Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 491-489: Echoes of Happiness (Part 1)

In September 2003, a complex emotion permeated the air in the United States.

Although several months have passed since the end of major military operations in the Iraq War, the shadow of war is far from over.

News channels were still filled with reports about postwar reconstruction, the security situation, and soldier casualties. A sense of uncertainty about the country's future and the unpredictability of individual fates quietly seeped into the fabric of society.

It was against this backdrop that, on September 12, the Sino-US co-production film "The Pursuit of Happyness," co-produced by Disney, Shanghai Film Group, and Shengying Media, directed by Wang Sheng, and starring Jamie Foxx, quietly premiered in North American theaters.

After repeated deliberations by Wang Sheng and the Disney team, the film's promotional slogans were finally settled on: "Hope is not a strategy, but never losing it is." and the more poignant "In the struggle, lies the strength."
Without dazzling special effects, explosive action scenes, or even the aura of A-list stars, "The Pursuit of Happyness" is like a calm pebble thrown into a noisy lake dominated by war news.

On its opening day, the screening rate was not high, mainly concentrated in some art-house cinemas and multiplexes in major cities during off-peak hours.

However, audiences who went to the theater were surprised to find that this seemingly "ordinary" film contained a power that touched people's hearts.

Based on the original script (directed by Wang Sheng), Disney added a true story adaptation to the film, telling the story of a single father named Chris Gardner who, in the face of business failure, his wife leaving him, bankruptcy, and homelessness, struggles to raise his young son while fighting for a low-paying stockbroker intern position and ultimately turning his life around.

Jamie Foxx shed his boxing champion aura from "Ali" and fully immersed himself in the role of this small man struggling to survive.

The weariness and despair in his eyes, as well as the undisguised love and guilt he occasionally showed for his son in the face of adversity, were portrayed vividly.

In particular, the scene where, in order to rush to the shelter, she spends the night in the subway station toilet with her son in her arms, bracing the door with her foot and silently shedding tears, almost made every viewer feel a tightness in their chest and a lump in their throat.

The innocence and dependence of young actor Tyler James Williams became a glimmer of light illuminating this bleak reality.

The child's unconditional trust in his father's eyes contrasts sharply with the father's near-collapse under the weight of reality, amplifying both the cruelty of life and the warmth of family affection to the extreme.

Wang Sheng's directing style is restrained and precise.

He didn't deliberately try to evoke emotions; instead, he used a down-to-earth, almost documentary-like perspective to follow the father and son as they wandered through the cold yet bustling streets of San Francisco in the early 80s, recording the moments when they were rejected, driven away, and mocked by reality.

However, it is precisely in this seemingly hopeless repetitive struggle that Chris Gardner's "never give up" tenacity shines like a firefly in the dark night, faint yet persistent.

Film critics reacted faster and more enthusiastically than expected.

In his column, A.O. Scott, a senior film critic for The New York Times, wrote: "In Wang Sheng's new film, we do not see the fantastical brilliance of Night at the Museum, nor do we feel the tension and excitement of Saw. Instead, we find a sense of heaviness and warmth deeply rooted in reality."

"The Pursuit of Happyness" is an epic about losers. It does not shy away from the dirty corners of life and the suffocating despair, but in this extreme predicament, it unearths the most precious light of humanity—fatherly love, dignity, and that seemingly foolish but incomparably precious persistence.

In this era shrouded in the shadow of war and uncertainty, this film serves as a gentle yet powerful remedy, reminding us to pay attention to the real struggles around us and to rethink the definitions of 'happiness' and 'success.' The Hollywood Reporter commented, 'Jamie Fox delivers one of the most compelling performances of his career.'

Director Wang Sheng successfully captured a universal emotion that transcends cultural barriers in an American story. The emotional impact of the film's ending, where Chris Gardner finally gets a job and can't help but applaud himself in the bustling street, tears welling in his eyes, is devastating.

This is not just one person's victory, but also a tribute to every ordinary individual who never gave up in the face of adversity.

More importantly, it depends on the audience's word of mouth.

In 2003, before the internet had fully dominated public opinion, the power of word of mouth remained strong.

"You have to see 'The Pursuit of Happyness'. I cried through a whole pack of tissues."

"I never expected Wang Sheng could make a movie like this. It's so realistic. It reminds me of my father."

"After watching the movie, I called my dad. We hadn't had a proper conversation in a long time."

"After seeing so many terrible things in the news, this movie made me believe again that there is still beauty and perseverance in life."

Similar comments began appearing on online forums, radio hotlines, and in everyday conversations among ordinary people.

The collective anxiety and psychological trauma brought about by war have led the public to subconsciously crave emotional comfort and a spiritual anchor.

The sense of powerlessness under those grand narratives finds a strange compensation and outlet in the specific and small individual struggle of Chris Gardner.

His struggles reflect the struggles of many people facing economic uncertainty or life's difficulties; his eventual success (even if only temporary) offers a near-luxurious emotional comfort and a glimmer of hope.

Disney astutely detected this undercurrent and immediately adjusted its advertising strategy, abandoning some of the overly "artistic" approaches originally planned, and instead strengthening its "emotional healing" and "inspirational role model" labels, increasing advertising on television and print media targeting ordinary families and middle-aged audiences.

The result was surprisingly good.

The opening weekend box office figures for "The Pursuit of Happyness" are tentatively reported at $812 million. This figure may seem insignificant compared to Hollywood blockbusters that typically rake in tens of millions in their opening weekends, but considering its $3000 million production cost, limited marketing scale, and non-commercial genre, it is undoubtedly a huge success.

More importantly, its box office performance was extremely healthy, with Saturday's box office showing a significant increase compared to Friday, and Sunday's decline being well controlled, demonstrating a strong word-of-mouth driving effect.

The theaters reacted quickly, slightly increasing screenings starting in the second week, especially during daytime and weekday off-peak hours, where the occupancy rate was surprisingly good.

(End of this chapter)