Great acting ruined by a poor screenplay - The Pursuit of Happyness Reviews

When I first saw the trailer for Happyness I envisioned an Academy Award winning film. It made my girlfriend tear up and having never had a father in my life, I was moved by the profound message of the film. (This was just the trailer). After having seen the film I think of it as a lost opportunity. First of all Will Smith plays his role perfectly. His acting has true sincerity and he does an excellent job. I think he could possibly earn an Academy Award nomination but his acting is marginalized by a poor script. One of the first events that sparks his fall and Phoenix like rise is when his wife (played by Thandie Newton) leaves. It makes no sense that her ambitions befall her responsibilities of being a parent to the couple's son. It really puts a kink in the film and should have been expressed differently. Sadly moments like these often hamper the film's brilliance. Now that being said there are a number of moments that will move you and watching Smith's character lose everything only to return stronger than before is one of the classic tales that makes for great cinema. This film has a great message and affected me because my father was never around. I don't think of it as a morality play but it certainly does a great job of driving home some core values that sometimes get lost in the shuffle of our busy lives. Its great for families and dates and should be number 1 at the box office this week. Have a wonderful holiday season and I wsih you the best! -Duke