The Pursuit of Happyness - Film Analysis. Directed by Italian director, Gabriele Muccino, and inspired by a true story, The Pursuit of Happyness takes place in the hard streets of San Francisco in the 1980s. Chris Gardner, the main character played by Will Smith, is trying to fulfill the legacy of the American Dream, but his family is in quite the struggle. Chris is attempting to make a living and provide for his family by selling bone density scanners (similar to an x-ray machine, but with slightly better picture and much more pricey) to doctor’s offices and other medical facilities. Chris has a way with people, and he has the potential to do much more with his life due to his determination and daily grind of providing for his five-year-old
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Chris Gardner experiences many obstacles throughout the plot, but somehow always ends up accomplishing his goals, eventually accomplishing his biggest goal of becoming a stockbroker. As Chris narrates the film, he splits his life up into five stages: riding the bus, being stupid, running, internship, and happiness. Throughout these five stages, Chris encounters many barriers that present difficulties that discourage him from providing for his family. These obstacles eventually lead to his wife leaving him, causing him even more conflict because he now has to care for their son all on his own while still in financial crisis. One day as Chris is on his way to sell another bone density scanner, he comes across a wealthy man in a bright red sports car. He starts a conversation with him and asks him how he came to his fortune; the man tells him that he is in the stockbroker business. After their encounter, he takes a look around the area and sees other wealthy stockbrokers. He explains that they seem to be so happy, which is something he aspires to be himself. It was at that moment that Chris desires to become a stockbroker. Eventually, his desire is fulfilled. After months of financial ruin and hard work and dedication to an internship, Chris was hired at Dean Witter as a stockbroker, which took place at the end of the film during the “happiness” stage of his …show more content…
Millions of Americans struggle financially every year, and a good majority of Americans persevere, as Chris did, and end up meeting their goals and provide for their family as best they can. Muccino also incorporates symbolism in order to allow the audience to understand the theme even more clearly. The Rubik 's Cube represents Chris’s complex levels of determination and his will to find a solution. One morning as Chris and his son are eating breakfast, the news comes on and the news reporter is discussing how the Rubik’s Cube is nearly impossible to complete. Later in the film, as Chris is hounding one of the leaders of the brokerage firm Dean Witter for a chance at the internship, the man he was hounding was attempting to complete the cube. As the man grows more and more frustrated, Chris informs him that he can complete the cube. The man hands over the Rubik’s Cube in disbelief, and after just a short amount of time, Chris shows the man that he can in fact complete the cube. Another symbol that makes the theme more understandable is the misspelled title of the film that is also written on the door of his son’s daycare. The fact that “happyness” is misspelled irritates Chris at first. Later in the film he reminisces about the part of the Declaration of Independence where Thomas Jefferson discusses the pursuit of happiness, and how he thinks that happiness is only something you
Chris Gardner experiences many obstacles throughout the plot, but somehow always ends up accomplishing his goals, eventually accomplishing his biggest goal of becoming a stockbroker. As Chris narrates the film, he splits his life up into five stages: riding the bus, being stupid, running, internship, and happiness. Throughout these five stages, Chris encounters many barriers that present difficulties that discourage him from providing for his family. These obstacles eventually lead to his wife leaving him, causing him even more conflict because he now has to care for their son all on his own while still in financial crisis. One day as Chris is on his way to sell another bone density scanner, he comes across a wealthy man in a bright red sports car. He starts a conversation with him and asks him how he came to his fortune; the man tells him that he is in the stockbroker business. After their encounter, he takes a look around the area and sees other wealthy stockbrokers. He explains that they seem to be so happy, which is something he aspires to be himself. It was at that moment that Chris desires to become a stockbroker. Eventually, his desire is fulfilled. After months of financial ruin and hard work and dedication to an internship, Chris was hired at Dean Witter as a stockbroker, which took place at the end of the film during the “happiness” stage of his …show more content…
Millions of Americans struggle financially every year, and a good majority of Americans persevere, as Chris did, and end up meeting their goals and provide for their family as best they can. Muccino also incorporates symbolism in order to allow the audience to understand the theme even more clearly. The Rubik 's Cube represents Chris’s complex levels of determination and his will to find a solution. One morning as Chris and his son are eating breakfast, the news comes on and the news reporter is discussing how the Rubik’s Cube is nearly impossible to complete. Later in the film, as Chris is hounding one of the leaders of the brokerage firm Dean Witter for a chance at the internship, the man he was hounding was attempting to complete the cube. As the man grows more and more frustrated, Chris informs him that he can complete the cube. The man hands over the Rubik’s Cube in disbelief, and after just a short amount of time, Chris shows the man that he can in fact complete the cube. Another symbol that makes the theme more understandable is the misspelled title of the film that is also written on the door of his son’s daycare. The fact that “happyness” is misspelled irritates Chris at first. Later in the film he reminisces about the part of the Declaration of Independence where Thomas Jefferson discusses the pursuit of happiness, and how he thinks that happiness is only something you