THE PURSUIT OF

HAPPYNESS
SCENE ANALYSIS

SHAHAL .M | CJMC 1st Year | November 14, 2018

Synopsis of Film
LIFE IS A STRUGGLE FOR SINGLE FATHER CHRIS GARDNER (WILL
SMITH). EVICTED FROM THEIR APARTMENT, HE AND HIS YOUNG SON
(JADEN CHRISTOPHER SYRE SMITH) FIND THEMSELVES ALONE WITH
NO PLACE TO GO. EVEN THOUGH CHRIS EVENTUALLY LANDS A JOB AS
AN INTERN AT A PRESTIGIOUS BROKERAGE FIRM, THE POSITION
PAYS NO MONEY.

SCENE DESCRIPTION
IN THIS SCENE CHRIS GARDNER IS SEEN TALKING TO MR.TWISTLE
INSIDE A CAB, CHIRIS WANTS TO SHOW TWISLE HIS INNOVATION
AND WANTS TO GET AHEAD IN LIFE. NOW INSIDE THE CAR TWISTLE
DOESN’T PAY ATTENTION TO CHRIS AND IS STUCK TRYING TOSOLVE
THE RUBIK’S CUBE, WHICH CHRIS LATER DOES SOLVE FOR HIM.

SCENE ANALYSIS
IN THIS BEGINNING SCENE WE CAN
SEE AN OVER THE SHOULDER SHOT
(OTS).WHERE CHRIS IS SEEN
TALKING TO TWISTLE. CHRIS IS
WEARING A WHITE SHRIT WHICH
BASICALLY DEPICTS SUCCESS.

CHRIS ASKS TWISTLE IF THEY CAN

DRIVE ALONG AND DECIDE TO
SHARE A CAB.

CUT TO.

INT. CAB

IN THIS FRAME, IT’S A

CLOSE-UP SHOT AND TWISTLE
IS PLACED IS INFRONT OF THE
CAMERA BECAUSE THE MAIN
PROTAGONIST IS CONVINCING
TWISTLE, AND HE IS PAYING
NO HEED TO TWISTLE.

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SOON THE CENTER OF ATTRACTION IS THE RUBIKS CUBE. HERE
RUBIKS CUBE IS SYMBOLISED TO CREATE TENSIONS.

CHRIS INSITS THAT HE CAN SOLVE

IT AND TWISTLE HANDS IT OVER
TO CHRIS. HERE, IT IS AN
ELEMENT OF SYMBOLISM AND IT
SYMBOLISIS CHRIS’S LIFE
ISSUES.

THE FACT THAT IN ORDER TO GET

HEAD IN LIFE WE HAVE TO BOUNCE BACK. AND THINGS GET
COMPLICATED. CHIRS DOES COME OUT WITH A TECHNIQUE TO SOLVE
THE CUBE.

THIS IS A CLOSE UP SHOT ON CHRIS’S FACE BECAUSE IT SHOWS

THE LEVEL OF DETERMINTION ON HIS FACE AND THE CONCENTRATION
OF ALL THE CHARACTER INCLUDING THE CAB DRIVER. THE MUSIC IN
THE BACKGROUND ALSO PLAYS A KEY ROLE AS IT IS SENSED TO BE
CALM AND SMOOTH AND BUILT WITH A SENSE OF CUROSITY.

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CUT TO.

EXT. TO THE ROAD

THERE IS A CAMERA
PAN MOVEMENT WHICH
IS DONE WITH A
PURPOSE TO SHOW THE
SHIFT IN TIME.

THEY REACH THE

DESTINATION, THE FACT
THAT CHRIS WANTED TO
SOLVE THE CUBE WAS
BECAUSE THE WANTED TO
SHOW TWISTLE THAT HE IS
A WORTHY CANIDATE, AND
WORTH BEING SELECTED.
WHEN CHRIS COMPLETES
THE CUBE IT SYMBOLISES SUCCESS.

AS TWISTLE LEAVES HE’S LEFT WITH THE CAB FARE OF 17.10

WHICH CHRIS CANNOT AFFORD.

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