REEL CRITIC:In ‘Pursuit’ of good feelings

“The Pursuit of Happyness,” inspired by a true story, depicts one man’s struggle toward the American dream set in 1981, the era of Reaganomics.

It’s a woeful tale that has been told countless times before, but it seems fresh again thanks to the sincere and honest performances by Will Smith and his young son, Jaden Christopher Syre Smith.

Chris Gardner (Will Smith) is a hard-working, personable guy who’s invested what little money he has into overpriced medical scanners, which are a hard sell. His wife Linda (Thandie Newton) is burned out from working double shifts. Her resentment is mounting as high and as fast as their debts, and she has little left to give her husband and 5-year old son, Christopher.

In his quest for a better life, Chris faces a series of depressing setbacks — single parenthood, serious money troubles, eviction and finally homelessness. Watching his struggles may evoke some of our own deepest anxieties. How would we cope under similar circumstances?

Will Smith has always been a likable guy, and for this role he tones down his boyish charm and is a real grown-up, letting his fatherly instincts come to the forefront. Jaden Smith is amazing in a difficult role and has almost as much screen time as his dad.

“Happyness” will have you totally rooting for these characters to succeed, in spite of all the movie cliches thrown at the screen. And although I saw the ending coming from miles away, it couldn’t stop that lump in the throat. Sometimes, you just have to give in to a sappy ending.