Game fads come and go, with some only lasting a season and others becoming more of a long-term success. One such item was the Rubik's Cube, the small plastic square with moveable layers where the goal was to get those with the same color on all of the six sides. I have no idea if it's still being sold, but for a time it was the hottest thing around.
Now it makes an unexpected cameo in "The Pursuit of Happyness," a dramatic underdog tale of a down on his luck father trying to upright his life, all while repeatedly experiencing one setback blow after another. Based on the real life story of Chris Gardner, the film has all of the ingredients for being a smash hit. There's the big box office star (Will Smith), the cute kid (his real life son Jaden), the inspirational tale of trying to better oneself, and, of course, the Rubik's Cube. Okay, maybe not the latter, unless legions of diehard RC fans have been waiting decades for such an appearance.
To be fair, the film is set in 1981, so the toy would naturally be around, but it's obviously a symbolic device representing the main character and his dilemma (not to mention his "in" with a prospective employer). As anyone who tried to solve the game back in the day or sometime in the intervening years can tell you, it was (and still is) a seemingly impossible task to accomplish. Yet, with the right amount of determination and perhaps some luck, it could be done.
Thus is the mindset of Gardner. If ever there was a character who epitomized an adult version of Charlie Brown just as the football is yanked away from his kicking foot, or someone with the permanent black cloud hovering just over his head, this is him. Yet, he keeps on trying, not only for himself, but also for his son, both in providing for his basic needs (food, shelter, etc.) as well as being a good role model for the boy.
In playing the character, Smith delivers a strong and at times nuanced portrayal of such a man, and the chemistry between him and the kid is obviously believable since they're a real father-son duo. Nevertheless, and despite the inherent drama, conflict and "wish I could be like him" elements, the film is a snoozer. "Pursuit of Happyness?" I think "The Pursuit of No-Doze" is more appropriate.
And that's despite writer Steven Conrad and director Gabriele Muccino seemingly wanting to turn this into some sort of drama-laden action flick. On various occasions and for multiple reasons, Smith's character runs here, there, and everywhere through San Francisco (which, for anyone who lives there or has visited, is not the easiest task on the old legs). At one point, he's even struck by a car, sending him into the windshield and then in search of his now missing shoe.
Even so, that does little to enliven the proceedings that basically consist of one bad thing after another happening to this poor guy. I have no idea how many are real, exaggerated or purely fictitious, but the filmmakers pour on so many setbacks and obstacles you half expect Smith to start singing the old "Hee-Haw" skit song, "If it weren't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all. Gloom, despair, and agony on me."
Of course, all of that -- including Thandie Newton playing his mostly despicable wife who probably never should have become a spouse, let alone a mother -- is designed to make us care about the guy, his various dilemmas, and his goal. Smith accomplishes that on his own, but the various plot developments -- real or not -- end up feeling like the filmmakers are guilty of piling on after the guy is already down and out. In other words, it starts to appear too contrived.
The other problem is that the filmmakers are steadfast in their determination to have Smith's character narrate the various points in his life, somewhat like chapter headings. As longtime readers are aware, I despise that cinematic device nine times out of 10, and it does nothing here except take an easy way out in explaining situations, developments, and character behavior and thoughts.
And while the Rubik's Cube doesn't make any sort of return appearance later in the film, its symbolic nature hangs with the character, meaning he just keeps twisting and turning the elements in his life until he succeeds. Thus, what we're left with is a film comprised of repeated bad luck until he finally succeeds, the latter being the payoff for all of his and our suffering. While they say it's not the destination but the trip that's important, this is one long and arduous journey to get to a point you already know is coming.
Filled with strong performances by Smith and his son, the film might have good intentions in terms of telling an uplifting, underdog overcomes setbacks tale, but it's a misdirected, slow and over-long moviegoing experience. "The Pursuit of Happyness" rates as a 4.5 out of 10.
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