner battles his way back to the center of the ring. Will Smith and his son, Jaden, are superlative is this confirmation of the American dream, and you root for them every step of the way. I began thinking that Will brought out the best in his so... read moren only to realise that Jaden brought out the best in Will, making this (in my humble opinion) Will's best.
  • FiLmCrAzY
    April 11, 2012
    FiLmCrAzY
    I really enjoyed this movie, its so sweet and its nice to see Will Smith with his actual son which was a good idea as i feel it made the story come across as even more realistic. Its sweet and heart warming that many people can relate to! Well worth the watch!
  • fb1463751009
    March 9, 2012
    fb1463751009
    -Spoiler alert- "The Pursuit of HappYness" is an okay movie. Will Smith's performance is, of course, great. The direction is what you'd expect. However, my main gripe about this movie is how it hits audiences over the head over and over with how horrible Will Smith's life is. The... read morere is very little that audiences can capture from Will Smith's struggles until he is finally liberated. So basically, the story outline goes: "Here comes crap. His life sucks----- still sucks--- oh look, its sucking even more---- man, look at how crappy his life is-----" and then once the end comes, it just happens. That's it. There is an inkling of a moral that audiences can capture but it is not emphasized. The Pianist falls under the same flaw.
  • fb100002359227440
    February 1, 2012
    fb100002359227440
    Not terrific, but is not really bad. The Pursuit of Happyness is weak and very sentimentalist. Anyway, the movie presents a moving story and good actings. Fresh.
  • spielberg00
    October 14, 2011
    spielberg00
    I am a sucker for touching films like this. Not the typical Will Smith film, but still great, anyway. Him and Jaden do a great job as portraying a father and son duo onscreen. (Like that was hard?)
  • DreamExtractor
    August 15, 2011
    DreamExtractor
    Will Smiths best performance of his career, a great movie.
  • fb729949618
    July 31, 2011
    fb729949618
    This movie is full of heart, gotta love it.
  • murphmann93
    June 24, 2011
    murphmann93
    A really heartwarming true story!
  • StarCrossedVoyager
    May 25, 2011
    StarCrossedVoyager
    A sweet and inspiring film that really shows that if you try hard enough you can get almost whatever you want. A brilliant and interesting story (even though fairly predictable) with a believable cast. It really shows you how bad life gets for some people. If I were in that posit... read moreion I would never have succeeded.

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Critic Reviews

Bill Muller
December 30, 2006
Bill Muller, Arizona Republic

This is Smith as you've never seen him -- an unsure, struggling, frustrated guy trying to hold together his family and failing. Full Review

Richard Roeper
December 18, 2006
Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper

As cynical as I am, I have to admit I was completely won over by Smith's sincere and deeply effective work as a guy who was knocked down again and again, but refused to stay on the canvas.

Stephanie Zacharek
December 15, 2006
Stephanie Zacharek, Salon.com

Some people will see The Pursuit of Happyness as a glorification of capitalism, but the movie is much less about 'getting' than it is about 'not having.' Full Review

Geoff Pevere
December 15, 2006
Geoff Pevere, Toronto Star

The Pursuit of Happyness can't imagine anything worse than being poor. Except maybe being surrounded by poor people. Full Review

Mick LaSalle
December 15, 2006
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

Will Smith has the right quality for the role -- he's an easy man to root for -- but he augments this by channeling some inner quality of desperation and need. Full Review

Steven Rea
December 15, 2006
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer

A movie star who can slip easily into high-beam mode, Smith gives a restrained and nuanced turn.

Roger Moore
December 15, 2006
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel

For anybody who ever has been at the bottom, or feared they were headed there, it's a reminder that there's no guarantee of luck or happiness in the Declaration of Independence -- just the right to pu... Full Review

Stephen Whitty
December 15, 2006
Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger

Honest tears, honestly earned, is the credo and it's practiced here. Full Review

Jack Mathews
December 15, 2006
Jack Mathews, New York Daily News

Smith may be the closest Hollywood has to a modern Cary Grant, an instantly likable actor comfortable in every role he attempts. Full Review

Kevin Crust
December 15, 2006
Kevin Crust, Los Angeles Times

There are worse ways to spend the holidays, and, at the least, it will likely make you appreciate your own circumstances. Full Review

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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Facts

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    • Chris Gardner: Hey. Don't ever let somebody tell you... You can't do something. Not even me. All right?
    • Christopher: All right.
    • Chris Gardner: You got a dream. You gotta protect it. People can't do somethin' themselves, they wanna tell you you can't do it. If you want somethin', go get it. Period.
    • Christopher: Hey dad, you wanna hear something funny? There was a man who was drowning, and a boat came, and the man on the boat said "Do you need help?" and the man said "God will save me". Then another boat came and he tried to help him, but he said "God will save me", then he drowned and went to Heaven. Then the man told God, "God, why didn't you save me?" and God said "I sent you two boats, you dummy!"
    • Chris Gardner: It was right then that I started thinking about Thomas Jefferson on the Declaration of Independence and the part about our right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. And I remember thinking how did he know to put the pursuit part in there? That maybe happiness is something that we can only pursue and maybe we can actually never have it. No matter what. How did he know that?
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The Pursuit of Happyness Trivia

  • what is the 2006 hit picture with will smith?  Answer »
  • In which movie did a man take care of his son while trying to become a stock broker and lived a hard life filled with sadness, despair, homelessnes, and rejection?  Answer »
  • Starring Will Smith and his young son, who are on the road to find something everyone should have in life.  Answer »
  • what did geoff callan say to will smith in the pursuit of happyness?  Answer »
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