By Jeff Otto

Will Smith tones down Will Smith for this understated, touching performance.

I gotta be honest. When I first saw the trailer for Will Smith’s latest Oscar-vehicle, The Pursuit of Happyness, I had no interest in seeing the film whatsoever. The original trailer cuts together a string of inspirational speeches from Mr. Smith and as many sad-looking Smith’s two-cute-for-words son, Jaden Smith. Gag me with a spoon, I thought.

But then, I learned that the screenplay was written by Steve Conrad. Ironically, Conrad wrote the similarly mis-marketed Weather Man just last year. If you remember, Paramount attempted to trick audiences by promoting that film as an over-the-top comedy. Those who saw the film, which I personally thought was a terrific and highly underrated work, know it was quite a different movie than the trailers let on.

And so, I tried my best to go into The Pursuit of Happyness with an open mind. And thank goodness I did. Those with a strong memory may recall Will Smith’s big screen lead debut way back in 1993 as Paul in Six Degrees of Separation. It was a terrific performance worlds away from anything previously seen in Smith’s work (back then he was still The Fresh Prince) in music videos or his long-running TV show, The Fresh Prince of Bel Air. Smith held his own opposite screen veterans Stockard Channing and Donald Sutherland in an exceptionally understated performance as the tragic Paul. It was a great sign of things to come… Or so I thought.

Soon after that work, superstardom took Mr. Smith in a whole new direction. Movies like Bad Boys, Independence Day and Men in Black made Smith into a box office superstar, but they weren’t exactly tapping into that wealth of talent initially demonstrated in Six Degrees. 2001’s Ali was Smith’s first acting challenge since, but even there Smith played the energetic fast-talking boxing star, who is not exactly a far cry from many of the characters Smith had played before.

Happily, The Pursuit of Happyness is a return to the solid, understated acting work I first saw a mere 13 years ago. It is, far and away, the best acting work of Will Smith’s career. Again, I hope this is a promise of things to come rather than a stop-gap before MIBIII and Bad Boys 3. Please, oh please.

Pursuit of Happyness is based on the real story of Chris Garner. Smith stars as Gardner, a struggling door-to-door Bone Density Scanner salesmen desperately trying to keep his family afloat. His wife (Thandie Newton) is tired of just getting by, working two jobs and never seeing a break. Their son, Christopher, (Jaden Smith) is unfortunately caught in the middle of the couple’s constant fights about money. When she walks out on the family, Chris is left to fend for himself and his son.

Facing eviction and desperate for a fresh start, Chris has a chance encounter with a stock broker that drives up in a red Ferrari. When the man tells him that college isn’t a requirement for the job, Chris relentlessly pursues a prestigious internship at a stock brokerage firm. He gets the job, but his excitement is quickly curbed by the realization that it is unpaid. Refusing to accept defeat, Chris struggles through the internship while continuing his salesman routine whenever possible. He and his son are evicted from their apartment and eventually from a temporary hotel. Ground bottom finds the two sleeping in a restroom, on a bus and at a shelter. Through all the hardship, Chris keeps the two afloat.

Will Smith completely embodies the character of Chris Gardner. With his graying 80’s fro and frayed mustache, Smith looks older and wiser. He sinks deep into the part, hitting all the right notes as takes audiences through Gardner’s struggle. Most importantly, he keeps himself in check, adding just the right doses of that glowing star charisma that made Smith such a beloved box office star. He never tugs too hard at the heart strings, but most will be hard-pressed to keep the tears from welling up at least once during the course of the film.

The casting of young Jaden Smith could have been seen as little more than a stunt. After all, what’s a better sell than a popular actor and his cute son? But the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree in this case. Jaden has quite a bright future himself should he choose to follow in his famous father’s footsteps. Like his dad, his performance is restrained and powerful, resisting the temptations to rely on the power of simply portraying a cute, sad little kid.

Director Gabrielle Muccino, who himself seems an unlikely choice given the fact that this is actually his first English-language film, turns out to be a great choice for the project. He captures Garner’s story in a very realistic light. The film has a nice period-look (it’s set in the early 80’s), which can also be credited to production designed J. Michael Riva (Zathura, Spider-Man 3). Muccino hits all the right notes in the finished film, careful also never to take cross the line from touching to plain sappy. Instead, he merely allows Conrad’s tight script to work its magic.

The Pursuit of Happyness was a very pleasant surprise and ranks as one of my favorite films of this holiday season. It’s a great film for the whole family, an inspiring, heart-breaking crowd pleaser.

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