"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness" - The Declaration of Independence.

In the movie "The Pursuit of Happyness", Chris Gardner said it was very wise of Thomas Jefferson to put the word "pursuit" ahead of "happiness" coz this is something you can never take for granted. You gotta pursue very hard for it, and maybe you can never have it no matter how hard you try - That pessimist's mentality of his never stopped Chris from pursuing his happiness though. With taxes and months of rents overdue, with his wife leaving and a 5-year-old son to take care of, Chris Gardner, like many other lower-class African Americans, is struggling to make ends meet and enslaving himself trying to make a better living for the one he loves. Happiness to him is so plain and simple, it is the very moment when he got a job offer as a stock broker with Dean Witter out of a competitive 6-month internship among a group of 20 candidates. It may be even a bit stupid and shallow to the eyes of nowadays well-fed middle class mediocrities, who know little about hardships, get bored easily at handy comforts, and constantly get distracted to interests elsewhere or some so-called better causes in life which they actually know little of.

To the eyes of those who echo Chris' mind and simple philosophy of life, being a stock broker does not necessarily guarantee happiness, but it nevertheless marks the beginning of a better life for him and his beloved little son; the fact that he outsmarts the other 19 candidates is not what made him happy or the reason for him to feel good about himself, he had to do it in order to survive; being good with numbers and good with people may be a good tool for others to achieve success in career, but to Chris it is a tool he uses with love and an unwavering faith to excel at so that one day he and little Christopher can enjoy the happy life he pictured themselves to live...it is amazing that somehow they were still capable of that signature happy smile of the Gardner's during the darkest days of their life, so naive a smile as if neither of them had ever tasted the bitterness of life and could still laugh out loud at some silly jokes like "god saving a drowning man" or the "knock-knock".

Some may label "The Pursuit of Happyness" about average, i.e., Hollywood.com rated this film 2.5 stars, while "Curse of the Golden Flower" so far has got a better rating at 3 stars (not sure whether i shall faint or feel proud of it); others may acclaim it to be one of the most touching and inspiring film. The way one sees it sort of reflects the state of existence he pictures himself in his own life, whatever that will be.

Yes Love is always the theme underlying good stories, call it unoriginal or stereotype or whatever. To me this is exactly what shines in "The Pursuit of Happyness". Without love, Chris is just a mediocre African American trying to work his way up the corporate and social ladder; without love, Chris's smartness and determination will never impress us so as it did in the movie; and without love their struggle and suffer will never touch us so...

Couldn't help quoting the following from the bible, one about men's entitlement to the enjoyment of simple happiness in life and the other about the significance of love:

"I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life...So I gave praise to joy, because there is nothing better for a man to do under the sun than to take meat and drink and be happy; for that will be with him in his work all the days of his life which God gives him under the sun....” - Ecclesiastes

“If I make use of the tongues of men and of angels, and have not love, I am like sounding brass, or a loud-tongued bell. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not love, I am nothing… Love is patient; love is kind; love has no envy; love has no high opinion of itself, love has no pride; Love's ways are ever fair, it takes no thought for itself; it is not quickly made angry, it takes no account of evil; It takes no pleasure in wrongdoing, but has joy in what is true; Love has the power of undergoing all things, having faith in all things, hoping all things; Though the prophet's word may come to an end, tongues come to nothing, and knowledge have no more value, love has no end.” - 1 Corinthians

Somehow the verses in Chinese sound more beautiful and meaningful...Oops it goes astray from the topic again, but who cares, I'll just let it go. Best wishes to those in pursuit of their happiness in life and may love be their everlasing source of energy to go on...