The Pursuit of Happyness: a Man’s Struggle to Achieve Success

Life is a struggle for single father Chris Gardner in 1981, San Francisco. Evicted from their apartment, he and his young son find themselves with no place to go. Jumping around town, barely surviving by selling a 40-pound device known as a “bone density scanner”, he eventually lands an internship at the prestigious brokerage Dean Witter lasting 6 months with no pay. Throughout the movie, Chris refuses to give in to despair, as he struggles to create a better life for himself and his son. The themes of power, perseverance, rejection, and determination have all played a major part in Chris’s pursuit in the 2006 film “The Pursuit Of Happyness” directed by Gabriele Muccino. By analysing the symbolic, technical and audio codes, I have been able to perceive the film in-depth and in extra clarity. ”The Pursuit Of Happyness” challenges the standard outlook of success, stating that success is possible as long as you persevere to invest time, to overcome difficulties and let nothing stop you from achieving your dreams.

For Chris’s pursuit of happiness to be successful, he must take the first step. Chris partakes in an interview and nervously awaits an answer in the busy lobby at Dean Witter. This scene spans from the lobby to a meeting room, where he will meet the director Martin Frohm and his other subordinates for a meeting regarding Chris’s internship. Just before this, Chris was painting his apartment and he was arrested for the failure of paying parking tickets. Hence his peculiar appearance and behaviour

In this scene, an arrangement of symbolic, audio, technical codes have been used to demonstrate that ‘success doesn’t come easily but through a series of obstacles’. Through costume and body language, Chris is portrayed as uncomposed and unrefined, dressed as a “garbage man”. While the surrounding businessmen and women are composed and “used to this situation”. The mid-shot of the lobby. This scene is designed to juxtapose Chris as restless and uneasy, “nervous”, amidst the professional background he’s currently in. You could say Chris’s posture makes him look like a “fish out of water” which attracts the other businessman’s attention. The busy clatter of the office can also add to the factor that Chris looks out of place as the other characters in the scene are working away, belonging to the environment, while Chris is silent and still. The tracking shots of Chris walking to the meeting room shows the gap between Chris's present stage and the ultimate future stage that is represented as out of reach. This idea is reinforced by the disapproval seen in the actions of his future colleagues. Their disapproval can be seen from there body actions such as staring and their handshakes. A mid shot reveals that Martin Frohm the director of the company doesn’t even glance at Chris when he shook his hand, also the toying with a pen during Chris’s talk. This implies that Martin and first do not respect Chris as a worthy candidate for this internship. Despite this, Chris’s determination to succeed can be seen through the vigour in his speech that later won him the position.

This next scene, shows such another example of obstacles that Chris will face. After winning the internship with no pay, Chris juggles another job to survive and to support his son. He managed as a part-time salesman and has sold off all his remaining scanners, thinking he and his son will make it pass these dire straits. Until the moment he received a letter, from the government that will send him back to square one, being broke with nothing.

In this scene, the viewer is positioned to believe that “Obstacles can strike when unexpected”. This scene conveys this message through codes as it shows Chris as a caring and outgoing father at the start and changes to be frustrated, desperate and stunned. At the beginning of the scene, Chris’s happiness can be portrayed through the music and voice-over showing the audience his sense of relief. Phrases such as, “it seemed we were making it” and “we’re doing good” However, as the incidental music plays further, the tone changes from a positive major to a relative minor foreshadowing the unfortunate events that are about to happen. Also when the music stopped, it symbolises the end to his temporal happiness. The panning down shot of the letter allows the audience to obtain a clear grasp on the sudden change of the mood and emphasises the message. This is supported by the written text in the letter.

Finally, on the last day of a 6-month long internship. Chris’s pursuit of happyness finally came to an end in the same meeting room he began in. ‘Success and happiness come after mastering waves of obstacles’. This underlying theme represents that Chris Gardener has finally found happiness. Throughout this scene, we could tell that Chris has finally achieved it through his body language. Such as a mid-shot showing his tears of happiness marking the end of his pursuit. Also, a long shot of Chris in the crowd grasping his hands, clapping, fist-pumping shows the good emotional surprise that he has received after a long and treacherous pursuit.

The Pursuit of Happyness, is ultimately a powerful film that re-enacts a real man’s pursuit for happyness through the theme “success doesn’t come easily but through a series of obstacles'. By analysing the symbolic, technical and audio codes, I was able to have a greater understanding of this film and its themes. Chris Gardener’s life has changed 180 degrees from start to finish in the movie. First entering the office as a nobody with the future he yearns for, clearly out of his reach. Eventually becoming somebody who left the office with overwhelming joy, being able to stand out in the crowd as a successful man. The Pursuit of Happyness is the perfect example of a movie in which the viewers get to understand the difficulties one must partake to achieve happiness and success. So, remember – just because you have a dream that is currently out of reach and seems impossible to achieve. Through 99% perseverance and determination plus 1% talent. Anything will eventually become achievable.