The Pursuit of Happyness
HeartGuard score
How suitable a title is for Christian viewers, from 0 to 100. It weighs the content meters and the worldview.
- 80–100Recommended
- 60–79Watch with careThis film
- 35–59Think it through
- 15–34Strong caution
- 0–14Not recommended
HeartGuard score
How suitable a title is for Christian viewers, from 0 to 100. It weighs the content meters and the worldview.
- 80–100Recommended
- 60–79Watch with careThis film
- 35–59Think it through
- 15–34Strong caution
- 0–14Not recommended
Worldview score
What the story celebrates or condemns.
Why +1 for this film
The film honours a father's sacrificial love, perseverance, honesty and responsibility, and portrays the church's care for the poor warmly. Its idea of 'happiness' leans heavily on career and financial success, and faith sits in the background rather than at the centre.
- +2Affirms faithPresents faith in God positively and as true
- +1Positive valuesThis filmHonesty, sacrifice and family win out
- 0Mixed or neutralNo clear stance
- −1AmbivalentShows sin without judging it either way
- −2Glamorises sinMakes sin look attractive and rewarding
Age guide
How suitable this film is for each age group.
Why 11+ for this film
Occasional mild swearing with one f-word, a bitter marriage breakdown and sustained scenes of homelessness and a child's distress set the age; the weight is emotional rather than shocking.
- Under 8Wait
- Ages 8–12With a parent
- Ages 13–15Yes
- Ages 16–17Yes
- AdultsYes
A moving, largely clean true story of a homeless father's dogged devotion to his young son, with occasional swearing and some upsetting scenes of poverty. It is a fine springboard for talking about perseverance, provision and what real happiness is.
Watch guide
What's in it?
LanguageOccasional, one f-word
Scattered mild and moderate swearing: several uses each of hell, damn and words built on 'ass', a couple of 'son of a bitch' and two uses of 'shit', mostly in rows and a cab-fare chase. The one f-word arises when the son reads graffiti, and his father tells him it is an adult word he should not use.
BlasphemyNone
God is mentioned only in the boy's joke about trusting God and in a gospel hymn at a church shelter. Neither is irreverent.
Sex and nudityVery mild
Affectionate kisses between the couple and between father and son. There is one brief, mildly suggestive line overheard from a couple in passing. There is no sexual content or nudity.
RelationshipsFamily breakdown
Chris and Linda quarrel bitterly over money, and she leaves, first briefly taking their son and later moving to New York without him. Her pregnancy is mentioned in passing. The film focuses on the father's devotion rather than blaming either parent, and tells the boy plainly the separation is not his fault.
ViolenceScuffles, minor peril
An angry cab driver chases Chris after he skips a fare and threatens him. Chris is knocked down by a car, played partly for comedy, and there is a shoving scuffle in the shelter queue and a scramble for a bus. No one is seriously hurt on screen.
Frightening scenesSustained hardship
Father and son are evicted and become homeless. They queue for shelter beds and spend a night locked in a station toilet while Chris weeps quietly holding his son. These scenes are not frightening in a horror sense but may upset sensitive children.
Drugs and alcoholSmoking, little else
Linda is seen smoking. There is no drug use and little or no drinking.
AttitudesLapses under pressure
Chris runs off without paying a cab fare, tells small untruths to a client and to his son, and shouts at Linda. His boss and a friend fail to repay small debts. These are presented as the strain of poverty rather than celebrated, and they sit against his honesty in the interview and his work ethic.
OccultNone
There is no witchcraft, magic, fortune-telling, contact with the dead or other occult content. The only spiritual elements are a church shelter and a gospel hymn, which are ordinary Christian worship.
- To knowContent to know about
- Skip for kidsSkip for younger viewers
- DiscussWorth discussing
- 0:16
One f-word
Christopher reads a swear word in graffiti and asks about its spelling. His father calmly says it is an adult word and he should not use it.
- 0:28
Honesty under pressure
Chris runs off without paying a taxi fare. The angry driver chases him through the streets, swearing and threatening him.
- 0:34
Family breakdown
Chris and Linda have a bitter shouting match after she takes their son, and their marriage breaks down in front of the viewer.
- 0:55
Dreams and words
On a basketball court Chris first plays down his son's dream, then corrects himself and urges the boy to protect his hopes and work for them.
- 0:56
Providence
Christopher tells a joke about a drowning man who refuses help while waiting for God to save him.
- 1:24
Upsetting contentSkip if under 8
After being evicted, father and son have nowhere to sleep. Chris turns the night into a dinosaur game and they shelter in a station toilet, where he weeps quietly as his son sleeps.
- 1:30
Scuffle
There is a shoving scuffle in the queue for shelter beds at Glide Memorial while Christopher watches and cries out.
- 1:43
Talk about it
Christopher asks whether his mother left because of him. Chris reassures him firmly that it was not his fault.
How to play
- 1. Draw a cardOne person reads the question out loud.
- 2. Everyone answersThere are no wrong answers. Listen before you reply.
- 3. Pass it onThe next person draws, until the deck is done.
Faith & story
What does it say?
What's it about?The plot, without the ending
San Francisco, 1981. Chris Gardner has sunk his family's savings into portable bone-density scanners that hardly anyone wants to buy. With rent overdue, tax bills piling up and his marriage under strain, he sets his sights on an unpaid internship at a stockbroking firm, where only one in twenty trainees will be offered a job. As his circumstances worsen, Chris must care for his five-year-old son Christopher alone while competing against better-connected rivals. He presses on, determined that his son will grow up knowing his father. Based on the real Chris Gardner's life.
Through a faith lensHow it connects to the Bible
The film's heart is a father who will not abandon his child. Chris works, sacrifices and keeps his son close through the worst of times, and in that he reflects something of God's faithful, providing love. The boy's joke about God sending boats gently points to providence working through ordinary means, through people and opportunities rather than miracles. Glide Memorial Church is shown as a place where the poor are fed, sheltered and given hope, and its congregation sings of asking God for strength to climb life's mountains rather than to remove them. That is close to the biblical picture of endurance producing character. The film is honest that Chris is not perfect. Under pressure he dodges a fare, shades the truth and loses his temper, and families can talk about how even good people are tempted when desperate. The weakest point is the film's definition of happiness, which is tied very closely to a well-paid job. Scripture offers a fuller view: contentment can be learned in want as well as plenty, and our treasure should not rest in earthly wealth. The film opens the door to that conversation without quite walking through it.
Fruit of the SpiritWhich fruit does it show?
7 out of 9 fruits ripe in this film
Ripe grapes are shown in the film, buds are missing
- Goodness
Chris's sacrificial love and faithfulness to his son run through the whole film, as does his patience with gruelling work and repeated setbacks. He is gentle with Christopher even when exhausted, turning a homeless night into a game and reassuring him that his mother's leaving was not his fault. His self-control shows in his disciplined working day, though it slips in arguments with Linda and in the taxi chase. Kindness comes from the church shelter and from colleagues who give him a chance. Joy comes in small moments between father and son. Peace is the fruit most missing: the family's life is marked by anxiety, quarrels and constant insecurity.
The charactersExamples to follow or avoid
Chris GardnerWill SmithA struggling salesman turned unpaid trainee broker. He is clever, stubborn and devoted to his son, but flawed and short-tempered under strain.
ChristopherJaden SmithChris's five-year-old son. He is trusting, funny and resilient, and his questions about his mother are among the film's most tender moments.
LindaThandiwe NewtonChris's partner and Christopher's mother. Worn down by double shifts and debt, she eventually leaves. The film portrays her exhaustion with some sympathy.
Jay TwistleBrian HoweA manager at Dean Witter whom Chris wins over during a taxi ride by solving a Rubik's Cube. He gives Chris his chance.
Martin FrohmJames KarenA senior figure at the firm who interviews Chris. He is friendly but casually borrows money from him without realising how poor he is.
How Christians are portrayed
Glide Memorial Church and its pastor are shown warmly: the church runs a shelter for homeless families, and its lively worship service offers hope and dignity. Shelter staff are firm but fair. The young son's joke about trusting God is treated affectionately. Faith is respected but remains in the background of the story.
Community
What other Christians think
What did you notice?
A sex scene, shown or clearly implied?
Is this appropriate for Christians to watch?
Thinking of children? Add the youngest age you'd show it to.
Review
Helpful reviewer
The star beside a name
Given to members whose reviews 25 or more people have marked Helpful.
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Details
Film details
- In theatres
- Dec 14, 2006
- On streaming
- Mar 14, 2008
- Cast
- Will Smith, Jaden Smith, Thandiwe Newton, Brian Howe
- Director
- Gabriele Muccino
- Studios
- Escape Artists, Relativity Media, Columbia Pictures
- Genre
- Drama
- Run time
- 1h 57m
- Age rating
- US PG-13 · UK 12A
How we analysed this
We counted language, blasphemy and other content in the film's dialogue and read it with the plot and film details, then rated each content area against our rubric and worldview scale, using AI models calibrated on reference titles. Not yet reviewed by our team. Confidence: high.
Score = 100 − 16 × content concern (2.08) + 8 × worldview (+1) = 75
This is a guide to help families choose with wisdom, not a verdict on anyone's conscience ().
Updated 2026-10-14