The Pursuit of Happyness: Discussion

Movie Summary: Based on a true story about a man named Christopher Gardner. Gardner has invested heavily in a device known as a "Bone Density scanner". He feels like he has made these devices. However, they do not sell as they are marginally better than the current technology at a much higher price. As Gardner tries to figure out how to sell them, his wife leaves him, he loses his house, his bank account, and credit cards. Forced to live out in the streets with his son, Gardner is now desperate to find a steady job; he takes on a job as a stockbroker, but before he can receive pay, he needs to go through 6 months of training, and to sell his devices.

Movie Discussion Questions

Pursuit of Happyness

·       Did you like this film? Why/why not?

·       What is happiness?

·       Chris wants a better life for him and his son. What do you think he sees as happiness for his son? Do you think he makes the right decisions to achieve this?

·       Do you think that people have an inalienable right (i.e. a right that should not be taken away from them) to happiness? Why/why not?

·       “And it was at that time that I thought about Thomas Jefferson writing that Declaration of Independence. Him saying that we have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. And I thought about how he knew to put the 'pursuit' in there, like no one can actually have happiness. We can only pursue it.”(Chris)

·       Do you think anyone can achieve happiness? Why/why not? Is pursuing happiness better than achieving happiness or not? Why?

·       Do you believe that you can always get what you want if you try hard enough?

·       How do you feel about Chris’s goals in life? To what extent do you identify with them in your own life?

·       What things do you think we should pursue in life? Is happiness one of those things? Why/why not?