Starring Will Smith in 2006, the film “The Pursuit of Happyness” is based on a true story. However, as we well know, cinema often ends up adapting one thing or another in the final production. But what is really in what was presented on the small screen in this fiction?
With a breathtaking plot, capable of bringing audiences to tears, “The Pursuit of Happyness” has become a classic among films that apply real life lessons. If you were impressed by this story or haven’t heard about it yet, check out more details and interesting facts we’ve collected here.
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The Pursuit of Happiness: Inspired by the Life of Chris Gardner
When Will Smith brilliantly portrayed Chris Gardner’s life story, the world experienced such a turning point. After all, Gardner, the man who inspired the movie “The Pursuit of Happyness,” went through a number of challenges throughout his life.
From extreme poverty on the streets to financial success, Gardner has faced violence, abandonment, and a fight for survival that would impress any human being. However, his life’s achievement was the courage not to give up in the face of all these obstacles.
Traumatic childhood
Gardner was born in Milwaukee and experienced an abusive childhood, along with his mother and an alcoholic stepfather. After turbulent times, he spent time with a foster family, as her mother had attempted to kill her husband in a desperate situation.
As an adult, Gardner would spend four years of his life in the United States Navy. However, in 1974, he moved to San Francisco, California, and began working as a medical equipment salesman.
Financial difficulties and abandonment
This part is represented in the film, when it is shown that the main character was selling portable bone density scanners, a product specifically for clinics and hospitals.
It is worth mentioning that in the plot Chris Gardner invested in several units of the product with the aim of quickly returning his capital, but he was unsuccessful and it was then that his desperation and financial difficulties began to emerge.
As if the lack of money to pay the rent and survive wasn’t enough, his wife leaves him. At this point the intensity of the drama multiplies, since Gardner has not been abandoned alone, but is with his only 14-month-old son.
Which reveals something important, the real story was even sadder than how it is portrayed in the film, after all on the small screen Gardner’s son Christopher is portrayed as an older child, 5 years old.
The curious thing is that this child was played by Will Smith’s son, Jaden Smith. This made the scenes even more touching, as they both have a real father-son relationship.
Overcoming and living as a millionaire
In the midst of a harsh reality, Gardner faced the streets, living with his son in church shelters and public bathrooms at train stations. However, with impressive determination, Gardner once finds a man looking for a place to park his Ferrari and asks the stranger what he did to have so much money. The man then replies that he worked as a stockbroker.
As a result, Gardner not only got an interview with this contact, but also had a great opportunity to change his future. After all, she aced the interview by impressing hiring managers. The vacancy was for an internship, which Gardner worked on until 1981, when he was hired permanently.
This opportunity opened several doors, as he worked for renowned companies. However, he didn’t just have a good job and realized his entrepreneurial dreams by opening his own company, Gardner Rich, which made him as rich as the Ferrari guy. His fortune is estimated to have reached $60 million in 2016.
The post What is true in the film The Pursuit of Happyness? appeared first on Olhar Digital.
Source: Olhar Digital
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
