Though it may look easy to wake up every morning just to be told no at every turn, it really isn’t—but Chris Gardner never gave up on himself, his son, or his dream. In The Pursuit of Happyness, Gardner and his son take the world head-on while having essentially no finances, leaving the family with little-to-no food, no car, and eventually, no home, Chris (Will Smith) tries everything he can to not only make a better life for his son but a life in general. After all, the boy only had his father to look up to—not that that was a problem, but as a young boy, friendship and school are important.
The boy, Christopher, played by Will Smith’s real son, Jaden, had every reason to hate his father for their circumstances, but all that was there was love. This trust can be seen throughout the whole movie, as the boy faithfully follows his father's footsteps despite not knowing where they would lead; with hope, the two were able to survive together.
One would think that Chris would have had the help he needed, as The United States Declaration of Independence even states, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
Failed countless times by the systems that should have helped, Chris had to fight against extreme poverty and closed doors—until he was finally given a chance after many, many obstacles.
Chris takes care of his son to the best of his ability by taking him along with him to countless job interviews. Not because he wanted to, but because he had to. There was no money for child care and his mother was inadequate at taking care of him. You may notice that in the title, happiness is spelled with a "y." This was inspired by one of the hardest times in Chris’ life that he doesn't reflect on much.
However, in an interview, the real Chris Gardner opened up about his choice to spell happiness with a ‘y,’ saying, "There was a place once in Oakland [California] near the MacArthur Park station that became very, very, very important to my son and I at the most challenging stage of our journey, and they spelled happyness with a 'y' and that's why it's spelled that way... It's personal. It's definitely personal… That particular place was a day-care center, and at this point in my life just getting my son into a day-care center was a major, major, major challenge.”
Though times were tough, not all skies were gray. While playing a traditional Saturday game of basketball at the local outdoor court, Chris sees his son break down for the first time after his father insinuated that basketball isn’t as serious as a job. The feeling of guilt instantly struck Chris.
He then proceeds with one of the most motivational and heartfelt speeches by telling his son, “Hey. Don’t ever let somebody tell you… You can’t do something. Not even me. Alright? You got a dream… You gotta protect it. People can’t do something themselves, they wanna tell you you can’t do it. If you want something, go get it. Period.” With this outlook on life, Chris was soon able to turn his life around for both himself and his son.
Related: These Are the Best Will Smith Movies, Ranked
Not only did Chris have the charisma, but he also had the brains, as the man-made portable bone density scanner he constructed was the focal point of his career and the movie. In an attempt to sell his scanner to someone, anyone, Will Smith’s character comes across a man in a red Ferrari. Astonished by its beauty, Chris quickly grabbed the man’s attention to excitedly ask him a couple of questions. The man agrees and Chris continues to ask, “What do you do?” "How do you do it?” This man, also known as Bob Bridges, who was one of the most successful stockbrokers out of CA at the time, heard the desperate yearning for better in Chris’s voice. Bob and Chris eventually went for lunch together and talked business. Chris finally had someone that wanted to listen, that was a start. But the opportunities kept coming.
Bob introduced Chris to a plethora of businessmen, and he was finally given a chance to show his son that determination and goodwill can truly lead to success. Welcomed to the world of stocks, Chris gained a full-time job as a broker after what seemed like a lifetime of pain. When invited to join Bear Stearns & Company, Chris’s boss asks him, “Was it as easy as it looked? He responds, “No Sir. No Sir it wasn’t.” Grateful for the opportunity, Chris took on the role of businessman, father, and protector.
Life was not only getting better, but money was coming in so much so that he was able to make his first million dollars at the young age of 34. He bought a red Ferrari, in what we can only imagine was his pivotal inspiration. The lights were on, the water was running, and happiness was evident. Chris and his son no longer had to struggle to survive.
After receiving the job offer, Chris walks into a crowd of like-minded people on the sidewalk who seemingly just got out of work as well. He thinks to himself in narration, “This part of my life, this little part…is called happiness.”
Though the pursuit of happiness is a different journey for everyone, it serves as the one thing that we all need and deserve. You can be the smartest in your class just like Chris was, and still be faced with the longevity of hardship. Not one thing in life is given. However, with the will to not only survive but live, happiness is within reach.