The Pursuit of Happyness Review: Pure Cinematic Joy

Will Smith and his real life son Jaden Christopher Syre Smith depict the true story of Christopher Gardner, a once homeless man who became a millionaire.

What can be said about the movie? It's the classic rag to riches story. The movie embodies the long held heartfelt hope of the American Dream. The film portrays the day to day struggles of the working poor. The flick shows the importance of the relationship between father and son. This picture highlights the daily struggles married couples and families go through. This cinematic piece reveals the reality of corporate America's rat race.

Those that have seen Will Smith's portrayal of Muhammad Ali in the 2001 hit, Ali, will not be surprised by Will Smith's portrayal of Christopher Gardner. The audience will be moved by the actor's ability to play a man who's trying to find a ray of hope for himself and his son. The critics will be satisfied with how well Smith skillfully conveys desperation, anger, love, humor, and a whole gamut of emotions. His desire to capture the complexity of the real Chris Gardner's life is evident in this film.

Nevertheless, Will Smith's talents were never in question. However, Jaden Smith's talents were questionable. Was the blockbuster star's decision to cast his son in the film merited? The young 8 year old had acted on the UPN network's show, All of Us, but that was "all she wrote." Jaden Smith is practically an unknown actor and a virtually unexperienced in performing on the big screen. Who could really guarantee that he was the best young actor to play in this film?

So, it is easy to imagine how the newcomer's performance affected the film, right? Wrong. Jaden was pure box office gold. The camera clearly loves him and, judging from the audience's reaction, everyone else does too. This young man has obviously inherited the acting gene from his mother, actress Jada Pinkett Smith, and father.