Fresh Prince gets 'happy'

Though much of the story is filled with heart-wrenching moments, "The Pursuit of Happyness" has found a unique niche in a realm of success stories.

It's inspired by the true story of Chris Gardner (played by Will Smith), who is forced to care for his son Christopher (Jaden Smith) when his wife (Thandie Newton) leaves them after months of unpaid rent, long hours at work and little money to get by on. He's living in San Francisco with barely a job -- the salesman sells bone-density scanners when he can convince doctors they're necessary -- and "home" for the pair moves from a dirty apartment to a motel and then to the streets.

The two learn to cope with homelessness with little more than luck and love to go on. All the while, Gardner has scoured to find an internship that could land him a job as a stockbroker -- one that would do more than just make ends meet. The only problem, as Gardner puts it, is his lack of experience in the real world.

Although Gardner is truly smart -- he can solve a Rubix cube in just minutes -- it takes a big stroke of luck for him to finally be noticed and score the internship that he takes with little promise he will even receive the job in the end.

In addition, tense, climactic moments -- like Gardner being forced into jail and chasing a homeless man who steals one of the scanners -- keep the film captivating.

The film's focus on the American dream played out with one major weakness, at least in my mind. As soon as Gardner landed the job and knew he was going to have money, the music played, the people cried and the film seemed to try and make one sweeping statement (though it may not have been the intention of writers and producers): Money equals happiness.

But after watching the movie for my second time, I began to realize it wasn't just about the money for Gardner. It was about how that money and that job would give him his life back -- a life where he could spend days just being with his son and not worrying where he would sleep that night or what they would eat.

Smith's strong performance -- one that is perceptive and emotional -- is somewhat different than we're used to seeing. Perhaps because his son in real life played the role of his son in the movie was the reason it came more naturally to Smith -- but there was a clear natural spark between Will and Jaden Smith.

The special features in the DVD are engaging but lacked what I'd most like to see -- deleted scenes and alternate endings. Given that "Pursuit" is inspired by Gardner's true story, an alternate ending was not exactly possible. What were included were short interviews with Will and Jaden Smith on the challenges of playing father and son while having the same relationship in real life.

Another feature showed how having Italian director Gabriele Muccino helped with the film's interpretation of the American dream. Muccino's view is that being a foreigner helped him better interpret this dream so he could see how he wanted it played out in his film.

And though much of the film is filled with heartbreaking moments, as a whole it showcases the inspirational relationship between Gardner and his son that gives a heightened awareness for what matters and what truly lasts.