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The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)
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Seven Pounds Review
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CaptainRyannn
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CaptainRyannn Blog
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0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
[What do you think?]
"When I first saw the trailer, I must say, I wasn’t too impressed with it. It didn’t really feel like a movie that I would be moved by despite its overt advertising as a moving film. I then watched an interview with Will Smith on Jay Leno and from the way they were talking, it really seemed like they were onto something here. Now, I’m not sure if it was that which finally pushed me to see this, me wanting to see as many 2008 films as I can in order to create a ‘Best of’ year end list, or the fact that I’ve been listening to DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince’s album, Homebase, almost every morning for the past week. (Man, that’s such a great album.) Whatever it was, I went into it with neither high nor low expectations. We enter the film with a shot of Ben Thomas, played by Will Smith, on the phone with 911. He calls for an ambulance and reports a suicide. When the paramedic asks who the victim is, he says in a crisp, decisive voice ... "
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Lorene Scafaria Interview, Nick ...
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SpoutBlog
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"From left to right, Diablo Cody, Dana Fox, and Lorene Scafaria. Or, the “Femmepire” as they call it, a triumvirate of female screenwriters. Lorene Scafaria has been toiling as a screenwriter for awhile, although her first produced film, Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist, is actually an adaptation of a novel by the same name. However, it manages to nail the “teen voice” without slapping a message all over it, and it should open up a few more doors for Lorene. Not that she needs them, since she’s already recorded an album of her own music, and has her next project already in the works. Read on to find out how she tried to capture the New York City feeling in this "
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10 Movies to Watch When Feeling ...
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SpoutBlog
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SpoutBlog on spout.com
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1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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"I’m probably the least financial-minded person there is, and I’ve never owned a stock, bond or whatever else people invest in. But I am an expert on being broke, being poor, being frugal and, most importantly, putting things into perspective. What I mean is, whenever I feel like things just can’t get any worse for me money-wise, I think of the people who are or were actually worse off than I am. And by people, I mostly mean characters from the movies. So, as you may be worrying about your finances after Black Monday, consider dropping by the video store on your way home from the office (or job interview) today. Invest a few bucks into your own sanity and happiness by renting one of the following movies. Don’t worry, I’ve tried to make the selections rather common and accessible. If you’re like any of the financial guys and girls I know, you’re not likely the sort to go for obscure or difficult cinema. And if you are of the sort, then you probably don’t need this list anyway.
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15 Will Smith Plot Songs
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SpoutBlog
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"In response to Karina’s post from yesterday about plot songs, I feel it is necessary and timely to pay tribute today to the best plot song writer since Huey Lewis: Will Smith. From the ’80s on, Smith has provided the world with songs serving as storytelling supplements to his TV show, his movies and even other people’s movies. At times he has even prematurely released songs that could later be applied to movies for which he failed to attach an official plot song. Uh huh. To get us started, here’s one for Hancock. It’s a song released three years ago, but it’s much more relevant now: “Here He Comes” for Hancock The above video is the closest thing I can find to a video for the song, which applies to Smith’s latest movie in three "
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The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)
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JJ79
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JJ79 Blog
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"At the beginning of "The Pursuit of Happyness", a small disclaimer comes on the screen stating this movie is inspired by actual events. Of that, the audience can never have any doubt. At the end, this is reinforced with title cards explaining what happened to Chris Gardner and his son Christopher (played by Will Smith and his real life son Jaden): he founded his own brokerage firm and then sold it in what is described as a multi-million dollar deal. And therein lies the biggest problem with this film, a sugary, ultimately feel good production designed to garner Oscar buzz and little else. The idea "The Pursuit of Happyness" is "inspired" by real events plays against it. As opposed to its thematically similar "based on actual events", this film has put a glossy sheen on everything that happens in an attempt to pull at every conceivable heartstring there is in the human body. In the end, though, it's all something we've seen done better-and more convincing-before. We're told, throu ... "
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SXSW 2008: The Promotion
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"The Promotion is such an insightfully hilarious and beautifully bittersweet movie about the American and human spirits that I wish Steven Conrad had always been directing his scripts. Conrad previously wrote The Weather Man and The Pursuit of Happyness, both of which can be felt here as less evolved ancestors; structurally they’re quite the same, while The Promotion shares some of the offbeat tone of Weather Man and a lot of the heart of Happyness. But there’s a story in The Promotion that is far more universal, relatable and familiar, which makes this one much, much funnier and much, much more sympathetic. And certainly Conrad’s ability to balance the sweet and the salty, as a director, is responsible for most of the film’s success. One scene in particular exemplifies the movie best: John C. Reilly, as the new-to-Chicago “Richard”, sits opposite four supermarket executives, interviewing for a promotion to be a full-on store manager, and he’s just had to defend how his Canadian-nes ... "
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Formulaic Pursuit with Less For ...
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pippin06
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Reel Thoughts
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"The Pursuit of Happyness was also lent to me by my generous friend and is somewhere on my Netflix queue as well. I had no deep-seated desire to view this film; the only interest I had in it was connected to the attention paid to Will Smith during last year's Oscar season. It seemed like a feel-good movie, anyway, and I knew I would at least feel somewhat happy after watching it. Also, I do love Will Smith. I think he is a natural actor and shows more depth and range than a lot of stock leading men who seem to be playing themselves (or an aspect of themselves) in all of their movies. Plus, he's kind of pretty to look at too.The former Fresh Prince (does anyone get tired of saying that?) plays Chris Gardner in a series of events inspired by real life. He is a down-on-his-luck salesman in 1981 San Francisco, trying to peddle medical scanners after essentially investing in an early version of a pyramid scheme. He's having trouble making ends meet and is at odds with ... "
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No Real Reason Why It's Spelled ...
by
JakeStevens
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JakeStevens Blog
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"I didn't want to like this movie. I really didn't. But I think I did - maybe. Thankfully, Will Smith actually plays someone other than himself (for once - or twice if you count "Ali"), and it mostly works. The story sometimes falls into clichés (the voiceovers denoting the "chapters" in Chris Gardner's life, for instance), but overall, it's just your typical feel-good movie. No surprise, really, how it's gonna end, but considering it's "based on a true story", it shouldn't be too hard to figure out. On a side note, I really don't see what all the ballyhoo is over Smith's son's performace - it really didn't seem all that inspired to me as any kid actor could have pulled this off. I would've said "this won't win any awards"... "
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The Pursuit of Happyness
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shakti
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shakti Blog
liked it.
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"An amazing story of triumph against all odds....and the power of believing in yourself!! At times I could barely stand to watch this movie because if you live a comfortable life it gets uncomfortable watching a family struggle so much. Great film! "
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My Pursuit of Lazyness
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enaretea
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enaretea Blog
is neutral about it.
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"The other night, my wife and I watched Pursuit of Happyness. I had heard it was a good movie, but I wasn't nearly as interested in seeing it as my wife was. However, I have to give credit to Will Smith. I don't know why he continues to surprise me as an actor (probably because he was in those Bad Boys movies), but he does. His charm and charisma always shine through in his roles. He doesn't look like a movie star in this film, but he performance is sincere and heartwarming. Perhaps that has something to do with performing opposite his son. I don't think I would've gotten as much out of these movie if I wasn't a new father. His character's motives throughout the story are very clear: everything he does and decides is to make sure that his son has the best possible life. I love his character's confidence in himself, but also his vulnerability. This movie did make me feel a bit down in the dumps, and it doesn't hit the inspirational heights of Rocky ... "
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