Chris Gardner (Will Smith) is a struggling salesman. After failing to make ends meet, Gardner finds himself and his son evicted from their San Francisco apartment with nowhere to go. When he works as an intern at a prestigious stock brokerage firm, he and his son encounter many difficulties. Despite his troubles, Chris continues to honour his commitment as a loving and caring father, using the affection and trust his son has placed in him as an impetus to overcome the problems he faces.

Have you ever had a day when your wallet is close to empty and you need money ever so badly? That very frustrating feeling is what haunts businessman Chris Gardner (Will Smith) day to day as he goes around trying to sell bone density scanners. Serving little importance, these scanners prove very difficult for Chris to sell and with numerous parking tickets together with outstanding rent and tax returns, Chris is pretty much in bad shape at the end of each day. Unable to cope with the financial strain, his wife Linda (Thandie Newton) leaves home.

Undeterred by this, Chris, now a single father to 5-year-old Christopher (Jaden Smith), explores the possibility of becoming a stockbroker. Little did he know that the internship programme offered didn't involve any salary for a month! Having no cash in hand, and the only money earned by his sales seized by the government for his tax, Chris and Christopher end up in the streets. This proves to be a challenging time for them as they go to the extent of spending nights in shelters and even a man's restroom. Through it all, Chris channels everything into mastering his skills for stockbroking, relying on the trust that his young son has in him.

Chris Gardner finds himself attending the interview clad with paint smeared clothes and body after a day in jail, meeting in an accident and turning up for work with just one shoe and having to hand his last five dollars to an executive in the company. In tears and close to break down in various instances, we see him standing out amidst the rest as he works his way into the company.

Based on a true story, this movie has a very down-to-earth perspective highlighting that even in today's modern society, there are many homeless people roaming the streets due to the choices made in their lives. Will Smith plays the perfect role depicting one with such strong determination and we are reminded several times during the movie that the declaration of Independence itself states that we have a right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

"Don't ever let somebody tell you you can't do something ... You got a dream, you gotta protect it ..." Thus as Chris Gardner reminds his son, the film is an awakening to each one of us that we indeed do have the choice to chase the source of happiness in our lives. His sincere love for his son portrayed in this film along with all the tribulations he faced is moving indeed and if you're one who could do with a boost of inspiration, then go watch this film.

Oh, and if you haven't already questioned why its 'happyness' and not 'happiness' then its even more reason to watch and find out!

The American Declaration of Independence of 1776 states 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". This forms the basis of the so-called 'American Dream' which most immigrants seek - and the theme of this rags-to-riches story of Chris Gardner.

The one thing about "The Pursuit of Happyness" (its title deliberately misspelt to reflect a graffiti at the San Francisco daycare centre in which Gardner's son was left in) is that it does not set out to be a 'great' or creatively stylish movie. Right from the start, where Gardner (played by Will Smith) narrates the stages of his life, we get the feeling that this is an ordinary movie about an 'ordinary' husband and father doing his best not just to provide for his family but to get the best for them. And it is this 'ornery-ness' that makes us root for Gardner and his pursuit of wealth.

Set in the early 80s, the opening shows Gardner as a struggling salesman of an expensive thingamajig known as a 'bone-density scanner'. In the vain hope that he would make it big, Gardner has invested all his savings in that device which actually does the work of an x-ray machine - at many times the cost. Naturally, his business suffers and it takes a toll on his marriage. His wife, Linda (Thandie Newton), is tired of listening to his wild schemes and promises; and his five-year-old son, Christopher (Jaden Christopher Syre Smith) gets caught in between their squabbles.

A chance encounter with a successful stockbroker sets Chris on to his dream of a luxurious life and even lands him an unpaid internship at a prestigious brokerage firm. However, with no means of financial support for his family, Linda soon leaves him -- and Chris is left with the problem of juggling his training at the firm, his sales and taking care of his son. Things get worse when he is kicked out of his rented apartment. Since Chris does not want to be separated from his son, they have to live on the streets, sleeping in restrooms and charity homes.

Gardner's 'pursuit' - which is actually more of a gamble - may seem reckless and foolish but it is inspiring simply because he dares to dream and is doggedly determined to fulfil it. Of course, he has the love of his son to spur him on and this gives the movie its emotional depth. Like his Oscar-nominated rendition of the famous boxer in "Ali", Smith gives a sympathetic portrayal of Gardner, complete with his usual wide smiles and street smarts. Most of the time, he has us empathising with him. However, the show-stealer is his real-life son Jaden who tugs at our heartstrings with his tone and lines.

He displays real chemistry with Smith and mothers in the audience are bound to be moved by the performance of this curly-haired tyke. As such, remember to bring along extra handkerchiefs or tissue paper. Newton's role as Linda gets the short shrift - but she is not the villain here. Caught in such circumstances, we sympathise with her too.

Director Muccino, who is making his English language feature debut here, takes care of little details like Gardner's mastery of the Rubik's Cube (which was the rage in the 80s), and Gardner's trysts with a cab-driver. This helps to push the footage to more than two hours without forcing us to look at our watch. The ending, however, seems rather hasty - with Gardner's success documented in a footnote at the closing credits.

Reminiscent of "Kramer Vs Kramer", this one should work well with Malaysian audiences too.