The Pursuit of Happyness - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts

[discussimdb]

Fan of The Pursuit of Happyness or just want to share your movie knowledge? This topic is dedicated to all trivia and questions related to The Pursuit of Happyness

[bernard]

Dan Castellaneta, who voices Homer Simpson on The Simpsons (1989), co-stars in the film as one of Gardner's superiors and requests a donut from Gardener. This is a nod to Casellaneta's animated counterpart who shares a similar taste for donuts.

[jessie]

When the IRS seizes funds from Chris Gardner's account, Chris says the date was the 25th of September. Ironically, September 25th is Will Smith's birthday.

[sandra]

Based on a true story, though some elements have been changed from the book. For instance, Gardner's internship was not unpaid; he received a modest stipend. He and his son's mother were never married. The son was an infant during the internship.

[gabriel]

Christopher, Jr. wore the same outfit throughout the film, except when he was being bathed.

[alyssa]

The "Bible" the interns were told to sleep, eat, and live with is the 1934 edition of "Security Analysis" by Benjamin Graham.

[willard]

Throughout the film, period advertisements for Pacific Southwest Airlines can be seen in numerous places (taxis, buses, BART stations). PSA was a very popular low-fare airline in California during the period in which this film is set.

[oscar]

Chris Gardner: At the end, the real Chris Gardner walks past Chris and Chris Jr.

[tom]

Speedcubing champions Tyson Mao, Toby Mao, and Lars Petrus were hired to coach Will Smith to solve a Rubik's Cube in under two minutes.

[veronica]

The character of Linda is based on Chris Gardner's first wife, Sherry, and the mother of his children. Sherry came from a wealthier background and had a famous cousin Robert Alexander. At social soirees with Alexander, Chris befriended Danny Glover and Samuel L Jackson before they were famous.

[ivan]

The homeless people, who worked as extras, received a full day's pay at minimum wage ($8.62/hour) and free catered meals. For some, it was the first money they had made in a while.

[veronica]

Will Smith wanted Gabriele Muccino to direct this movie after seeing his films The Last Kiss (2001) and Remember Me, My Love (2003).

[duane]

The taxi driver who was going on behind Chris in the film was shouting "Stop, stop, son of a dog!", in Arabic.

[dustin]

Jaden Smith, who plays Chris Gardner's son, is Will Smith's real-life son. Christopher is Jaden's middle name.

[gabriel]

The title "The Pursuit of Happyness" is intentionally misspelled because it appears the same way on the outer wall of Christopher Jr.'s daycare center.

[carla]

Young Christopher often plays with, and would later accidentally leave behind, a Captain America doll. A legendary Marvel comics character who would later have his own movie franchise five years after this film was released.

[kenzi]

When Chris ran away from the taxi because he could not pay the fare, the driver was shouting "I'll kill you, I'll kill you" in the same way as the pimp who was shot by Robert De Niro in Taxi Driver. The cab had a banner promoting Raging Bull with Robert De Niro displayed on top of the car.

[elmer]

In the film, Chris makes note of five key steps regarding his "pursuit of happyness:" 1. Riding the Bus, 2. Being Stupid, 3. Running, 4. Internship, and 5. Happyness.

[cameron]

Mr. Ribbon asks his secretary to call Mr. Ristuccia. This surname is often used by Gabriele Muccino in his movies.

[sylvia]

When Chris (Will Smith) tells Jay (Brian Howe) that he'll let him know if he's going to accept the internship position, there is a VERY subtle reference to "Men In Black." When Agent J (Smith) asks Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones) if it's worth it to accept the job, Agent K turns back over the wrong shoulder and points at Agent J. The exact same thing happens in "The Pursuit of Happyness." Smith is deciding if he is going to take the job, and Howe turns back over the wrong shoulder and points at him.