Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)

This is topic The Pursuit of Happyness (2006) in forum Film Handlers' Movie Reviews at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 01-21-2007, 09:12 PM:

This has to be one of the biggest-selling films that didn't generate a review thread upon first release!

I was impressed with the acting all around. Will Smith and his son Jaden were both excellent. The kid was kid-ish without being cloying and oversentimental. Will was totally believable as a guy who just can't catch a break. And all of the guys playing rich "suits" were fine as well. Not a clunker in the bunch.

The only bit that struck me as too "cliched" was the way he kept running into the people who stole his bone-density scanners. In a city the size of San Francisco? The machine would have been dumped into the bay. Plus, it's hard to believe those scum-of-the-earth types would have toted that thing around for weeks.

The ending was maybe a bit too quick. It would have been nice to know, for example, if the wife came crawling back after Will hit it big!

So - fairly ordinary rags-to-riches story, redeemed by some great acting by all concerned.

3.75 out of 5 stars for me. (.25 of a star deducted for the cliched parts mentioned above.)

Posted by Jerry Axelsson (Member # 3175) on 02-16-2007, 08:59 PM:

An honest, down to earth drama.
3.5(5) stars

Posted by Frank Dubrois (Member # 3042) on 02-16-2007, 10:47 PM:

I don't know. Its a typical underdog story. Another feel good drama. I was expecting something else here...kinda just boring.