Gabriele Muccino's The Pursuit of Happiness explores the concept of trying to reconcile the desire to act independently with the need for security. In this specific example, Chris Gardner – the father of the family – demonstrates his independence by demonstrating that you don't need an army to fight the war on poverty, but intelligence, smiles and a good pair of shoes are enough; he reconciles this notion with his indefatigable mentality that he should protect his family and prevent them from a life-or-death struggle against poverty. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Gardner's individual problems of being evicted, struggling, and having a shrewish wife, are reasons why it led him to a state of bad luck in the first place. As she moves from shelter to shelter, she remains true to her beliefs, dignity, love, and independence, and navigates the world with broad optimism. This optimism, which leads him to the pursuit of happiness, actually translates into the pursuit of money in the grand scheme of things as he reconciles the idea of happiness with the security of his family, which requires money. The film is evidently about the love of a father that quickly eclipses the love of the mother. It's about the desire to act as an independent male individual – like a father – because Chris is constantly acting of his own free will. For example, he desires a life as a stockbroker, with mansions, and pursues his own independent business ventures about which he has not consulted Linda; ends up failing. He attempts to do things on his own and work them out on his own for the betterment of his family and their eventual safety in times of turmoil and poverty. The film is ultimately about a father's independent commitment to his family and the American dream. It shows how far he would go for the safety and security of his family and to protect his son. Chris reconciles his mindset that you need to be a foreigner to truly understand and appreciate the American Dream, and that himself securing a job and getting ahead will positively affect his family as well. Chris looks at Dean Witter Reynolds and thinks that making money is the pursuit of happiness, but instead he realizes that being independent and taking care of yourself means, in essence, taking care of your family in less than ideal circumstances. In other words, if he is doing well, it means that his family is doing well, and this is the pursuit of happiness. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Overall, the film shows Gardner's ability to be independent and act on his own initiative as he figures out what happiness means. He later realizes that his individual pursuit of success and happiness translates into a desire to provide for his family and their safety. The pursuit of happiness therefore appears to be a pursuit of independence, as well as the pursuit of the American dream, which provides happiness and security for the entire family..
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