The Pursuit of Happyness DVD Review

by Kam Williams

DVD Features Will Smith in Oscar-Nominated Performance

In 2003, ABC-TV's 20/20 did a segment about an honorably-discharged, Navy veteran who had fallen on hard times and ended up homeless on the streets of San Francisco. In the heartbreaking segment, Chris Gardner recounted how, after going broke, being abandoned by his wife, evicted from his apartment, and having his car repossessed, he and his five year-old son soon bottomed-out with no hope in sight.

The two ended up eating in soup kitchens, sleeping in church shelters and subway stations, and bathing in public bathrooms, until the frustrated father finally figured a way to extract them from their dire circumstances. Like the hero of your typical Horatio Alger yarn, Gardner gradually pulled himself up by his own bootstraps, and eventually built a multi-million-dollar financial services empire.

The Pursuit of Happyness, an inspirational bio-pic which recounts that triumph, features Will Smith as Gardner in an Oscar-nominated performance, along with his son Jaden as Chris, Jr. Thandie Newton co-stars as Chris' fed-up ex, Linda, and the cast also includes Dan Castellaneta (the voice of Homer Simpson), as well as Chris Gardner, himself, in a cameo appearance.

But make no mistake, this is a Will and Jaden Smith vehicle, their characters' plight contrasting sharply with the array of spectacular Bay Area locales employed as visually-captivating backdrops. At the point of departure, we find Chris putting in long hours as a door-to-door salesman of an obsolete bone-density machine of not much interest to anyone but thieves. Then, in short order, Chris is beset by more tests than Job in the Bible, losing everything near and dear to him except his son.

Will Smith exudes a n endearing charm reminiscent of the Fresh Prince of Bel Air, here, so expect to laugh as much as you cry during this touching tearjerker.

Excellent (3.5 stars)
PG-13 for profanity.
Running time: 117 minutes
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
DVD Extras: Director's commentary, a conversation with the real Chris Gardner, three other featurettes, and an audio track of the song "I Can."

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