Film Analysis "The Pursuit of Happyness"

An Analysis of a Film

 “The Pursuit of Happyness”

By Gabriele Muccino

1. Setting

Setting of Place                      : San Francisco, Lodging House, Glide Memorial

                                                  Church, a bus, Stock Broker Office

Setting of Time                      : 1981-1987

A Socio-cultural Setting        : A modern life. Many people have modern

job as stock broker. It indicates that the character lives in a modern life. In addition, the use of modern health tool, a bone-density scanner machine also indicates that the story took place in a modern life.

2. Character and Characterization

Main Character                     :

Chris Gardner: He is a salesman of bone-density scanner machine.  He is a smart, tough, and hard worker. He is the main character because for all the time the film shows much about him.

Christopher: He is Chris Gardner’s son of five years old. He is also the main character as Chris Gardner. He is full of understanding to his father’s condition. He is smart and strong in term of his mental.

Supporting Character          : 

Linda: She is an employee of a laundry service. She is Gardner’s wife. She is impatient. She is hard and bad tempered. She is the antagonist character because she was always in the opposite opinion to Chris Gardner.

Charlie: He is the owner of the lodging house where Chris

Gardner and his family live.

Ralph: He is the owner of the lodging house where

Gardner and his family live.

Deborah: She is another owner of a lodging house.

Driver: The taxi driver in which Chris Gardner got in. He got very angry to Chris Gardner because he avoided paying for the taxi fare by escaping from the taxi.

                        etc. (many other characters.)

                        They are the supporting character for they made the story

 complete.

3. Plot

Exposition      :The story began in 1981. There was a small family of

                        Chris Gardner, Linda, and a five year old boy,

                        Christopher, their son. Chris Gardner was a salesman of a

                        bone density scanner machine.

Complication: The problem started when Chris Gardner could not

                        afford enough money for paying taxes, for their family’s

                        daily needs, day care of their son.

Crisis              :The crisis happened when Linda, Chris Gardner’s wife

could stand living in poverty, so she left Chris Gardner. Then, Chris Gardner received a letter of obliging to pay taxes while he did not have enough money in the bank. In addition, Ralph, the owner of the lodging house asked Chris Gardner to pay for the rent or they had to leave the

lodging house. So, Chris and Christopher spent the night

in the rest room.

Falling Action:In his hopeless condition, Chris Gardner got

                        opportunityto have training/work as a stock broker after

                        passing the test  without any salary in Dean Witter

                        Reonolds. The best candidate would be the employee of

                        Dean Witter. In such condition, he was expelled by

                        Deborah, the owner of the lodging house because Chris

                        Gardner could not pay for the rent. Chris Gardner and

                        Christopher stayed in Glide Memorial without any fare. At

 the same time, he maintained their life by selling the

broken bone scanner machine. In order to get money to fix

 the machine Chris Gardner sold his blood as a donor.

Resolusion: Having finished training, Chris Gardner was informed by

the officer of Dean Witter that he was accepted as the

permanent employee. He achieved his success as a stock broker. Eventually, Chris Gardner established his own

stock broker company, Gardner Rich. Success was his. He

could sell some of his own company’s stake in 2006 and

                                     he could achieve millions dollar.

4. Point of View: First-Person Point of  View (Limited Omniscient)

  The narrator/story teller is the doer of the story.

5. Symbol           : Love, sadness, struggle, and happiness

  Gardner’ love to his wife, Linda makes him patient to

  hear her curse and anger almost. He also loves his son.

  Gardner’s life is full of sadness. He seems to be always

   in a sad condition because of his condition.

   Gardner struggles for his family and life. He

   struggles for having a complete family but fails. Linda

   leaves him. He struggles for better earnings. He

   struggles for his success in financial.

   At the end of the film it is known that Gardner lives

   happily because he succeeds as stock broker. His very

   long effort and struggle comes to a happy ending.

6. Tone               : Touching and deep compassion

   Almost all the scene seems to be touching and deep

   compassion. The condition of Gardner who is always

   blamed by his wife, the words of Gardner’s son of

   asking why his mother leaves them really touch and

   compass us. In addition, the Gardner and his son struggle

   because of having no place/house to stay, having no

   money is really a very compassion.

7.                                                      Theme            : Family Life

  This film specifically tells about the life of a small

  family of Gardner with his wife and his only son, Christ.

  Though in the middle of the story, his wife leaves him.

8.                                                      Message          : We should do our best to achieve our goals and we

   should win the battle and the struggle in our life.

9. Comment       : This story is written based on the true experience.

  It is valuable for everyone in building their good

  characteristics. We have to be able to learn to be

  responsible and well-trusted.

  The word is typed “happyness” instead of “happiness”.

   It indicates and symbolizes that the person/doer of the

   story pursues the happiness in a very hard condition that

   makes him get angry.

   The word “pursue” is used for the title to show that the happiness

   is chased in a hurry, very quick moment, no time to loss.

           

10.  Summary/Synopsis

This story is taken from a true experience .The story started in 1981.

A small family of Chris Gardner with his wife, Linda and his five year old son, Christopher lived in small apartment. Chris was a salesman of a bone scanner machine while Linda worked for a laundry service. However, Chris could not make money as much as Linda hoped because the machines are expensive enough for doctors to buy.

            Quarrel between Chris and Linda often happened when they had much burden for daily life and for paying the apartment rent as well as taxes. Chris also had to pay the fine of his careless parking. They did not have enough money to pay. In the hopeless situation, Linda could bear the poverty. She finally decided to leave Chris.

            In his hopeless hope, still he had to face the problem that Christopher and him had

to leave the lodging house because Chris could not pay for the rent. Yet, surprisingly, Chris

met a successful stock broker. It made Chris want to be a stock broker too.

            Chris got an opportunity to work/training for Dean Witter Reynold,

a stock broker company although without any salary. In the very difficult situation, again Chris was expelled from his lodging house. So, he finally decided to stay in Glide Memorial without any rent. At the same time, for the daily needs he only had to be able the only broken bone scanner machine. To repair the machine, Chris sold his blood for donor.

            Eventually, Chris was accepted as the permanent employee of Dean Witter. Having made a lot of money on stock broker, Chris was able to establish his own stock broker company, Gardner Rich. Later on, he was able to sell his company’s stocks and made a lot of money. He had enjoyed his success after a very long suffer.