Starz on the Set: The Pursuit of Happyness

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Time to get up, man.

-All right, Dad.

-Come on.

Should be here soon.

-I think I should make a list.

-What do mean?

-For your birthday gifts?

-Yeah.

You know you're only getting

a couple of things, right?

Yeah, I know. Just to look at

and study so I can choose better.

Okay, well, that's smart.

Yeah, make a list.

Can you spell everything

you're thinking of?

-I think so.

-All right. That's good.

-How you doing in here, man?

-Okay.

Can we go to the park today, after?

No, I gotta go to Oakland.

Well, maybe, we'll see.

Give me a kiss.

I'll talk to you later.

Excuse me.

Oh, excuse me...

...when is somebody

gonna clean this off?

And the Y?

The Y. We talked about this.

It's an I in "happiness."

There's no Y in "happiness." It's an l.

I'm Chris Gardner.

I met my father for the first time

when I was 28 years old.

And I made up my mind

as a young kid...

...that when I had children...

...my children were gonna know

who their father was.

This is part of my life story.

This part is called "Riding the Bus. "

What's that?

It's a time machine, isn't it?

Seems like a time machine.

That seems like a time machine.

It's a time machine. Take me with you.

This machine...

...this machine on my lap--

This guy, he has a time machine.

He travels in the past

with this machine and....

--it is not a time machine.

It's a portable

bone-density scanner.

A medical device I sell for a living.

Thank you for the opportunity

to discuss it with you.

-I appreciate it.

-We just don't need it, Chris.

It's unnecessary and expensive.

-Well, maybe next--

-Thank you.

It gave a slightly denser picture

than an x-ray for twice the money.

-Hey.

-Hey, baby.

-What happened?

-No, nothing.

Look, I can't get Christopher today.

Oh, no, you don't, Chris.

I'm back on at 7.

I know. I have got to go to Oakland.

So I gotta get Christopher home,

feed him, bathe him...

...get him in bed,

and be back here by 7?

-Yes.

-And we got the tax-bill notice today.

-What are you gonna do about that?

-Look, this is what we gotta do.

You see that car? The one

with the pretty yellow shoe on it?

That's mine.

There's no parking near hospitals.

That's what happens

when you're always in a rush.

Thanks anyway. Very much.

-Maybe next quarter.

-It's possible.

I needed to sell at least two scanners

a month for rent and daycare.

I'd have to sell one more...

...to pay off all of those tickets

under my windshield wiper.

The problem is...

...I haven't sold any for a while.

Since when do you not like

macaroni and cheese?

Since birth?

-What's that?

-What?

-What is this?

-It's a gift for Christopher.

-From who?

-Cynthia from work.

It's for adults. Chris can't use it.

She didn't know.

What are you supposed

to do with it?

Make every side the same color.

Did you pay the taxes?

No, I'm gonna

have to file an extension.

-You already filed an extension.

-Yeah, well, I gotta file another one.

That's-- It's $650.

I'll have it in the next month.

That means interest, right?

-And a penalty?

-Yeah, a little bit.

Look, why don't you let me do this?

All right, just relax. Okay?

-Come here. Calm down.

-I have to go back to work.

Let's get ready for bed.

Hey, put your plate in the sink.

A few days ago I was presented

with a report I'd asked for...

...a comprehensive audit, if you will,

of our economic condition.

You won't like it. I didn't like it.

But we have to face the truth...

...and then go to work

to turn things around.

And make no mistake about it,

we can turn them around.

The federal budget is out of control.

And we face runaway deficits

of almost $80 billion...

...for this budget year

that ends September 30th.

That deficit is larger than

the entire federal budget in 1 957.

And so is the almost $80 billion...

... we will pay in interest

this year on the national debt.

Twenty years ago, in 1 960...

...our federal government payroll

was less than $ 1 3 billion.

Today it is 75 billion.

During these 20 years, our population

has only increased by 23. 3 percent....

Man, I got two questions for you:

What do you do?

And how do you do it?

-I'm a stockbroker.

-Stockbroker. Oh, goodness.

Had to go to college

to be a stockbroker, huh?

You don't have to. Have to be good

with numbers and good with people.

-That's it.

-Hey, you take care.

I'll let you hang on to my car

for the weekend.

-But I need it back for Monday.

-Feed the meter.

I still remember that moment.

They all looked

so damn happy to me.

Why couldn't I look like that?

I'm gonna try to get home by 6.

I'm gonna stop by a brokerage firm

after work.

-For what?

-I wanna see about a job there.

Yeah? What job?

You know, when l--

When I was a kid, I could go through

a math book in a week.

So I'm gonna go see about

what job they got down there.

What job?

Stockbroker.

-Stockbroker?

-Yeah.

Not an astronaut?

Don't talk to me like that, Linda.

I'm gonna go down and see about this,

and I'm gonna do it during the day.

You should probably

do your sales calls.

I don't need you to tell me

about my sales calls, Linda.

I got three of them

before the damn office is even open.

Do you remember

that rent is due next week?

Probably not.

We're already two months behind.

Next week we'll owe three months.

I've been pulling double shifts

for four months now, Chris.

Just sell what's in your contract.

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