Will Smith: 5 Awesome Performances And 5 That Sucked

3. Chris Gardner - The Pursuit Of Happyness

Often accused of being Oscar-bait, The Pursuit Of Happyness is instead a triumph of simple, dramatic human story-telling. The film, based on the true story of Chris Gardner, could well have ended up in a daytime TV slot, thanks to the almost cliched redemptive element of the story, but the star quality of Smith, and the money-can't-buy chemistry between the lead and his son Jaden drove it well above that level. Smith's performance is wounded and perpetually on the verge of breaking - he is a picture of vulnerability, mixed with a furious need to protect his family, and driven by a singular desire to do better for himself and his son. He is the archetypal rags to riches character, utterly charismatic and engaging, thanks to his love and devotion to his son in even the starkest situations, and the performance could never have worked as well in another actor's hands. Watching Smith stumble and fall, before reaching his ultimate goal is hugely affecting, even despite some sticky accusations of tweeness, and there is certainly something in his presence that sells that arc better than most could.