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Interpersonal Communication in “The Pursuit of Happyness”, Movie Review Example

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“The Pursuit of Happyness” is a touching film about a man who overcomes great odds to going from being a salesman of bone density scanners to become an stock broker. Various means of interpersonal communication are shown throughout this movie: they underline Chris’s relationship with himself, with his wife, and with their son.

Interpersonal Communication: Chris’s Relationship With Himself

The voice-over gives the viewer an insight into Chris’s character and his self concept – or the way that he sees himself – from the beginning of the movie: he says that he did not know his father until he himself was an adult, and wanted his own son to know him. It is clear that Chris’s view of himself relies heavily on his role as a father. More is revealed about Chris’s relationship with himself through the Rubik’s cube: this is a symbol , a thing which represents something else in the story, and it symbolizes Chris’s struggle to overcome the odds and to make his life better. Chris’s field of experience – or the person’s background which affects how that person sees the world – is also part of this struggle, and it is well-demonstrated in the movie when he talks about the lines on the resume for education, saying “I didn’t need that many lines”. This is also shown in the way in which Chris learns to navigate his way through the culture of wealthy and largely white stockbrokers: the scene at the house of the CEO and Chris’s conversation there shows the intercultural communication , for the ways in which people of different groups communication with one another. At the end of the movie, the cost of his struggle is shown in his face in the scene where he is given the job: it is obvious that he is trying hard not to break down and cry in front of his bosses, following a rule of display , or a rule which says how much emotion it is acceptable to show in public.

Indirect show of Chris’s Struggle . Chris’s struggle is also shown through the means of power distance, or the distance between those who have power and those who do not in a given society: this is shown when Chris is watching the stock brokers coming down the steps, wanting to be part of that world. It is also shown through the communication channel – or the means by which communication is performed, such as the radio or television – of the telephone which Chris is tied to during his internship as he tries to get ahead; it is also shown by the communication setting – or the place in which communication takes place – for his talk with the stockbroker at the beginning of the movie on the steps of the stock exchange: this is what changes his life and leads him to become a stockbroker.

Break-Down in Communication: Chris’s Relationship With His Wife

Interpersonal communication also shows the viewer the breakdown in the marriage between Chris and his wife Linda. One way in which they do this is through nonverbal communication, or ways of communicating that do not involved direct words: the scene where he and his wife are in bed together, and he pulls away when she tries to touch him, then she rolls over and yanks the blankets onto her side, is a great way of showing the breakdown in their relationship. It is also shown through feedback , or the response that one person gives another while they are communicating: his wife’s unbelieving and angry response to his suggestion that he go and apply to be a stockbroker is a good example of feedback. His relationship with his wife is a complementary relationship – that is, it is a relationship where one person reacts to what the other person is doing and their differences are highlighted: this is shown in the scene where Chris follows Linda angrily down the street, and they get into a shouting match about their son and her leaving them. This relationship is also shown through sending and receiving of messages to each other: in another words, of the things Chris says to Linda and the things she says in return. On the balcony, Chris is trying to send a message to Linda that things are going to be all right, but Linda receives the message angrily and does not believe him. This scene is a good example, too, of over-attribution : or the placing of too much importance on one part of who someone is: Linda seems to be blaming all their problems on Chris as he struggles to be a provider. This also shows the communication barrier – anything which prevents one party from sending a message to another – which is the feelings of anger they have for one another and which prevent them from really talking to each other.

Indirect Show of the Conflict between Linda and Chris . The movie does not only show the breakdown in the marriage between Linda and Chris directly. It also shows it indirectly. One example of this is the scene in the liquor store, where Chris is frantically seek information about his wife who has just left him and his neighbor is babbling on about the game. This is an example of noise, or anything in the outside environment that distracts from communication. .

The Tie That Binds: Chris’s Relationship With His Son

The strongest and healthiest relationship in this movie is Chris’s relationship with his son Christopher, and this is shown through many methods of interpersonal communication throughout the course of this movie. Their discussion about the connotation – or the exact meaning – of words is shown wonderfully in his discussion with Christopher on the difference between “probably” and “possibly” when they are talking about going to the gain; this is in contrast to the discussion on the “f-word” in the beginning of the movie: Chris gives his son the connotative meaning – or the emotional importance of the word; he tells Christopher that it is an “adult word” and is “shows anger”. The encoding – or the process of putting ideas into a message – and decoding —the process of taking in the message and trying to understand it – are shown in the scene at the basketball court, where Chris tells his son not to believe people when they tell him he can’t do something, and Christopher takes this message in. This scene is also a good example of enculturation , or the way that one generation passes on its beliefs to another generation, and, too, of active listening : Chris really seems to be taking in what his father has told him.

Displays of Affection between Chris and his Son. Throughout the movie, even when they are frustrated or angry at each other, there is an affection between father and son, an other-orientation , or a state in which one person is very attuned to and attentive to the other. This is best shown in the scene in the church where Chris takes his son’s hand and kisses it. This is also underscored in their relationship dimension – which is communication that speaks of the relationship between the two people communicating and not on any outside factor. A scene to demonstrate this is where Chris scoops up his son in daycare and holds him as the movie ends. It also demonstrates affirmation , or a show of support, even if non-verbally.

Throughout this movie, interpersonal communication is evident in the ways the characters interact with each other and with themselves. Together, these various methods of communication show us Chris’s relationships with himself, his wife, and his son. It is primarily these relationships which drive the movie.

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Jotted Lines

A Collection Of Essays

The Pursuit of Happyness: Theme Analysis

The Pursuit of Happyness was a commercially successful film whose main appeal is its ‘feel-good’ ending.  It treads the much worn path of the rags-to-riches narrative, albeit with some variations in plot, characterization and context.  This essay would argue that despite the commercial success of the film, it fails as a social instrument.  In other words, if the purpose of cinema is not merely to entertain but also to educate, the Pursuit of Happyness fails on the latter count. The essay will also analyze the major themes in the film.

The main criticism is toward its core message that among the thousands of honest aspirants for the American Dream only a few lucky ones make through.  The final shot of the film is not merely the triumph of its protagonist, but equally the defeat of multitudes of his brethren. The defeated cannot said to have all been less industrious than our hero.  Luck plays a major role in deciding who succeeds. One also needs to question the kind of culture in which the odds are so stacked that only one in a thousand makes it big in life. If the purpose of the film is to celebrate the glamour of the American Dream, then it fails substantially in meeting this objective.

A disappointing feature of the film is its predictable plotline.  The much treaded rags- to-riches theme is tried yet again in the Pursuit of Happyness.  Almost from the moment the homeless hero is introduced one has a sense of predictability of what awaits him.  The already encumbered hero will be subject to further distress, before he emerges triumphant as a result of industry or ingenuity.  In Chris Gardner we have all apt qualities of the disadvantaged hero – black, impoverished, married and professionally uncertain.  His wife’s estrangement from him due to his financial failures adds to the melodrama. It can be claimed that director Gabrielle Muccino had gone a little overboard in creating sympathy for his lead characters.  It would have served the film well had the focus been more on crisp screenplay and editing.

The focus on the theme of consummation of the American Dream actually distorts the bitter reality of American society.  The story is based on the real life of Chris Gardner, who struggled through poverty and went on to become a successful businessman – he founded and managed his own brokerage firm in the 1990s.  But the verity of Chris Gardner’s story does not exclude the stark reality of homelessness in America.  While Gardner was fortunate enough to escape poverty, millions of Americans are yet homeless.

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Movie Review | 'The Pursuit of Happyness'

Climbing Out of the Gutter With a 5-Year-Old in Tow

By Manohla Dargis

  • Dec. 15, 2006

A fairy tale in realist drag, “The Pursuit of Happyness” is the kind of entertainment that goes down smoothly until it gets stuck in your craw. Inspired by a true story, as they like to say in Hollywood, the film traces the fleeting ups and frightening downs of Chris Gardner, whose efforts to keep his family from sinking into poverty evolve into a life-and-death struggle of social Darwinian proportions. It’s the early 1980s, and while Ronald Reagan is delivering the bad economic news on television, Chris is about to prove you don’t need an army to fight the war on poverty, just big smiles and smarts, and really sturdy shoes. (It also helps that the star playing him is as innately sympathetic as Will Smith.)

Given how often Chris breaks into a run on the streets of San Francisco, it’s a good thing his shoes are well built; his lungs, too. Written by Steven Conrad and directed by Gabriele Muccino, “The Pursuit of Happyness” recounts how Chris, plagued by some bad luck, a few stupid moves and a shrew for a wife, Linda (Thandie Newton), loses his apartment and, with his 5-year-old, Christopher (Jaden Christopher Syre Smith, Mr. Smith’s own beautiful son), joins the ranks of the homeless, if not the hopeless. Evicted from the mainstream and bounced from shelter to shelter, Chris holds firm to his dignity, resolve, faith, love and independence. His optimism sweeps through the film like a searchlight, scattering clouds and dark thoughts to the wind.

It’s the same old bootstraps story, an American dream artfully told, skillfully sold. To that calculated end, the filmmaking is seamless, unadorned, transparent, the better to serve Mr. Smith’s warm expressiveness. That warmth feels truthful, as does the walk-up apartment Chris’s family lives in at the start of the film, which looks like the real paycheck-to-paycheck deal. As does the day care center, which is so crummy it can’t even get happiness right (hence the title).

This is no small thing, considering the film industry’s usual skewed sense of economic class, a perspective encapsulated by the insider who described the middle-class family in “Little Miss Sunshine” to me as working class, perhaps because the mother drives a gently distressed Miata rather than next year’s Mercedes.

Money matters in “The Pursuit of Happyness,” as it does in life. But it matters more openly in this film than it does in most Hollywood stories that set their sights on the poor, largely because Chris’s pursuit of happiness eventually becomes interchangeable with his pursuit of money. He doesn’t want just a better, more secure life for himself and his child; either by scripted design or by the example of the real Chris Gardner, he seems to yearn for a life of luxury, stadium box seats and the kind of sports car he stops to admire in one scene. His desires aren’t just upwardly mobile; they’re materialistically unbound. Instead of a nice starter home, he (and the filmmakers) ogles mansions. It’s no wonder he hopes to become a stockbroker.

That may sound like a punch line, at least to some ears, but it’s the holy grail in “The Pursuit of Happyness.” A self-starter, Chris has sunk all of the family’s money into costly medical scanners that he tries to sell to doctors and hospitals. But the machines are overpriced, and the sure thing he banked on has landed them in debt. Forced to work two shifts at a dead-end job, Linda angrily smolders and then rages at Chris, which seems reasonable since he has gambled all of their savings on an exceptionally foolish enterprise. (And, unlike her, he hasn’t signed up for overtime.) But this is a film about father love, not mother love, and Linda soon leaves the picture in a cloud of cigarette smoke and a storm of tears.

Chris and the filmmakers seem happy to see her go, but life only gets tougher once she and her paychecks disappear. Much of the film involves Chris’s subsequent efforts to keep himself and his child housed and fed while he is enrolled in an unpaid internship program at a powerful stock brokerage firm. Bright and ferociously determined, Chris easily slides into this fantastical world of shouting men, ringing phones, gleaming surfaces and benevolent bosses. He goes along to get along, and when one of his bosses asks for money to pay for a cab, he quickly opens his wallet. Chris himself stiffs another working man for some money because that wallet is so light. But this is a film about him, not the other guy.

How you respond to this man’s moving story may depend on whether you find Mr. Smith’s and his son’s performances so overwhelmingly winning that you buy the idea that poverty is a function of bad luck and bad choices, and success the result of heroic toil and dreams. Both performances are certainly likable in the extreme, though Mr. Smith shined brighter and was given much more to do when he played the title character in Michael Mann’s underrated “Ali.” That film proves an interesting comparison with this one, not in filmmaking terms, but in its vision of what it means to be a black man struggling in America. In one, a black man fights his way to the top with his fists; in the other, he gets there with a smile.

“The Pursuit of Happyness” is rated PG-13 (Parents strongly cautioned). It includes mild adult language and some parental fighting.

THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS

Opens today nationwide.

Directed by Gabriele Muccino; written by Steven Conrad; director of photography, Phedon Papamichael; edited by Hughes Winborne; music by Andrea Guerra; production designer, J. Michael Riva; produced by Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal, Steve Tisch James Lassiter and Will Smith; released by Columbia Pictures. Running time: 117 minutes.

WITH: Will Smith (Chris Gardner), Thandie Newton (Linda) and Jaden Christopher Syre Smith (Christopher).

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A Pursuit of Happiness a Movie Review essay

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Movie Analysis: the Pursuit of Happyness

Movie Analysis: the Pursuit of Happyness

Based on the real life story of Chris Gardner, the Pursuit of Happyness looks at the crests and troughs in Chris’ life on his way to becoming a stock broker, and eventually as everyone knows, a multi-millionaire. Will Smith played the role of Chris Gardner while Smith’s son, Jaden Smith played Gardner’s 7 or 8-year-old son. At one level, even though the movie is titled The Pursuit of Happyness (deliberately spelt wrong), it is pretty depressing.

Yes, the movie is supposed to focus on the struggles of the main protagonist as he chases what seems like a chimerical dream. However, every time you think that things are going to get better, they only get even worse for Chris. As Chris and his son move from one slump to another, you begin to wonder is there truly light at the end of the tunnel for this man? The movie starts off with Chris desperately trying to sell, with not too much luck, a bone density monitoring system. Every hospital he approaches does not seem to find a need for such a system.

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But at different stages in the movie, I did find it strange that, when things start going really wrong, and when you know he needs to dig deep to find a way out, Chris does manage to sell that very system to different doctors, even as he is trying to do his best at an unpaid internship at Dean Whitter brokerage firm, and also struggling to find a place to stay at night for himself and his son. So, initially, couldn’t he sell it because he didn’t try hard enough or because he knew that even if he didn’t sell it there was a way out with his wife doing two shifts at work?

It seems even weirder because the movie seems to focus on the strength of trying despite failures, on Chris’ unwavering perseverance and determination. Two scenes in the movie actually reflect this very well: first, when Chris gets a chance to impress his future employer, in 10 to 20 minutes on a cab ride. As the cab races to the destination, Chris struggles with the Rubik’s cube, turning it round and round desperately. The urgency in his moves is well-captured, for he knows he had to get it right, for this journey on the cab could well be a ticket to the journey of his life itself.

To me that scene in the cab summed up the movie – try, try and try again. You have to determine all the moves for yourself and you have to get it right. That is how one pursues happiness, and Chris’ life is a testimony to that. All this is voiced in one way or other when Chris talks to his son in the movie. In one scene when Chris is playing basketball with his son, he says he never made it as a basketball player and his son wouldn’t make it either. And just immediately after, he tells the kid, “Don’t ever let someone tell you, you can’t do something. Not even me. Or at another time he says, “You got a dream, you gotta protect it. People can’t do something themselves, they wanna tell you that you can’t do it. You want something? Go get it. Gardner”. And that’s what Chris does – he gets out there, works himself out and makes it – really makes it, giving hope to a lot of others like him. Not only does this scene voice that people should focus of the strength of trying despite their failures but it also depicts the love that parents have for their children can directly impact the children. This scene especially shows that was parents say and do can have a direct effect on the children.

By Chris telling his son to never let anyone tell him he can not do something and that if he has a dream to go get it. These are strong words that reflect what most parents wish to teach their children. To never give up and even in the worst conditions like in Chris’ situation, that you can still succeed in life. You just have to put your mind to it and have support from people who love you, like your parents. The title of this movie plays a huge role in what the movie is about. According to www. dictionary. com, success is the “attainment of wealth, position, or honours. Therefore, success can be measured by the amount of money an individual has, the position he or she has at work, and by the number of awards that have been won. Right? Years ago, in an interview with a man named Dilshad D. Ali, Chris Gardner was asked the familiar question: “Why is “happyness” spelled with a “y” in the title of your book? ” After a long pause, he eloquently stated that he wanted people to start thinking about their own definitions of happiness, what makes them happy, and “y” (why). If an individual lacks the knowledge of what truly makes him happy and why, it is impossible for him to chase his happiness.

Understand first, and then pursue. The “y” in “happyness” holds many different explanations as to what it symbolizes and reflects; however, the central message that each of these interpretations convey is that the pursuit of happiness is only possible when one is willing to battle through hardship and suffering. The road to seeking happiness is straightforward and clear, but it is never easy; the journey is filled with tests, trials, and hindrances of all sorts, and it is our jobs to triumph over these obstructions. Only then is the impossible possible.

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In ‘The Pursuit of Happyness’ I believe Will Smith did an exceptional performance in his performing abilities. The movie exceeded the action and romantic films Will Smith is known for. He illustrated the position of Chris [...]

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the pursuit of happiness movie essay

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The pursuit of happyness.

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Gabriele Muccino

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Probably Will Smith's best performances. Heck, it's probably Jaden Smith's best performance as well. This movie never fails to make me cry. The ending is cathartic seeing all his hard work pay off. The bathroom scene is heartbreaking.

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The movie is certainly well made and well acted, but it comes across as a movie made to give middle-class people warm fuzzy feelings that anyone can succeed if they just pull themselves up from their bootstraps and try hard enough. I understand that it's based on a true story, but the way that the script is written ignores all the systemic issues that prevent upward mobility.

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1 of will smith's best movies is secretly a remake of a 1948 italian classic, is the pursuit of happyness based on a true story where chris gardner is now, 10 tear-jerking movies with surprisingly happy endings, 10 best movies will smith produced, according to letterboxd, related titles.

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the pursuit of happiness movie essay

The Pursuit of Happyness

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Chapters 9-10

Chapter 11-Epilogue

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Summary and Study Guide

Chris Gardner’s memoir , The Pursuit of Happyness , details his pursuit of the American Dream and desire to rise against the challenging circumstances of his birth and attain success. From the outset, life is difficult for Gardner, a poor black child growing up in the Milwaukee ghetto with his mother, sisters and violent, abusive stepfather, Freddie. Gardner’s mother, Bettye Jean, had her own dreams taken away from her, when her father refused to pay for her college tuition and she drew an “unlucky card” when it came to the men in her life (20). The first two men were charming; each, however, was married, and each left her with a child to raise. The third, however, Freddie Triplett , who is drunk and violent to the extent that he runs after Betty and her children with a shot gun, causes the most damage. He is particularly cruel to Gardner, taunting him about his fatherless status.

They all grow to loathe Freddie and, in the instances, that Bettye Jean tries to leave him, he finds some means of reporting her to the police, and the children stay with their uncles and aunts or with foster parents until her release.

Gardner grows up with a deep fear of uncertainty, but he is also quick, curious and daring. He is an avid reader, goaded on by his mother’s sentiment that “the most dangerous place in the world is a public library” and vows to be a better man than Freddie or his abandoning father (25).

As a teenager growing up in the late 1960s and early 1970s, the beginnings of the Civil Rights Movement and the Sexual Revolution, Gardner gains a sense of himself as a young black man coming of age in a transformative historical period. He also has his first romantic and sexual experiences and falls in love with Sherry Dyson , a woman from Virginia.

They embark on an on-and-off, long-distance relationship, when Gardner joins the Navy. Instead of seeing the world, as he intended, he is stationed at Camp Lejeune, in North Carolina, where he gains medical training. Gardner is then invited to San Francisco, to become the assistant for a pioneering heart surgeon, Robert Ellis. Learning as much as he can on the job, Gardner publishes in prestigious medical journals and entertains hopes of becoming a doctor. While Gardner is stimulated professionally, he feels a void in his personal life, so, on impulse, he resumes contact with Sherry Dyson. They soon marry.

Marriage is the wrong choice for Gardner, who finds the institution “too structured, too orderly, too rigid” (163). He craves a wilder life and seeks out the distraction of other women. The most significant of these is Jackie , with whom he enjoys a voracious sexual relationship resulting in his son, Christopher. Gardner feels an instant bond with his son, as though he knew him “from a previous lifetime” (176).

Having left Sherry for Jackie, Gardner finds that outside of the bedroom, they are poorly matched. Jackie demands that he should make more money for them and encourages Gardner to abandon medical research altogether. He enters the world of sales and while he enjoys the competitive aspect of the job, finds upward mobility to be slow going.

One day, in a hospital parking lot, he spots a red Ferrari 308 and asks the driver, Bob Bridges , how he became so wealthy. When Bridges replies that he is a stockbroker, Gardner instantly knows that this is the profession for him. He goes for several interviews and is repeatedly rejected for his lack of experience, but eventually he gets a chance at the brokerage firm Dean Witter.

Meanwhile, Gardner’s relationship with Jackie has broken down and he is left as Christopher’s sole caregiver. Gardner and his son become homeless, staying in cheap hotels and a shelter run by the Reverend Cecil Williams .

As Gardner earns more money, he is able to find a stable home and jumps ship to Bear Stearns, a brokerage firm where he is encouraged to pursue his own investment interests.

Both in San Francisco and, later, in New York, Gardner excels and pioneers his own road in stockbroking, eventually concentrating on wealthy and famous African-American clients. In 1987, he starts his own brokerage firm, Gardner Rich & Company , in Chicago, where his vision is conscious capitalism and philanthropy.

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The Pursuit of Happyness

The Pursuit of Happyness

  • A struggling salesman takes custody of his son as he's poised to begin a life-changing professional career.
  • Based on a true story about a man named Christopher Gardner. Gardner has invested heavily in a device known as a "bone density scanner". He feels like he has it made selling these devices. However, they do not sell well as they are marginally better than x-ray at a much higher price. As Gardner works to make ends meet, his wife leaves him and he loses his apartment. Forced to live out in the streets with his son, Gardner continues to sell bone density scanners while concurrently taking on an unpaid internship as a stockbroker, with slim chances for advancement to a paid position. Before he can receive pay, he needs to outshine the competition through 6 months of training, and to sell his devices to stay afloat. — John Wiggins, Alf Fonz
  • 1981, San Francisco. In what limited academic opportunities he has had in his life, Chris Gardner has demonstrated that he is a smart man. Yet he is struggling financially in his life. He has invested all his money on portable bone density scanners, which he personally sells to physicians. Despite being a better product than x-rays machines, they are also far more expensive, meaning that they are an unnecessary luxury for most physicians. He needs to sell three scanners per month just to meet the basic necessities to support his family, his wife, Linda, and their five year old son, Christopher, on who he dotes since he didn't know his own father when he was a child. But lately, that has been three per month more than he has sold, resulting in an increasing embittered Linda continually needing to work double shifts doing manual work at a laundry, which still isn't enough to cover those basic costs, they being currently behind three months rent. Chris can't afford to pay his parking ticket, meaning that he has to take the bus everywhere now as the clamp remains on the tire of his car. Feeling like the scanner is not the answer to their financial problems, Chris, with or without Linda's blessing, decides to take a chance by switching careers when he sees that brokerage and securities firm Dean Witter has a six month internship program, which only admits twenty applicants, leading to only one intern being hired at the end of the process. It isn't until he is well immersed into the process that he learns that the internships are non-paying. Based largely on his chutzpah, Chris, against the odds, gets one of the twenty positions. With some changes in their lives resulting in fewer expenses, Chris figures he needs to sell his remaining six scanners just to scrape by for those six months. But some unexpected issues arise which leads to the Gardners possibly not making it through this phase of their lives financially, something he has to hide from his superiors at Dean Witter if he has any chance at all of making it through the internship and getting that paying job with them. — Huggo
  • Already struggling to eke out an existence, against the backdrop of early-1980s San Francisco, the earnest and hard-working bone-density-scanner salesman, Chris Gardner, finds himself with the back to the wall. Left with nothing when his wife abandons the family, the financially hard-pressed father will have to take care of his five-year-old son, Christopher, all by himself when, unexpectedly, the prestigious stock brokerage firm of Dean Witter offers Gardner an unpaid six-month internship. Now, bent on becoming a stockbroker, Chris is willing to go to great lengths to succeed; however, life can be challenging and cruel. Will Chris' efforts pay off? Can the determined parent make his dream come true? — Nick Riganas
  • A true story film about a middle-aged male doing everything that he can to keep himself and his family living off the streets in a dangerous city. He does everything that he can to gain every opportunity as he can to find a decent job and a good home for his growing family. — RECB3
  • In 1981, in San Francisco, the smart salesman and family man Chris Gardner ( Will Smith ) invests the family savings in Osteo National bone-density scanners, an apparatus twice as expensive as an x-ray machine but with a slightly clearer image. This white elephant financially breaks the family, bringing troubles to his relationship with his wife Linda ( Thandiwe Newton ), who leaves him and moves to New York where she has taken a job in a pizza parlor. Their son Christopher ( Jaden Smith ) stays with Chris because he and his wife both know that he will be able to take better care of him. Without any money or a wife, but committed to his son, Chris sees a chance to fight for a stockbroker internship position at Dean Witter, offering a more promising career at the end of a six-month unpaid training period. During that period, Chris goes through a lot of hardship personally and professionally. When he thinks he is "stable," he finds that he has lost $600 when the government takes the last bit of money in his bank account for taxes. He is rendered homeless because he can't pay his rent. He is forced at one point to stay in a bathroom at a train station, and must scramble from work every day to the Glide Memorial United Methodist Church, which offers shelter to the homeless. He must leave work early every day so that he is there by 5:00 in the evening along with his son so that he may be assured of a place to sleep. He is seen carrying his suitcase to work because he doesn't have a home. At work, there are nineteen other candidates for the one position. One day, he is called into an office and in it were the heads of Dean Witter. Chris thinks that he is about to be told the job will not be his as he says that he wore a shirt and tie for his final day. Then they tell him that he has been an excellent trainee and that tomorrow he will have to wear his shirt and tie again as it will be his first day as a broker. Chris struggles to hold back tears. Outside he begins to cry as the busy people of San Francisco walk past him. He rushes to his son's daycare, hugging him and knowing that after everything him and his son had been through things would be all right. The final scene shows Chris walking with his son down a street. His son is telling him a joke, when a wealthy business man in a suit walks past. Chris looks back as the man continues on. The man in the suit is none other than the real Chris Gardner.

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Personality Theory in the Movie “Pursuit of Happyness” Essay (Critical Writing)

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Introduction and description of film character

Rational for chosen theories, analysis of film character, analysis of internal and external factors, analysis of crisis or trauma-causing events, assessment of strengths and weaknesses.

Personality theories attempt to understand the behaviors and traits exhibited by humans (Patterson & Joseph , 2007). These theories have unique constructs that aim to analyze individual’s personalities the best way possible. The behavioral theory for example, attempts to understand a person’s behavior by analyzing the environment. This theory looks at the observable traits that characterize an individual.

According to Trimboli, Marshall, and Keenan (2013), the psychodynamic theory digs deep into the conscious and unconscious mind in an effort to understand personality. This research assesses the role of the behavioral and psychodynamic theories on Chris Gardner’s character in the movie Pursuit of Happyness. In addition, it seeks to understand the internal and external forces that affect his personality in the film and the factors that enable him to succeed. Lastly, the research analyzes the strengths and weaknesses of the two theories in relation to Gardner’s personality in the movie.

The movie Pursuit of Happyness was produced in 2006 and it was based on a true story about a poor man who rose to become a rich stock broker. In the 1981 film set up, Chris Gardner appears determined to make it in life regardless of the circumstances surrounding him. His love for his son is impeccable and he seems to do everything possible to be there for him. He vows to provide for his son everything that he needs to make his life better. Chis Gardner is struggling financially and the portable bone density scanner business does not seem to support his livelihood. Despite his circumstances, his hard work and patience lands him a job as a stock broker. Generally, Garner is relentless, persistent, and determined to make it even when everything seems to be against him. The aim of the current research is to analyze the character of Chris Gardner in the movie by applying personality theories.

Understanding Chris Gardner’s personality requires an in-depth analysis of personality theories. These theories enable one to comprehend how and why people behave the way that they do. There are two personality theories applied in the current research; behavioral and psychodynamic. According to Patterson and Joseph (2007), the behavioral theory is used to understand the relation between an individual and his environment. This theory tends to look at the observable behaviors rather than personal feelings. The theory assumes that the external behaviors are a true reflection of a person’s personality (Schultz & Schultz, 2013). Teunissen and Bok (2013) note that the behavioral theory was proposed by Skinner in an attempt to understand people’s differences through behavior.

Skinner noted that people often behave in a manner that warrants reward (Schultz & Schultz, 2013). Additionally, developing positive traits enables one to gain support from other individuals within the environment. Such traits include; compassion, empathy, and being understanding. Behavioral theory indicates that personalities are shaped and controlled by the society (Patterson & Joseph , 2007). Furthermore, negative traits can only be changed to positive traits after changing the environment. In this regard, this theory is fundamental in understanding how the environment controls the behavior of an individual. Chris Gardner’s environment plays a major role in his struggle and that of his son. He seems to be willing to provide the best for his family but his environment limits him. Assessing his story through the behavior theory will enable one to understand his environment better.

Contrary to the behavioral theory, the psychodynamic theory attempts to understand personalities through conscious and unconscious forces within the human mind. The theory was proposed by Sigmund Freud. According to Trimboli, Marshall, and Keenan (2013), psychodynamic theories emphasize on the importance of inner desires and childhood experiences in shaping personalities. This theory is person-centered and regards an individual as a sole entity. Moreover, it states that individuals are unique and have their own life history. Feud identified three notions that enhance the understanding of the psychodynamic theory; preconscious, conscious, and unconscious.

The theory also provides an understanding of resentment and anger as issues that develop during childhood. Understanding such conflicts enables an individual to experience healthy attitudes in the present. Trimboli, Marshall, and Keenan (2013) also acknowledge that the psychodynamic model ensures that the unconscious feelings experienced by a person are well understood in an effort to deal with their emotions. As a result, one is able to comprehend the internal emotions that could hinder success. This theory will provide comprehension of the conscious and unconscious battles that Chris Gardner struggles with. It will also provide an emotional point of view of his personality and his life in general.

A person’s environment plays a critical role in the behavioral theory. The environment tends to shape the personality of an individual. Krueger, South, Johnson, and Iacono (2008) indicate that that the personality of an individual also has an impact on the environment. When Gardner was younger, his father was never there for him and never offered emotional support. Therefore, he made a vow to always support his son both materially and emotionally. In this case, the negative environment he grew up in led to the development of his loving personality. The marriage between Chris and his wife does not seem to work and he is under so much pressure to sell the portable scanners.

As a result of this pressure and the cold attitude from the wife, he becomes more motivated and determined to work in the stock broking company. This pressure drives him to do everything possible to reach his goal despite the obstacles that he encounters. Patterson and Joseph (2007) acknowledge that the behavioral theory explains that people modify their behaviors when they know that they are being rewarded. When Gardner joined the internship program at the stock broking firm, the boss keeps on commanding him to get coffee and donuts. Despite the workload that Chris has, he obliges to get the coffee hoping that the program will finally reward him.

The psychodynamic model assumes that there are unconscious drives that determine how one behaves (Patterson & Joseph , 2007). Trimboli, Marshall, and Keenan (2013) note that the unconscious motives are a strong force that is unstoppable. Chris Gardner seems to be controlled by an unconscious strength that forces him to be persistent and determined to succeed in life against all odds. In addition, this force seems to act as an internal stimulus. Gardner’s goals and the will to succeed seem to be his main driving force. Although his goal to work in the stock brokers firm is not easy given his educational background, he still manages to get employed. In reference to Hopwood et al. (2011), our personalities as adults are dependent on our childhood experiences. Based on this movie, Chris had a very difficult childhood.

The motivation to provide for his family and give his son a better life than he had forces him to be hardworking and determined to excel. In the psychodynamic theory, the conscious and the unconscious mind seem to be in conflict with one another (Trimboli , Marshall, & Keenan , 2013). The id and superego concepts are found in the unconscious mind while the ego is found in the conscious mind. As a result, there are usually battles between the three concepts that create anxiety. After Chris was released from Jail, he had an interview at the stock broking firm. His mind seems to be unsettled and uneasy while waiting for his turn in the lobby. There seems to be inner battles taking place in his head. Such anxiety is eliminated by the ego’s application of defense mechanisms (Schultz & Schultz, 2013). In this case, Gardner uses humor to get rid of the anxiety.

Chris Gardner seems to be in constant battle with external and internal forces within his environment. According to Hopwood et al. (2011), the environment provides external forces that can affect personalities. This is well recognized in the behavioral theory. There are various external factors that affect Gardner’s behavior in the movie. The love for his son is an internal force that affects his personality both negatively and positively. An example is when he argues with the school janitor because ‘happiness’ in the school motto was spelt as ‘happyness’. He seems annoyed as he wants to provide the best education for his son despite his financial limitations.

His love for his son is the driving force toward his relentlessness and determination. Based on the psychodynamic theory, his ‘ego’ makes him believe that he will one day work in the stock broking firm despite the hurdles in his environment. It is the same ego that forces him to continue living in his house despite being three months behind on the rent. In this scene his landlord advises him to get a cheaper house but Chris seems optimistic that he will get a job and pay the rent. There seems to be a force telling him that everything will be alright despite his circumstances. The poor environment surrounding him acts as the external energy that forces him to be the best. Throughout the movie, he seems to be uneasy every time he takes his child to school. This is due to the fact that the school environment reminds him that he has to work harder for his son to get better education.

All through the movie, Gardner experiences various trauma-causing events that affect his behavior. After losing his house, he tries to do everything possible to provide basic needs for his son. He is seen to donate blood to get money to survive and take care of his son. He also fixes a portable scanner that was spoilt and sells it to get money. According to Patterson and Joseph (2007), going through a crisis can shape an individual’s personality both positively and negatively.

It reminds people that they have to work harder to get out of the crisis. Trauma-causing events tend to shape an individual’s line of thought. In the movie, the failure of the portable scanner business can be viewed as a crisis. Gardner does not seem to dwell so much on that failure but goes ahead and applies for an internship in the stock broking company. Additionally, he carries the scanners every day in the hope that someone will buy them. In the case of Gardner, crisis seems to make him better and does not deter him from fulfilling his life’s purpose. After the wife left for New York, Gardner does not seem to pester her to come back. Instead, he becomes even more determined to give the best life to his son. He is seen living in a motel and on the streets during the internship program.

One of the major strengths of the psychodynamic theory is its ability to uncover underlying issues that affect a person. In Gardner’s case, he is trying to deal with the fact that his father was unsupportive by loving his son unconditionally. The love is so great that he demands to stay with his son after the mother left for New York. The psychodynamic theory focuses more on relationships and interpersonal experiences (Trimboli , Marshall, & Keenan , 2013). As a result, Gardner is able to have a better relationship with his son despite the challenges he is experiences in life. Unlike behaviorism, the psychodynamic theory does not take into account the influences of the environment on an individual’s personality. In this case, it focuses on the conscious and unconscious battles in Gardner’s mind without paying regard to his surroundings. As a result, the theory tends to miss on environmental factors affecting his personality.

In reference to Teunissen and Bok (2013), the behavioral theory encompasses traits that are easily observed. Therefore, it provides clear evidence regarding a specific phenomenon. It is easier to detect personalities based on behaviorism as they are easier to observe. Gardner’s loving personality toward his son is very easy to point out. However, the behavioral theory is one-dimension as it does not account for internal forces inside a person’s mind. The theory does not take into account the individual’s mood when assessing personality. An example is the scene where Gardner runs across the street to catch a woman who had stolen his portable scanner. Based on this scene only, behaviorism would assume that Chris Gardner is just cold and mean which is actually not the case. Psychodynamic theory would enable one to understand the reason behind his negative attitude. This means that the behavioral analysis has the possibility of missing out on certain traits exhibited by an individual.

Hopwood, C. J., Donnellan, M. B., Blonigen, D. M., Krueger, R. F., McGue, M., Iacono, W. G., & Burt, S. A. (2011). Genetic and environmental influences on personality trait stability and growth during the transition to adulthood: A three wave longitudinal study. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 100 (3), 545–556. Web.

Krueger, R. F., South, S., Johnson, W., & Iacono, W. (2008). The heritability of personality is not always 50%: Gene-Environment interactions and correlations between personality and parenting. Journal of Personal Assessment, 76 (6), 1485–1521. Web.

Patterson, T. G., & Joseph, S. (2007). Person-Centered personality theory: Support from self-determination theory and positive psychology. Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 47 (15), 117-139. Web.

Schultz, D. P., & Schultz, S. E. (2013). Theories of personality. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning. Web.

Teunissen, P. W., & Bok , H. G. (2013). Believing is seeing: how people’s beliefs influence goals, emotions and behavior. Medical Education, 47 (11), 1064-1072. Web.

Trimboli, F., Marshall, R. L., & Keenan , C. W. (2013). Assessing psychopathology from a structural perspective: A psychodynamic model. Bulletin of the Menninger Clinic, 77 (2), 132-160. Web.

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  1. "The Pursuit Of Happiness" Film Reflection: [Essay ...

    To conclude, the movie In Pursuit of Happiness highlights the inequality that exists in the American society. Even though most Americans believe in their economic system, the manner in which the system works creates inequality and promotes the dominance of the white. The director used the example of Gardner to demonstrate the level of ...

  2. Pursuit Of Happyness Analysis: [Essay Example], 568 words

    The film "The Pursuit of Happyness," directed by Gabriele Muccino, explores the true story of Chris Gardner, an African-American man who overcomes adversity to achieve his version of the American Dream. This essay aims to analyze the film from a sociological perspective, examining themes such as social mobility, the impact of poverty on ...

  3. The Pursuit of Happyness: Movie Review and Analysis

    Published: Apr 8, 2022. In 'The Pursuit of Happyness' I believe Will Smith did an exceptional performance in his performing abilities. The movie exceeded the action and romantic films Will Smith is known for. He illustrated the position of Chris Gardner, trouble, struck down man dealing with the most upsetting time of his life.

  4. The Pursuit of Happyness, Essay Example

    The Pursuit of Happyness (Gardner, 2006) is an encouraging and inspiring autobiography of a person, who overcame all types of misfortune and adversity to become a powerful person in a world of finance. The Pursuit of Happyness (Gardner, 2006) is an autobiographical honest and humility story which describes Chris Gardner's long, excruciating ...

  5. Positive Psychology in "The Pursuit of Happyness" Film Essay

    Introduction. The Pursuit of Happyness, a 2006 movie adaptation of Chris Gardner's autobiography, retells a story of a salesman becoming a stockbroker and reversing his life despite the obstacles in his way. Due to its emphasis on positive experiences, happiness, positive thinking, strengths, and virtues, the movie may serve as a suitable ...

  6. "The Pursuit of Happyness"

    The Pursuit of Happyness is one of the best films that presents a strong will, self-determination, motivation, and discipline as essential constituents of success. It is significant to have insight into the idea of the film for the further evaluation. The Pursuit of Happyness is a 2006 biographical drama that describes the life of Chris Gardner ...

  7. "The Pursuit of Happiness" a Film by Gabriele Muccino Essay (Movie Review)

    Chris Gardner and his son struggle with homelessness. This film presents some of the best coaching ideas and practices. The first influential scene is when Gardner's wife decides to leave him. She leaves him after he becomes bankrupt. Gardner continues to sell his bone-density scanners.

  8. Interpersonal Communication in "The Pursuit of Happyness", Movie Review

    "The Pursuit of Happyness" is a touching film about a man who overcomes great odds to going from being a salesman of bone density scanners to become an stock broker. Various means of interpersonal communication are shown throughout this movie: they underline Chris's relationship with himself, with his wife, and with their son.

  9. The Pursuit of Happiness Essay

    The Pursuit of Happiness Essay. For our Economics subject, we watched The Pursuit of Happyness, a movie based on Chris Gardner, a salesman who was not making that much money and eventually experiences homelessness with his five-year old son. He faces problems when his wife is unwilling to accept his goal to become a stockbroker and leaves him.

  10. The Pursuit of Happyness: Theme Analysis

    The Pursuit of Happyness was a commercially successful film whose main appeal is its 'feel-good' ending. It treads the much worn path of the rags-to-riches narrative, albeit with some variations in plot, characterization and context. This essay would argue that despite the commercial success of the film, it fails as a social instrument.

  11. The Pursuit of Happyness Essay

    The Pursuit of Happyness Essay. The story of the movie The Pursuit of Happyness directed by Gabriele Muccino portrays a family who struggles with finding enough money to pay taxes and afford living expenses. The movie takes a place in San Francisco during the 80s. The two main characters are the father Chris Gardner and his son Christopher ...

  12. The Pursuit of Happyness

    Directed by Gabriele Muccino. Biography, Drama. PG-13. 1h 57m. By Manohla Dargis. Dec. 15, 2006. A fairy tale in realist drag, "The Pursuit of Happyness" is the kind of entertainment that goes ...

  13. A Pursuit of Happiness a Movie Review

    35542. The Pursuit of Happiness is a movie about a struggling salesperson who takes custody of his son, as he is ready to begin a life-changing experience. The movie stars Will Smith, with co-stars Jaden Smith, Thandie Newton, Brian Howe, Kurt Fuller, and James Karen, among many others. Will Smith, who plays Chris Gardner, is a great man deep ...

  14. ⇉Movie Analysis: the Pursuit of Happyness Essay Example

    Movie Analysis: the Pursuit of Happyness. Based on the real life story of Chris Gardner, the Pursuit of Happyness looks at the crests and troughs in Chris' life on his way to becoming a stock broker, and eventually as everyone knows, a multi-millionaire. Will Smith played the role of Chris Gardner while Smith's son, Jaden Smith played ...

  15. Lessons from "The Pursuit of Happyness" Movie

    The Pursuit of Happyness is not only a lesson on how to achieve success in life but an example of how to protect a family, be devoted to personal beliefs and never give up. Christopher Gardner revealed a captivating story, Gabriele Muccino made it watchable and educative, and Will and Jaden Smith performed, probably, the best roles in their lives.

  16. "The Pursuit of Happiness" Film Reflection

    "The Pursuit Of Happiness" Film Reflection_ [Essay Example], 1499 words GradesFixer - Read online for free. The document provides a detailed reflection on the film "The Pursuit of Happiness" which tells the true story of Chris Gardner's struggle with homelessness and poverty as a single father. The reflection discusses how the film realistically portrays the challenges of poverty and ...

  17. The Pursuit Of Happyness Movie Analysis Essay

    The Pursuit of Happyness - Film Analysis. Directed by Italian director, Gabriele Muccino, and inspired by a true story, The Pursuit of Happyness takes place in the hard streets of San Francisco in the 1980s. Chris Gardner, the main character played by Will Smith, is trying to fulfill the legacy of the American Dream, but his family is in quite ...

  18. Movie Analysis: the Pursuit of Happyness Essays

    Open Document. Based on the real life story of Chris Gardner, the Pursuit of Happyness looks at the crests and troughs in Chris' life on his way to becoming a stock broker, and eventually as everyone knows, a multi-millionaire. Will Smith played the role of Chris Gardner while Smith's son, Jaden Smith played Gardner's 7 or 8-year-old son.

  19. Analysis Of The Pursuit Of Happyness Through A ...

    The Pursuit of Happyness: Movie Review and Analysis Essay In 'The Pursuit of Happyness' I believe Will Smith did an exceptional performance in his performing abilities. The movie exceeded the action and romantic films Will Smith is known for.

  20. American Dream in "The Pursuit of Happiness" Film

    Get a custom essay on American Dream in "The Pursuit of Happiness" Film. This film presents Gardner as a person who struggles relentlessly with the struggles of living up to a point where it seems as if it is all going to collapse on him. Essentially, these films give a reflection of a man who is can be considered to be an on and off ...

  21. The Pursuit of Happyness Summary and Synopsis

    The Pursuit of Happyness: plot summary, featured cast, reviews, articles, photos, and videos. ... The Pursuit of Happyness is a drama film based on the life of Chris Gardner, a salesman who chronicled the year he spent his life homeless. Looking to reverse his fortunes and do what's best for himself and his son, Gardner pursues an unpaid ...

  22. The Pursuit of Happyness Summary and Study Guide

    Overview. Chris Gardner's memoir, The Pursuit of Happyness, details his pursuit of the American Dream and desire to rise against the challenging circumstances of his birth and attain success. From the outset, life is difficult for Gardner, a poor black child growing up in the Milwaukee ghetto with his mother, sisters and violent, abusive ...

  23. The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)

    Synopsis. In 1981, in San Francisco, the smart salesman and family man Chris Gardner ( Will Smith) invests the family savings in Osteo National bone-density scanners, an apparatus twice as expensive as an x-ray machine but with a slightly clearer image. This white elephant financially breaks the family, bringing troubles to his relationship ...

  24. Personality Theory in the Movie "Pursuit of Happyness" Essay (Critical

    According to Trimboli, Marshall, and Keenan (2013), the psychodynamic theory digs deep into the conscious and unconscious mind in an effort to understand personality. This research assesses the role of the behavioral and psychodynamic theories on Chris Gardner's character in the movie Pursuit of Happyness. In addition, it seeks to understand ...