Common Sense Media Review
Inspirational but often emotionally wrenching story.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 12+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
The Pursuit of Happyness
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 18 parent reviews
Based on 50 kid reviews
Kids say this film is an inspiring yet emotional portrayal of a father's struggles to provide for his son, capturing themes of perseverance and the pursuit of happiness despite overwhelming adversity. While some younger viewers found it a bit sad or challenging to fully grasp, many agreed on its powerful messages and recommended it for older children.
- inspiring story
- emotional impact
- perseverance theme
- age recommendation
- powerful messages
- family-oriented
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
Based on a true story and set in 1981 San Francisco, Pursuit begins as Chris Gardner (Will Smith) and his wife, Linda (Thandiwe Newton), are having troubles. She works double shifts doing hotel laundry; he's trying to sell bone density scanners (i.e., specialty medical machines that, as Chris admits in voiceover, are too expensive for most doctors to buy). When Linda abandons the family, Chris remains determined. He spends six months working in an unpaid internship at Dean Witter, dead set on becoming a stock broker. He's smart enough and good with numbers, he figures, having proved that much by solving a Rubik's cube in front of a Dean Witter broker. As he studies and scrapes by, barely earning enough each week to pay for meals, Chris is sure he's going to make it.
Is It Any Good?
Jaden Smith is adorable; he delivers an endearing performance as Gardner's son, Christopher, in what turns out to be a simple, sentimental, but ultimately inspiring movie. The film deals with the American Dream from a particular perspective, focusing, as the title implies, on the constitutional right to "pursue" happiness, rather than the right to be happy. In this manner, the movie is able to avoid focusing much on institutional racism and how that factors into achieving the Dream. Instead, the relationship between father and son, through all the ups and downs of family strife and economic instability, take center stage, with lovely results.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the appeal of stories like Chris'. Why do people like rags-to-riches tales? Why are they considered good material for movies? How close do you think the movie version is to the true story?
Families can also talk about the risks that Chris takes to provide a "better life" for his son. How does the movie show that little Christopher is both scared of having no place to sleep, but also utterly trusting of his dad? Is it OK that Chris tells a white lie in front of his son to get a job?
How does the film portray the decision by Christopher's mother to leave him? From whose point of view do you see this choice?
Movie Details
- In theaters : December 14, 2006
- On DVD or streaming : March 27, 2007
- Cast : Jaden Smith , Thandiwe Newton , Will Smith
- Director : Gabriele Muccino
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s) , Black Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Columbia Tristar
- Genre : Drama
- Run time : 117 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : some language.
- Awards : Common Sense Media Award , NAACP Image Award - NAACP Image Award Winner
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate