The current issue of PsycCRITIQUES* reviews the film The Pursuit of Happyness from a positive psychology perspective. According to reviewer Ryan Niemiec, it stacks up pretty well.
If you haven’t seen the movie, and want a reminder of the value of persevering through hurdles while using your strengths for resourcefulness, then it might be worth finding the DVD. Be warned though – it’s not without great sadness.
Here’s an extract of the abstract of the review:
Abstract
Reviews the film, The pursuit of happyness directed by Gabriele Muccino (2006)…
…The Gardner character is a fairly balanced portrayal of several positive psychology strengths (e.g., persistence, love, and hope); there are a variety of real-life obstacles to each strength (e.g., homelessness, unemployment, being a victim of theft, and the protagonist’s separation from his wife); he overcomes obstacles and builds on his strengths (e.g., empathy for his son, creativity in an imagination game at a low point, finding ways to save time at work, and staying motivated at difficult times); and the film’s tone is uplifting and inspiring.
(C) 2007 by the American Psychological Association
Source: PsycCRITIQUES. 52(38), September 19, 2007 published by the American Psychological Association (APA).
* Each weekly issue of PsycCRITIQUES reviews about 20 psychology books and gives a psychology-tinged review of a popular film.
