The Pursuit of Happiness

Analysis of a Film
This film has been analysed by Khoiriyah

The Pursuit of Happiness

By

Gabriele Muccino

This film is inspired by a true story. For the purpose, Khoiriyah analyse the story  and its synopsis. The following is the brief description:   

1.	SETTING
	Setting of Place	:	San Francisco
	Setting of Time	:	1981 - 1987
	Socio-Cultural Setting	:	They live in a modern life. It can be indicated by the people’s job as a stock broker. It also indicated by a medical devices such as a bone-density scanner machine.
2.	Character
	Main/Major  Character	:	Chris Gardner Christopher
	Minor/Supporting Character	:	Linda Jay Twistle Martin Frohm Alan Frakesh Walter Ribbon Mrs. Chu World’s greatest dead Chinese maintenance worker Doctor at first hospital Timmy Ribbon Ferrari Owner Happy girl Tim Broth Bus driver Doctors Roy the old neighbor Cab driver Landlord Wayne Policeman Police clerk Driver who hits Chris Shoe-spotting intern Motel manager Dean wetter receptionist Dr Stark Shelter workers Revered William Big buy Rodney Homeless guy in line Clerk Paul Young man bus fight Smug intern Other young executive News reporter Ribbon’s receptionist Doctor at Oakland Memorial Hospital Glade shelter worker Secretary Homeless Guys Policewoman Indian grocery clerk Dean Witter employee Ribbon’s associate Dr. Don Florio Bucket man Blood centre clerk Check cashing clerk Glide singers Smiley Prisoner Pizza Dad Pizza Mom Pizza Son Pizza Daughter Professional woman Stunt coordinator Stunts
3.	Plot
	Exposition	:	Chris Gardner lives with his family, Linda, his wife and  Christopher, his the only one son. Chris works as a salesman, he sells such kind of medical devices while his wife is a part time worker. They live in a small house in San Fransisco. The story begins in 1981.
	Complication	:	The problem started when Chris cannot fulfill the living cost and  life demand such as the taxes, and daycare. His wife judges her husband as a weak person so she leaves him.
	Crisis	:	Chris got a letter that he should pay taxes. If he didn’t pay them the goverment could stick their hands into his bank account and take his money. He has only 21 dollars and 33 cents left in his bank account. Meanwhile, Ralph, the owner of the lodging house, asks money for the rent house. He wants Chris to get out from his lodging house. So, Chris and Christopher spent the night in the rest room.
	Falling Action	:	Chris has to work hard to do his test at Dean Witter. He eager desires to pass the test in order to be an employee there as a broker. Chris has been suggested by Deborah that he has to go to Glade memorial, the free taxe place, to stay in. Meanwhile, he has to maintain his life by selling the only one broken scanner machine left. He has to sell his blood to figure the machine out.
	Resolution	:	Martin Fohm informs Chris that he accepted  as a broker in Dean Witter. He feels very happy after passing through the hard life. After beginning his career at Dean Witter, he went on to found the investment firm Gardner Rich in 1987. In 2006, Chris gardner sold a minority stake in his brokerage firm in a multi-million dollar deal.
4.	Point of View	:	First Person Point of View
5.	Symbol	:	Love and happiness
6.	Tone	:	Touching, Compassion
7.	Theme	:	Family Life
8.	Message	:	-          We should make many sacrifices in order to maintain love, responsibility, commitment and faithfulness among the member of our family.  -          (For wives) You should be patient and accept what you got just the way he is.
9.	Comment	:	This story is inspired by a true story. It is compatible with Junior High School students because it teaches us the meaning of happiness, true love, responsibility, and faithfulness. Besides, it teaches us how to keep struggle against complicated problems in our life.
Synopsis          This story is inspired by a true story. It started when Chris Gardner lives with his wife named Linda and his son named Christopher. Chris Gardner is a salesman, he sells such kind of medical devices called bone- density scanner around the city, while his wife, Linda, is a part time worker. Although they work hard to earn money, they cannot fulfill their life demand. Chris needs to sell at least two scanners a month for rent and daycare, but he hasn’t sold any. Whereas, His wife prosecutes to get a prosperous job, so Chris decides to change his career to be a stock broker. But his wife disagrees because it cannot change the problem, This condition makes Linda downhearted and she decides to move to another place. Actually, Linda wants Christopher to live with her, but Chris adjures her that Christopher should be with him.                One day, Charlie, the owner of the lodging house, wants Chris to pay for the house rent, but Chris cannot pay it, so Charlie wants him to leave out by giving him one week more chance with the house has been already painted. They move to another lodging house while Chris is looking forward to a new job as a stock broker at Dean Witter. His application is accepted and he asked to be interviewed. Linda decides to move to another city, New York to find a job in a restaurant of her boyfriend’s sister. They separate far away each other.         After four months, Chris had sold all scanners. It means that nothing to be sold for their living cost untill he gets a letter that he should pay taxes for his bank account. If he didn’t pay them, the government could stick their hands into his bank account and take his money. Meanwhile, his money only 21 dollars and 33 cents left in his bank account. On the other hands, Ralph, the owner of the lodging house, asks money for the rent house. If he cannot pay it, they have to go out. So, they spent the night in a rest room with a tissue as a plaited mat for his son, Christopher. The following day they try to find out a rent house to stay in, especially for his son, but it is not easy. Deborah, the owner of another lodging house, refuses his request to give him a room to stay in. But she suggests Chris to go to Glide memorial. They stay in the taxe free place in the Glade.         Chris has to work hard to do his test at Dean Witter. He eager desires to pass the test in order to be an employee there as a broker. Meanwhile, he has to maintain their life by selling the only one broken machine left, it has been stolen by someone, but it cannot works, so he should buy a bulb and ferrite core inductor by selling his blood (Blood donor). After the machine can work well, he sell it to a Doctor. He spends his money to rent a hotel to spent a night.        Martin Fohm informs Chris that he accepted  as a broker in Dean Witter. He feels very happy after passing through the hard life. After beginning his career at Dean Witter, he went on to found the investment firm Gardner Rich in 1987. In 2006, Chris gardner sold a minority stake in his brokerage firm in a multi-million dollar deal.