The Pursuit of Happyness

At one point in The Pursuit of Happyness, Chris Gardner considers why Thomas Jefferson in writing the Declaration of Independence enumerated among our unalienable rights not happiness, but the pursuit of happiness. Perhaps, he surmises, happiness is not something in and of itself, but is only known in the pursuit.

The story (inspired by a true story) is about Chris and his son (his wife is there briefly, but soon leaves the family). Chris is bright, but has made some unfortunate choices along the way. He is getting by hand to mouth and sometimes not even that well. He sells an expensive and somewhat unnecessary medical device. Sales are few and far between -- which means no money. Just about the time he makes a little ground, something happens to knock him back down.

He briefly meets a stock broker and sees his very expensive car. He notices many people around him who look happy and they all have the look of money. Chris sets out to become a stock broker. The trick is that it involves an unpaid intern program -- 20 interns trying to impress the bosses so that they will be the one person hired. If every thing goes just right, Chris will have just enough to scrape by through the program. The film, of course, would not be very interesting if everything went right.

Chris is a hard worker. He struggles to be the best in the class. He takes care of his son, even when they are homeless. He travels the Bay Area on weekends to try to sell yet another of the bone scanners so he'll have a bit of income. All for a dream that can crash at anytime.

Through all this time, we continue to see Chris struggling in poverty and not finding happiness, only pursuing it. We also see many happy people, people who have jobs and money and all the accoutrements. All through the film, we seem to be told that happiness is tied to wealth and prosperity.

After taking the important test that will be a big part in the choice of who will get the job, Chris remembers back to high school when he would do well on a test and the joy that came from knowing he had done well and the kinds of opportunities that were open to him. It is at that point that the filmmakers drop their bomb. Happiness, Chris sees, is not in money, but in fulfillment. He still needs to be hired as a stockbroker, but he knows that the happiness is truly found in the pursuit and in the striving to be all that he can be instead of settling for what he has become.

That is a powerful point. In his letter to the Galatians, Paul includes joy among the fruits of the spirit. There is a spiritual component to happiness. Happiness is not the result of wealth or its trappings. Happiness comes from within us. It may not be easy to discover and bring to the surface, but it is available to us. It often involves coming to grips spiritually with all the problems that that block our lives from being fulfilled.

Ironically, and unfortunately, the filmmakers eventually undermine their own argument. After the story ends, they note on screen how much money Chris went on to make. It may be factual, but for this story, and especially for the moral they have worked so hard to give us, it is irrelevant.

That unfortunate note aside, this is still a feel good movie in which we see the love Chris has for his son and his dedication to achieving something better for his son and for himself. We know that we too can pursue happiness if we are willing to strive to fulfill our potential.