Pursuit of Happyness, Hillbilly Elegy and American Capitalism?

Pursuit of Happyness review

The tagline of “Pursuit of Happyness” was basically “story of a poor guy trying to get a job” when it came out which seemed a little (as the millennials say) basic.

After watching it, it hit me that there aren’t that many movies about a guy who desperately needs a job trying to make something happen. Even if this was an actual film genre that had been steadily populated throughout the years, this story would stick out for its specificity.


The protagonist Chris Gardner (Will Smith) is a father weighed down to the breaking point with bills to pay and a son to care for. His backstory isn’t filled in that well which might be intentional because little of it adds up. How did he get the job where he sells obscure medical equipment and why doesn’t he impress his bosses enough to ask for a raise with that? Why didn’t he take advantage of the free education that came with his service in the navy? Why did he choose to live in the country’s most expensive city? In real life, Chris Gardner’s first wife came from a wealthy family and she introduced him to high society life where he was mingling with Danny Glover and Samuel L Jackson. Why didn’t he try to use some of that social capital?

Nitpicking aside, we’re asked to accept that Gardner is an unexplained sort of poor…