The Pursuit of Happyness Blu-ray

The Pursuit of Happyness

 (2006)

Biography | Drama



Inspired by a true story, Chris Gardner (Will Smith) is a bright and talented, but marginally employed salesman. Struggling to make ends meet, Gardner finds himself and his five year old son evicted from their San Francisco apartment with nowhere to go. When Gardner lands an internship at a prestigious stock brokerage firm, he and his son endure many hardships, including being homeless and living in shelters, in pursuit of his dream of a better life for the two of them.

For more details about The Pursuit of Happyness on Blu-ray, see The Pursuit of Happyness Blu-ray Review

Starring: Will Smith, Jaden Christopher Syre Smith, Thandie Newton, Brian Howe, James Karen
Director: Gabriele Muccino

The Pursuit of Happyness Blu-ray, Video Quality

 


The Pursuit of Happyness shouldn't leave any Blu-ray fans feeling anything but happy after watching this wonderful 1080p, 2.40:1-framed transfer. This is a pleasing, realistic-in-appearance, high-quality transfer. Colors are rich and eye-popping with every shade in the book present and accounted for somewhere in the movie. Every color is vibrant and lifelike, from the many shots of the city (both out wide and up-close), to graffiti on the walls, to the colors of the various building facades in Chinatown, to the clothing worn by the characters (notably those of Chris Jr). Once again, Sony has refused the temptation to wipe grain from the transfer, and this transfer retains all of it. It's not a heavy grain presence, but it is visible through much of the movie, and it adds an authentic cinematic experience to the transfer. The image is sharp and clear with very few soft edges. Detail is remarkable; all of those objects that sported excellent colors look equally remarkable from a detail perspective. Dirt and nicks on the walls, clothing, the street, and every other object that fills the frame looks so real that I often thought I might easily reach through the screen to touch all of it. I noted a few rather large, split-second white blocks on a few frames, but otherwise, the print is in pristine condition. Black levels and flesh tones are both equally impressive. The Pursuit of Happyness is another in a long line of excellent transfers from Sony, and while it alone is not worth purchasing the disc for, it sure does make the experience of watching this film on Blu-ray all the better.

The Pursuit of Happyness Blu-ray, Audio Quality

 


Boasting a wonderful PCM 5.1 uncompressed soundtrack that is the perfect compliment to this film, The Pursuit of Happyness' audio mix makes enjoying the journey of Chris Gardner all the more engaging. As good as most Blu-ray discs look, I still find myself enamored by the wonderfully pure and high quality lossless or uncompressed soundtracks that accompany them, and this disc's mix is no exception. The theme that plays over the credits is a simple one, yet I could not help but smile, not only because I enjoyed the music, but because it sounds so perfectly natural and cinematic. I know I refer to that feeling quite a bit, but for me, that's the number one selling point of Blu-ray, recreating the cinema experience in your home, and lossless audio does just that. The Pursuit of Happyness is a dialogue-driven film at heart, and reproduction of that aspect of this mix is perfect. Atmospherics are wonderful when called upon; a rain storm in chapter five offers fine rear channel presence, enveloping the viewer in the moment, a sad moment in the film that is markedly improved by the rain and the mood it helps to define. Another pleasing sonic moment comes in chapter 14 as Chris and his son find themselves listening to a church choir surrounded by praising worshipers. This mix is decidedly front-heavy, but the movie it accompanies is a drama, not a war or action film, so taking into consideration the genre and the subject material, this audio track is a winner, one that creates just the right mood for the film, and it shines on Blu-ray.

The Pursuit of Happyness Blu-ray, News and Updates

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