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The Pursuit of HappYness

The TVClubHouse: Movies & Library ARCHIVES: Movies & Library 2007 ~ 2008: The Pursuit of HappYness users admin

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Mameblanche
Member

08-24-2002

Sunday, December 17, 2006 - 11:08 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Mameblanche a private message Print Post    
A totally satisfying, emotionally harrowing film. Bring lots of tissues.

Chaplin
Member

01-08-2006

Monday, December 18, 2006 - 12:12 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Chaplin a private message Print Post    
The movie we saw tonight (Mame and I) was In Pursuit Of Happyness was fantastic.....Will Smith and his son Jaden are amazing in the movie. Oprah was right in her pic for this movie being one to not miss over the holidays. It is based on the book by the same name. The movie follows the lives of a down and out Father who would resort to anything short of committing a crime in order not to lose his son since he never knew his Dad till he was in his 20's. He wanted to break the mold of a tradition of Fathers abandoning their sons that was so much part of his family for 3 generations. Anyway the acting, writing and story line in this movie are all fantastic. I highly recommend it as a family movie although there are one or two swear words so it is really for older kids maybe 14 and up. It is a tear jerker so please heed my warning and take a box of kleenex. We did not when Mame and I went and believe me we were in desperate need of it when we came out. Thank goodess we do not wear mascara.

Mameblanche
Member

08-24-2002

Monday, December 18, 2006 - 11:05 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Mameblanche a private message Print Post    
Chaplin hon, the film IS called THE Pursuit of HappYness, according to the official website, as well as my (usually) faulty memory...

http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/thepursuitofhappyness/

Luv your 'review' but IMHO - I feel that it's perfectly suitable for kids who are younger - perhaps 10 years old. Kids nowadays have so much TRASH available to them, I believe this Quality film is a wonderful antidote to the dreck that's usually out there. A fair trade off for one or two naughty words. Since I don't know much about kids, (not having any) I just don't know their attention spans... that would be my only concern.

And on the radio this AM I heard that its the number one film this weekend. :-)

Chaplin
Member

01-08-2006

Monday, December 18, 2006 - 1:17 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Chaplin a private message Print Post    
Well the rating in Canada is 14+ I think because I saw it rated on the list when we bought the tickets.....In order to get a PG rating now a film can't have any violence, nudity or swear words. This film had the ex wife dressing in one scene and her bra showing in another. Some families are way more sensitive to swear words as well as how nude a person can be in a film. This film was not at all explicit in that respect however, enough skin was shown to rate that rating. I think personally it is fine for younger kids to see it. I put that review together the way I did because I do not like recommending that type of movie for preteen kids and then getting yelled at for recommending a film like that to the wrong ages. I realized my mistake on the film title also this morning. Thanks for correcting me. I was tired when I posted last night!

Chewpito
Member

01-04-2004

Monday, December 18, 2006 - 2:29 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Chewpito a private message Print Post    
Well I just wanted to say, that I enjoyed reading both of your views...especially knowing you went to it togeather.... Ill probably wait till dvd but will look forward to it...You guys are cute!!

Chaplin
Member

01-08-2006

Monday, December 18, 2006 - 10:37 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Chaplin a private message Print Post    
Thanks just call us the female version of Siskel and Ebert okay? In this case Singer and Specht LOL!!!!!!!! Hey that has a nice ring to it......

Mameblanche
Member

08-24-2002

Tuesday, December 19, 2006 - 12:32 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Mameblanche a private message Print Post    
Thanks Chewy! Chappy, I thought it was PG 13... Oh well.

Ketchuplover
Member

08-30-2000

Saturday, December 30, 2006 - 2:49 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Ketchuplover a private message Print Post    
I just saw it. Loved it. That's the last movie I'm seeing at the cinema. Happy New Year everybody :-)

Ketchuplover
Member

08-30-2000

Saturday, December 30, 2006 - 3:41 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Ketchuplover a private message Print Post    
His wife was a jerk

Kitt
Member

09-06-2000

Saturday, December 30, 2006 - 5:27 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Kitt a private message Print Post    
Yes she was. Why the last movie at a cinema, Ketchup?

Westtexan
Member

07-16-2004

Sunday, December 31, 2006 - 11:06 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Westtexan a private message Print Post    
I saw the movie this week. I have to chime in because of the discussion about its rating and whether it is appropriate for children. I have no children, granted, but in my opinion this is a great movie for impressionable older children because the message is--to quote Will Smith's character in the movie trailer you all have seen, "Never let anyone tell you you can't do something." Put your mind to a goal and never give up. I thought the movie was great and surprised to learn it wasn't PG. I can't imagine why? My only concern would be younger children's attention span. (There were some squirmy kids in the theater with me and I was on the verge of growling a few times.) I don't know, I'd say ages 10 and up would be okay.

If this movie warranted a PG13 then I'd say most everything on TV these days should be rated R--or C for crap.

The wife was a jerk, absolutely. I actually thought the actress overplayed the jerk bit. Surely the real wife was sweet at least 1% of the time.

Herckleperckle
Member

11-20-2003

Tuesday, January 02, 2007 - 4:38 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Herckleperckle a private message Print Post    
I, too, highly recommend this film!

My hubby and I saw this film this evening (Monday night) and just thoroughly enjoyed it. I did cry--but only at the end, not before.

I loved the story! Interesting that it was based on the real-life story of the main character. [Sure did help us review our own trying situation in a new light. (Ed still has no job.)]

I loved how the story was told/how it unfolded. And the acting was simply superb. Although I needed no convincing that Will is a skilled actor, I hadn't read reviews and didn't realize that the child actor in the movie was his own son! What a darling, natural child and completely believable in his role.

Will Smith has always been slim, but he looks incredibly skinny in this movie. Did anyone read about him having to lose weight for this role? I can't help but genuinely like the man. He is incredibly intelligent, it's clear. I think his choices in films have been outstanding.

The movie was not that well-attended, but I think that was due to today's date more than anything else. So it was easy for me to spot the couple of kids in the audience. I think the youngest were around 10 or 11, and I remember hearing them laugh in the right parts near the end--and watched them as they exited. They seemed very well-balanced kids. I think the film was entirely appropriate for them, but parents should recognize the maturity levels in their children before selecting a film. This one requires a fairly mature (read 'intelligent') kid to understand and be comfortable with the family dynamics depicted and the stresses that relentlessly bore down on the main character throughout nearly the entire movie.

Ketchuplover
Member

08-30-2000

Wednesday, January 03, 2007 - 10:14 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Ketchuplover a private message Print Post    
Disregard my last movie comment. Temporary insanity :-)

Ophiliasgrandma
Member

09-04-2001

Wednesday, May 09, 2007 - 4:12 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Ophiliasgrandma a private message Print Post    
I just saw the DVD. What an emotional wringer it was. Will Smith sure did deserve his Oscar nom for the part he played.

Urgrace
Member

08-19-2000

Monday, July 16, 2007 - 8:37 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Urgrace a private message Print Post    
This movie was on my list of 'movies to see' and got it on DVD. I was not happY about his 'coworker' and the 'errands' he kept throwing out there. It was blatant racism and makes me sad. The fact that he found all of his 'time machines' was great! Really good acting, too. I always enjoy Will Smith's acting.

Kaili
Member

08-31-2000

Monday, July 16, 2007 - 11:56 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Kaili a private message Print Post    
Have you read the book? There is a LOT more in the book that was left out of the movie (like his own childhood) and there were some (kind of big I thought) changes in the movie from the book.

Spunky
Member

10-08-2001

Saturday, September 22, 2007 - 9:32 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Spunky a private message Print Post    
The movie alone is not enough to understand the story of the author, the book gave me a different image of the real Chris Gardner but both movie and book are very good. But Wil Smith gave the character a more humble portrayal of the man who has to fight incredible odds, while the book sometimes made me feel the author was too many times 'self-congratulating'.
Anyway, it's an interesting reading. For me it was incredible how anyone who ended up living homeless with a kid in tow could have become a multi-millionaire tycoon. It was a determination but meeting the right people at the rigth time as well.

Pamy
Member

01-02-2002

Sunday, November 25, 2007 - 2:15 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Pamy a private message Print Post    
just saw this, very good but really left me feeling disappointed I didnt know more about his life after the job. Will is such a great actor. His son is charming.

I wish they would have said more at the end of the movie. Did his X ever see her son again? The movie was so depressing in the beginning I wanted a bigger payoff at the end. I wanted to see him living the good life with his son

I have never heard of Gardner investments, so I wonder if the company crumbled in the 90s. I guess I should google him

Did the book say what happened to his X?

Rissa
Member

03-20-2006

Wednesday, November 28, 2007 - 12:21 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Rissa a private message Print Post    
From what I have heard/read, he created most of his own difficulties and as Spunky said, is very self-congratulating about how he then got out of it. Things like some serious drug use or making a bit of money and then splurging it. I can't recall all the details about his ex except that she didn't exactly disapear forever like the movie implies. Chris went back and forth with her for years and they have another child... a daughter that wasn't mentioned at all in the movie. She has made allegations of spousal abuse which he denies. There was also a two year period when his son was btn 4-6 yrs old when Chris left him to pursue his career (the movie actually occurs when Chris' son was only 2 yrs old.

Having said all that, it is a great movie and I just love Will Smith.

PS I am sure you can find info all over the net, here is just one: Chris Gardner, reality vs movie