Okay, so, The Pursuit of Happyness. Well, let me tell you, this film is not just an eye-watering movie, but a treat for the eyes. You might think it's some very dry film; nonetheless, the colors and shot composition are beautiful! Every frame feels like a ride with Chris Gardner—the main character.
9 frames I’m walking into:
First off, what's the deal with that "y" in Happyness? It looks like a typo, but it carries meaning. That's the point behind the "y": happiness is imperfect—messy, unpredictable, just like life. The film, in turn, asks at one point whether happiness is so hard to find and, therefore, should we be working so hard for it? This struggle in every scene lends the movie something precious. Alright, shall we jump in? Let's go!
1- See a shot of Chris Gardner walking with his son. The sun is out; it is not some sort of beach day but, you know, let's just make this little better. Muted colors as though the 'I'm fine' face everyone puts on. The city is pretty trashy, litter and ancient automobiles. Chris is in a three-piece suit announcing, 'I have been here for days.' Meanwhile, his son Christopher is holding up this cereal box as if he was holding up a small pot of gold. How that dad moves – of course, cereal can be meal time and snack time both.
The camera uses a wide shot, which shows them walking through city streets; it focuses on the environment and their distance from the busy world around them. We can absorb the surrounding space as we see this shot of the emotional weight the characters are carrying.
Chris walks, each heavy step as if it is a burden that lugs on his back to drag to the ground the struggles. His son carries cereal close to his chest; he follows his father along the littered streets and the dust of the grimy city, oblivious of the heaviness his father feels on his shoulders. There is always a difference between the real world of adulthood and the innocence of childhood, moving along as they are on the hard streets of this grim city.
2- We are now in the midst of a very busy part of town, perhaps Chinatown. Chris is still sporting that old suit and appears intent: 'I don't have great shoes, but I have dreams!' He is taking his son through some sort of squalor with the trappings of just another shopping day.
His son does not care about appearance; he is happy with his cereal. The colors are vibrant, life rushing by. This shot is using a high-angle perspective and is looking down on the whole street scene. The use of the high-angle shot is here to emphasize how huge the city is to Chris and his son. It gives the audience a feeling of how small they are in the midst of this chaotic larger environment. They see them pushing their way through the crowd, again strengthening their fight as they try to cut through this busy, uncaring city. The angle does a very good job to express how overwhelming their surrounding environment is, as though the city itself is towering over Chris, demanding that he meet the expectations. This visual emphasizes the weight of his journey but also serves to indicate his determination because he is moving forward irrespective of the odds.
3- We now stand in a graffiti alley where life throws curves. They cling onto that cereal box like it is the hope of mankind. Seriously, that box has got to be some winner's award! Every frame is one and the same—Chris's version of life. He is dressed up in some classy suit, standing there in some crummy place, perfectly showing "I've got it together" and "Help, I'm drowning!"
The colors come alive in Chinatown by saying, "There's still hope, even if it's messy." The theme is real: the hunt for 'happyness.' The journey is tough, but Chris just hangs on, spelling mistakes and all. We have all been there, haven't we? Chasing dreams when life feels like it's on auto-correct!
4- Consider Chris walking down the street of a city carrying bills he cannot pay and also having a bad back. Camera angles shoot him from the rear in a medium shot with tall skyscrapers in the backdrop. This angle will help focus on his small size amidst the towering skyscrapers, creating a visual metaphor for the weight of his battles against the vastness of the city. The medium shot allows the viewer to live his isolation; it feels like walking right behind him and carrying the weight for him.
There is not a cool city feel about it; this has a feel of 'This place is gonna chew you up.' The color palette has been stunted, as the world would say, 'Not your day.' That suit? That suit has seen a few things. If that suit could talk, it would say, 'I have seen everything.' It's the uniform of faking it as the mayhem brews beneath.
In this frame, Chris is lonely. Earlier, the hustle-bustle city was mocking him. However, now he is all by himself in his little world. The punch is tough—Welcome to adulthood; it is you and your problem with life moving forward.
5- The next shot features Chris on the subway, with this weird character next to him, whose traits make the air even heavier. He is holding his medical machine, which remains his lifeline, while this weird behavior of this character heightens the tension. The facial expression of Chris says it all: 'Are you serious?'
He reacts to the nonsensical, clownlike behavior of his companion by his side. On the surface, he remains calm while, on the inside, screaming silently with frustration to himself: Not today, buddy, just another frustration to a highly overpowered day. Colors are screaming and loud, creating a bright contrast with Chris's tired look, reminding him that life is still wild. That close-up shot really puts the awkwardness into play with that reminder that life doesn't care if you are down; it keeps on throwing its distractions.
6- The following scenes heat up because Chris argues with his wife. All those frustrating years overwhelm the conversation between these two characters. He is trying to hold on while she is done. This scene is heavily loaded with dark shadows, and shadows weigh her down; Chris is in a suit to typify being stuck, and his wife is put together, which typifies distance.
The camera catches their unfiltered emotions, and you just want to scream out, "Just talk it out!" But sometimes, it's too late for simplistic solutions. You feel the pressure Chris is under in his personal life, as well as in his pursuit of happiness.
7- Christopher looks like he just entered an uncomfortable dinner at his house with family. He stares with his wide, aged eyes, thinking, "Am I supposed to be here?" Stuck in a rather tense moment, his body is pegged in, staring intensely as if gazing on an unforgiving mess that is the dinner table, hoping just to disappear. Dim lighting drags everything down, and the air is heavy with silence.
He is not making a scene; he is just silently soaking it all in, hoping something calm will come. Poor Christopher is right smack in the middle, wishing everything would just settle on its own.
8- There sits Chris on the couch he spent before him on his floor a Rubik's Cube symbolizes in itself his life being thoroughly turned upside down The dramatic weight of the frame further emphasizes the scene with Chris's general state of having a pretty disturbing existence mitigated by warm lighting softening the whole affair Chris is in a faded t-shirt and sweatpants and communicates visually that same weariness and seriousness of his struggles His dressing depicts the toll challenges have taken on him personifying a man who gave up on appearances long ago.
The frame is carefully composed with Chris positioned off-center amid clutter in a messy lounge The space is filled with broken cushions and scattered papers symbolizing a chaotic atmosphere that gives an impression of his inward self The warm-toned lighting contrasts sharply with the muted colors of the place grays browns and faded tints that evoke despairing stagnation This is what makes the color feel like isolation making audiences feel how trapped Chris truly is within these walls.
Although the camera zooms in from his hands working the cube to his furrowed brow and a deep sigh it captures the growing frustration that is manifesting itself through each movement The close-up highlights Chris's internal struggle making him even more relatable when trying to fit pieces together and feeling more and more lost The tension within the frame builds until he finally looks at the cube with a blank stare It is a small action but in his casting it on the couch he dramatically conveys his powerlessness He sinks back head resting on the couch letting himself have just one moment to let the turmoil be washed away into the chaos of the mess for a clear perspective
9- In the last shot Chris stands before the huge building and peered up through the small window of hope and uncertainty where the place is bright in warm sunlight which makes it so friendly but scary at once. Long shadows add more depth to the contrast a new chance against his worries. The camera uses the low angle shot as he looks at an enormous edifice so one has to look at this massive structure from below his vantage point thus heightening its grandeur thus emphasizing the barriers for his rise to some new life.
Chris stands with his arms crossed across his chest coiled psyching himself up for the pitch imagining he is about to make a speech called 'Why I Should Work Here' Although this movie does not really have a scene where Chris tries to be funny with a receptionist this speculation sums up the hopeful anxiety in his heart as he enters the unknown. The rumpled suit speaks more to him than to anything else. He just seems like he has seen a storm of bad days while his colors stand for something neutral and stability about the building. Whereas Chris is just so simple-looking and so dull like the way he looks today that his clothes scream 'I have potential!' but the face screams 'Do I though?'
Behind him, life flows through the city the hustle of people walking by and speeding cars blur out in order to keep attention focused on Chris. This blur corresponds with his feelings of loneliness because while life keeps on moving Chris has arrived at a crossroads he is taking this introspective step considering his next move. Almost like a soundtrack playing inside his head 'Will I land this job or just become the office ghost?
CONCLUSION
And here is Chris Gardner's life story of twists and turns ups and downs and much cereal Each frame captures resilience and the messiness of happiness as a pursuit, rather than a goal. While we move through with Chris in his struggles we find ourselves rooting for the man wishing upon him the elusive "happyness" he's after.
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