The Role of Independence and Security in The Pursuit of Happyness

Gabriele Muccino’s The Pursuit of Happyness explores the concept of one’s attempt at reconciling both the desire to act independently with their need for security. In this specific example, Chris Gardner — the father of the family — demonstrates his independence by proving that you don’t require an army to combat the war on poverty and instead, just smarts, smiles and a good pair of shoes; he reconciles this notion with his tireless mentality that he should protect his family and prevent them from the life-and-death struggles of poverty.

Gardner’s own individual problems of being evicted, struggling and having a shrew of a wife, are reasons he’s led to a state of back luck in the first place. While moving from shelter to shelter, he holds firm to his beliefs, dignity, love and independence, and navigates the world with a sweeping optimism. This optimism, which leads to his pursuit of happiness, actually translates into the pursuit of money in the grand scheme of things as he reconciles the idea of happiness with the security of his family, which requires money.

The film is evidently about a father’s love which quickly eclipses the mother’s love. It is about the desire to act as an independent male individual — as a father — because Chris constantly acts in his own volition. For example, he yearns for a life as a stock broker, with mansions, and pursues his own independent business ventures that he didn’t consult Linda on; it ends up failing. He attempts to do things on his own and solve things on his own for the betterment of his family and for their eventual security in times of turmoil and poverty.

The film is ultimately about a father’s independent commitment to his family and to the American Dream. It shows how far he would go for the safety and security of his family, and to protect his child. Chris reconciles his mentality that you need to be a foreigner to truly understand and appreciate the American Dream, and that he himself securing a job and moving forward will positively influence his family as well. Chris looks at Dean Witter Reynolds and thinks making money is the pursuit of happiness, but instead, he realizes that being independent and taking care of himself is, in essence, taking care of his family in less than ideal circumstances. In other words, if he does well, it means his family is doing well, and that is the pursuit of happiness.

Overall, the film shows Gardner’s ability to be independent and act in his own accord while figuring out what happiness means. He later on realizes that his individual pursuit of success and happiness translates into his desire to provide for his family and their security. The pursuit of happiness therefore seems to be a pursuit of independence, as well as the pursuit of the American Dream, which includes happiness and security for the whole family.