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But as much as the premise of The Pursuit of Happyness sounds like an opportunity to glorify materialism—the hope for the bigwig job that leads to the cool car and the mcmansion—these accouterments of the life Chris is pursuing remain in the shadow of his son. Chris's guiding desire is to take care of him. One can't help but wonder if the fact that both Smith men turn in textured and emotionally resonant performances here is driven to some extent by their own father/son bond. One gets the sense that if this man could provide for his son in a less lucrative way, he would pursue that too. Because that would make him happy. And happiness is indeed what's he's ultimately after.

Father and son are on this journey together

So what hath the Prince of Bel-Air to do with Athens you ask? Let's go back to Prodicus, that fifth century BC philosopher who brought us The Choice of Heracles. Prodicus made his mark with this story by being one of the first philosophers to explicitly claim that we are all pursuing happiness—that this is the hoped-for destination on everyone's road, whether you choose vice or virtue. Moreover, he emphasized the idea of choice.

As Julia Annas neatly summarizes in her A Very Short Introduction to Ancient Philosophy (Oxford), "You can't have it all; you can't go through life gratifying your desires and still hope to achieve anything worthwhile or to live a life that you or others can respect. Recognizing explicitly that your aim in life is happiness, brings with it the realization that you have to reflect on and order your life in one way rather than another. Life presents you with alternatives; you have to make decisions."

Chris and Linda made different decisions. We don't know how her story turned out. We have a better idea of how his story turned out. But even at that, the story is open-ended, much like The Choice of Heracles. Both stories are less about the constitution of vice and virtue—and more about exploring the aims of and one's attitude towards life. Bel Air and Athens. Who would have thought?

1. The Pursuit of Happyness has interesting socio-economic implications. In many ways, it's a bedtime story for capitalists—the good man who pulls himself up by his bootstraps. What sort of statements does the movie make about the opportunities for class mobility? Do you think these statements are true today
2. The internship that Chris applied for was unpaid. What sort of message does imply about the kind of candidate the program is looking for
3. Chris says, "Maybe happiness is something we can only pursue; maybe we can never have it." What do you think about this statement
4. Do you agree with Prodicus that happiness is the aim of life? Why or why not? What does the Bible say about happiness? Read Ecclesiastes 8 and Luke 1 How does God define happiness? Read Psalm 41 and Proverbs 1 Read the Beatitudes in Matthew Discuss the present and future nature of these blessings. What would it mean to have both a present and future happiness?

The film is rated PG-13 "for language," but the language is mild and almost would have passed for a PG.

Photos © Copyright Sony

© Lisa Ann Cockrel subject to licensing agreement with Christianity Today International. All rights reserved. Click for reprint information.

from Film Forum, 12/21/06
The Pursuit of Happyness is based on the true story of Chris Gardner, who fought hard to save his family from poverty in the early '80s. And it stars Will Smith and his son Jaden Christopher Syre Smith as, of course, a father and son. Their chemistry, and the film's story of determination and devotion, are inspiring audiences and critics alike.

But how is the movie? Does Will Smith's performance live up to the hype? Is it well made?

Jenn Wright (Past the Popcorn) says, "In my opinion, there should be a new Oscar awarded beginning this year—one for the best acting partnership. Will and Jaden shine individually in this film, but the strength of the movie definitely comes from their teamwork. Without being overly sappy, implausible, or overwrought, Happyness offers a sincere story of a man with a dream."

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