The Pursuit of Happyness
Columbia Pictures | Release Date: December 15, 2006 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
64
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 36 Critic Reviews
Positive:
22
Mixed:
14
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
60
The Hollywood ReporterKirk Honeycutt
This is a slick studio production with a huge movie star and top professionals occupying every production role so that the polish of this well-made film makes even homelessness look neat and tidy. Read full review
60
VarietyBrian Lowry
The Pursuit of Happyness is more inspirational than creatively inspired -- imbued with the kind of uplifting, afterschool-special qualities that can trigger a major toothache. Read full review
60
TimeRichard Corliss/Richard Schickel
Do we care about Gardner and son? Oddly, we do, because they are so appealingly played. What more might we wish for them? A movie that's a lot less repetitive. Read full review
60
Los Angeles TimesKevin Crust
"Inspired by" is an interesting phrase because the movie is more inspiring than inspired. The man's struggles are emotionally engaging, but dramatically it lacks the layering of a "Kramer vs. Kramer," which it superficially resembles. Read full review
60
EmpireChris Hewitt (1)
An admirably unsentimental biopic with an excellent central performance, but it doesn't impact as strongly as it could. Read full review
50
ReelViewsJames Berardinelli
The Pursuit of Happyness is long, dull, and depressing. Read full review
50
The A.V. ClubScott Tobias
The Pursuit Of Happyness represents a belated and calculated attempt to scrape off the glossy movie-star veneer and connect with the everyday struggles of living hand-to-mouth in the big city, but it's too late. Watching his (Smith's) performance here is a little like imagining an American version of "Rosetta" starring Julia Roberts. Read full review
50
Chicago ReaderJonathan Rosenbaum
Smith is resourceful in the role, though the story stretches one's credulity about his character's resourcefulness. Read full review
50
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Liam Lacey
Both Smith and his son are appealing presences, but The Pursuit of Happyness seems to take place in a sociological vacuum. Gardner's insight into his difficulties begins and ends with the thought that, in the pursuit of happiness, there's a lot more pursuit involved than happiness, and unasked political questions seem to dangle ominously over the entire movie. Read full review
40
NewsweekDavid Ansen
There's an inspirational, hang-on-to-your-dreams message, but it comes only at the very end of a long, grim, painful journey. Holiday cheer is not what this movie is offering. Read full review
40
Village VoiceRobert Wilonsky
Too emotionally slick to work, too visually glib to have an impact, made by people who think grit is something that's brought in by the prop department. Read full review
40
Austin ChronicleToddy Burton
Though pretty to look at (with camerawork by Phedon Papamichael) and inspiring to contemplate, this story of human triumph needs a lot more of the human for an audience to actually experience the triumph. Read full review
40
Wall Street JournalJoe Morgenstern
The pursuit is manipulative and repetitive.
40
Film ThreatPete Vonder Haar
Especially to anyone with kids, the film packs some punch. Apart from that, The Pursuit of Happyness is emotionally manipulative and way too glossy to really hit home. Read full review
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