The Pursuit of Happyness movie is an American non-fictional movie based on Chris Gardner’s struggles and hardships throughout his life. Chris Gardner, a hardworking man, had a wife, Linda, and a son named Christopher. Chris invested almost all that his family had saved in bone density scanners which he tried to sell to the doctors but could not sell enough to earn well. The condition of his family was getting worse and worse. He used to park his car just anywhere and everywhere and could not pay for the ticket letter. For this reason, his vehicle was taken.
Initially, he started working as an intern at “Dean Witter” as he learned he did not need any degree to become a stock broker. It was an unpaid internship, and it grew tension in their lives. So, Linda left him. He lived along with his son. No matter how hard things had gotten for him in his journey, giving up was never an option. He worked double shifts, leading him to get a better job at Dean Witter Reynolds. He earned a lot of money over time.
After a few years, he became a legit millionaire and opened his stock firm. The Pursuit of Happyness movie’s themes is determination, a never giving up attitude, and survival. It shows how there might be a situation where you are being left alone, homeless, or unsuccessful, and you can still make the case the entire opposite. It was a true story-based movie that inspired people a lot. If you loved watching The Pursuit of Happyness and would like to watch more of such movies, we have got you covered here;
Movies like The Pursuit of Happyness
8. The Forrest Gump
Forrest Gump is such an impactful movie that the viewers could not get the storyline off their minds for at least a week. The film is based on a novel of the same name. Forrest inspired people with his dedication and optimism. In The Pursuit of Happyness movie and Forrest Gump, Chris Gardner resembled in so many ways. How Chris brought up his son- the only family he had, Forrest’s character had the same storyline. However, the one person he cared the most about was his childhood love, Jenny.
About the Movie
It is about how a slow-witted man with less than an average IQ worked so hard and made luck in his life. He stayed honest with his heart. He never looked at himself as a disadvantaged being. His very supportive mother had a great role to play. Several historical events of the twentieth century were a significant part of his journey.
Here are some of the reviews that people had after watching the movie:
7. Good Will Hunting
It is one of the most inspiring movies ever and has won Oscars. Will Hunting, a janitor at MIT who had always lived in slums, was severely abused in his childhood. But he had a gift for mathematics and was a true genius.
About the Movie
There was an instance where we saw Will Hunting remembering all of the library books and reading into his photographic memory, which shows that he had a lot of potential. Once, he solved a math problem that Professor Lambeau gave. So, Lambeau offered to help him get a better life and future. Will had beaten up an officer and had almost been jailed for that. Lambeau enabled him to get out of jail and had put a condition in front of him that he would go to a therapist and seek counseling.
Lambeau introduced Will to his college mate Maguire, who was now a certified counselor. He helped Will to a great level. His life was completely transformed, and he had become more humane. Four people in his life did not want him to waste all his talent. They were Lambeau, Maguire, Skylar (the girl he had fallen in love with), and Chuckie (his childhood buddy).
Will’s success story in the movie inspires people to let go of the past and face life’s hardships. It brings the necessary change, progress, and realizing full potential.
6. The Shawshank Redemption
The movie made an inexplicable connection with the viewers. It depicts how life is not always fair; corruption is a part of life. A movie like The Pursuit of Happyness movie talks about redemption, hope, strength, perseverance, and how the good always, ALWAYS wins.
About the Movie
The protagonist, Andy Dufresne, was sentenced to two life terms in prison for murdering his wife and her lover. But, it was not true; he had not committed any crime. He was innocent indeed. Meanwhile, in prison, he met Red and addressed him as ‘sir,’ creating a good impression and forming a bond with Red.
It took Andy around two decades to escape; one needs to have persistence and perseverance in life. He helped people around him, like the correctional officers and mates, and did not expect or require reciprocation. His character showed a lot of strength in so many silent ways.
The fact that Red was so inspired by the hope that Andy carried with him shows how one can face anything in life without giving up and by holding on. Here is the ending of the movie, which viewers found so heartwarming.
5. The Theory Of Everything
It is a type of movie which might have all the answers to those questions of the physical world that had remained unsolved. The story inspires us in many ways; we should know that we are always stronger than people around us think of us. If we have the WILL, anything and everything is possible, be curious and search for happiness; it will not happen by itself.
About the Movie
Stephen Hawking was a student at Cambridge in 1963. His professor Dennis Sciama was impressed with his liking of black holes, the boundaries of the universe, and many other things. Professor knew that even though Stephen was shy and socially awkward, he was a true and bold genius who would definitely make a great contribution to the field of physics.
At a party, Stephen overcame his awkward behavior and interacted with Jane, a girl he was attracted to. A conventional way of date might be dancing at the party, but instead, they chose to spend the evening talking about poetry and science. They also had a word about religion, wherein both were exact opposites. Jane was a believer in God, while he was not. After some time, Stephen was diagnosed with a motor neuron disease wherein doctors told him he just had two years to live.
He tried to push Jane away from her life as he did not want her to feel burdened. But Jane was a sweetheart; she chose to be with him in tough times no matter what came ahead. They got married and had three kids. Stephen’s disease grew over time and ate away his voice. But that does not mean the story ended. Even though his body was under siege, he was able to write best-seller novels, and his mind was sound and safe.
4. A Beautiful Mind
A Beautiful Mind is a non-fictional movie based on John Forbes Nash’s life and like the name suggests it is a beautiful tale.
About the Movie
He studied at Princeton University and was a mathematics whiz. However, he was more of a socially inactive human. Although he could not make friends because of not being social and sitting at his desk all day, he did find a companion in his roommate, Charles. Charles, at first, did not make him feel alone or lonely.
He came up with a brilliant economic theory idea, and he was placed at MIT. At MIT, he did face certain issues, but while all that was going on, we could not forget that he managed to make out with a girl named Alicia. Fortunately, things went well between the two of them, and they ended up getting married. But unfortunately, while his wife was expecting a baby, he was being followed and spied on by Parcher, which made Nash worried.
Everything that was happening and had happened was false. Yes, here is the twist. Nash had schizophrenia, and all that had happened was nothing but his imagination or, as we say, hallucinations in psychological terms. Nothing had happened for real. Even his roommate Charles was a part of his imagination.
This also means that Nash had to endure a tough time to cure his disease. The doctors gave him therapy and medicines, but Nash could not work because of this.
The imagination and illusions might not have gone completely, but he learned to live with them and work alongside them. He even won a Nobel prize for the theory that he had come up with.
Do you have a favorite Russell Crowe movie?
For me, it's A Beautiful Mind with Jennifer Connelly! pic.twitter.com/nCtw0JULUb
— 🇺🇦 We Wondered Why Not (@TyMurphy19) November 5, 2022
3. Into The Wild
Into the wild is a movie based on Christopher McCandless. The writer’s main motive was to motivate and inspire the youth to do what makes them happy irrespective of society’s judgment. One should be determined regardless of their family’s success story.
About the Movie
He graduated from Emory Uni, where he topped and was an athlete. Conventionally, he could have lived and relished the very profitable career but decided to give away all that he had saved to charity. He left home and went on a journey to the Alaskan wilderness. He wanted to explore the things investigated by none until then, and he wanted that part of his life without people, money, or any possession. This showed that he was a courageous man.
On his journey, he met many people, experienced what he had never thought of, and learned something from everywhere he went. He was extremely talented, and settling for something he did not want was something that he had never done.
Although Chris died in the end, the fact that his life journey is something that people still look up to will always remain eternal. The quote “He lived more than most people do in their entire lifetime” still holds so much meaning.
Here are some of the reviews that people had and tweeted about it;
Take life as an adventure.#IntoTheWild pic.twitter.com/3F3CAzc6bQ
— Dole Baba (@DoleBaba3) September 20, 2022
#ThisDayThatYear
A movie that's wonderfully writtent.#IntoTheWild was released today back in 2007 pic.twitter.com/mSc3h6baKm— ℙ𝕒𝕒𝕣𝕕𝕙𝕦 (@obsesso_cinema) September 21, 2022
2. Cast Away
The movie highlights that whether it be a mental, physical or emotional problem, there is always a way to survive, provided that the person has the WILL to live and face everything that comes their way.
The quote from the movie, “I’ve to keep breathing. because tomorrow the Sun will rise and who knows what the tide could bring in?” is so motivating and inspiring. It tells us NOT TO GIVE UP in a million unsaid ways. There is hope for all people, and no one is worthless. Another quote from the movie which inspires us the most is;
“I could not even kill myself the way I wanted to. I had power over nothing. And that’s when this feeling came over me like a warm blanket. I knew, somehow, that I had to stay alive.”
About the Movie
In the movie, Tom Hanks played the role of Chuck Noland, a FedEx troubleshooter. He found himself stranded on an island as his plane had crashed into the ocean. He did all that he could do to survive on the island, and as a matter of fact, around four years passed away like this. But ultimately, he was rescued by a cargo ship and was brought home. But, everything was not just about his survival but about him getting reunited with the people who mattered, his loved ones and his girlfriend, Kelly.
When he returned, he discovered that people assumed him to be dead, and his girlfriend had moved on in her life. Kelly had already married a man named Jerry. Even though the audience almost believed that Kelly might run away with Chuck as they both kissed after they reunited, the fact that she was married and had a daughter and a family could not get them back together.
He explained to his friend that when he was on the island, she was there with him; metaphorically. Now, he had lost her for the second time, but he would keep breathing, hoping as no one knew what would happen next.
1. Seven Pounds
The movie is so powerful and intense. It made the audience feel emotional to a great level and made people learn a great lesson. Well, if not a lesson, it did raise the question of “what’s the meaning of our life” in the mind of people and inspired them to explore the purpose of their lives. Viewers think that this was the best performance of Will Smith.
Seven Pounds #HaveYouSeenThis? #whattowatch #movies #movienight #films #sevenpounds pic.twitter.com/QDMK0tXZ0u
— Kinema (@kinemabot) August 15, 2022
About the Movie
The movie is about a man Tim/Ben Thomas (Will Smith), who caused the death of seven people, all accidentally, including his fiance. To seek redemption, he handpicked seven people. That was a part of his secret project. First, he spent a lot of time tracking down sick people. Then he met them personally. Next, he donated some of his organs, like his lung, kidney, a part of the liver, and even his bone marrow. Finally, he gave his home to a woman he met who was abused. He did all of this to redeem himself.
On his way, he met a woman with a heart ailment. Her name was Emily. As he spent more time, he gradually fell in love with her. However, he had no plans to change his mission. The movie ended when Tim died, and all the people he had donated his organs to got to know about their donor. Tim could not find meaning in life, but he did find meaning in death. He did not die for anything. Emily had his heart, and Ezra had his eyes.
This is the scene where Tim tries to find out if Ezra is the right person to get his eyes. It was as if he was trying to find meaning in his life. Unfortunately, he attempted to aggravate her and upset Ezra, and Ezra hung up. Even though it was not the right thing to do, he was now sure that Ezra was the right candidate.
