The Pursuit of Happyness

Chris Gardner:
This part of my life... this part right here. this is called "happiness".

Chris Gardner:
Christopher is staying with me.

Chris Gardner:
It was right then that I started thinking about Thomas Jefferson, the Declaration of Independence and the part about our right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. And I remember thinking: How did he know to put the pursuit part in there? That maybe happiness is something that we can only pursue. And maybe we can actually never have it, no matter what. How did he know that?

Chris Gardner:
This part of my life, this part right here, this part is called "being stupid".

Chris Gardner:
Can I say something? Um, I'm the type of person that if you ask me a question and I don't know the answer, I'm gonna tell you that I don't know. But I bet you what, I know how to find the answer and I will find the answer.

Chris Gardner:
I just have two questions for you. What do you do, and how do you do it?

Chris Gardner:
Don't ever let someone tell you you can't do something. Not even me. All right?

Chris Gardner:
When I was young, and I'd get A's, I'd get this good feeling of all the things that I could be. And then I'd never became any of them.

Christopher:
Hey dad, you wanna hear something funny? There was a man who was drowning, and a boat came, and the man on the boat said "Do you need help?" and the man said "No thanks, God will save me". Then another boat came and he tried to help him, but he said "No thanks, God will save me", then he drowned and went to Heaven. Then the man told God, "God, why didn't you save me?" and God said "I sent you two big boats, to give you a second chance!"

Reverend Williams:
The important thing about that freedom train, is it's got to climb mountains. We ALL have to climb mountains, you know. Mountains that go way up high, and mountains that go deep and low. Yes, we know what those mountains are here at Glide. We sing about them.

Christopher:
What are you doing?

Chris Gardner:
Paying a parking ticket.

Christopher:
...But we don't have a car anymore.

Chris Topher Gardner:
Yeah, I know...

Chris Gardner:
Probably means there's a good chance. Possibly means we might or we might not.

Christopher:
Okay.

Chris Gardner:
So, what does probably mean?

Christopher:
It means we have a good chance.

Chris Gardner:
And what does possibly mean?

Christopher:
I know what it means! It means we're not going to the game.

Martin Frohm:
What would you say if man walked in here with no shirt, and I hired him? What would you say?

Chris Gardner:
He must have had on some really nice pants.

Chris Gardner:
(about the spelling mistakes in the graffiti of a building) It's not "H-A-P-P-Y-N-E-S-S" Happiness is spelled with an "I" instead of a "Y"

Christopher:
Oh, okay. Is "F***" spelled right?

Chris Gardner:
Um, yes. "F***" is spelled right but you shouldn't use that word.

Christopher:
Why? What's it mean?

Chris Gardner:
It's, um, an adult word used to express anger and, uh, other things. But it's an adult word. It's spelled right, but don't use it.

Chris Gardner:
Don't ever let someone tell you, you can't do something. Not even me. You got a dream, you got to protect it. People can't do something themselves, they want to tell you you can't do it. You want something, go get it. Period. All right?

Christopher:
All right.

(Final lines)

Chris Gardner:
How many planets are there?

Christopher:
Um... seven?

Chris Gardner:
Seven? Nine! OK, who's the king of the jungle?

Christopher:
The gorilla?

Chris Gardner:
Gorilla? Nope. Lion.

Christopher:
Yeah, lion, lion. You wanna hear something funny?

Chris Gardner:
OK.

Christopher:
Knock knock.

Chris Gardner:
Who's there?

Christopher:
Shelby.

Chris Gardner:
Shelby who?

Christopher:
Shelby comin' round the mountain when she comes, Shelby comin' round the mountain when she comes!

Chris Gardner:
Hey, that's good.

Christopher:
Knock knock.

Chris Gardner:
Who's there?

Christopher:
Nobody.

Chris Gardner:
Nobody who?

(Christopher doesn't respond)

Chris Gardner:
Nobody who?

(Christopher still doesn't respond)

Chris Gardner:
A-ha-ha, that's a good one, I like that!

Christopher Dad where are we going

Chris Gardner I don't know

Chris Gardner:
I am not what happened to me. I am what I choose to become.

[On his last day in the training program, Chris Gardner is summoned by the partners]

Chris Gardner:
I thought I'd wear a shirt today, um, you know, being the last day and all.

Martin Frohm:
Well, thank you. Thank you. We appreciate that. But... wear one tomorrow though, okay? Because tomorrow's going to be your first day... if you'd like to work here as a broker. Would you like that, Chris?

Gardner:
Yes, sir.

Frohm:
Good. We couldn't be happier. So welcome. Was it as easy as it looked?

Gardner:
No, sir. No, sir, it wasn't.

Frohm:
Good luck, Chris.

Gardner:
Thank you. Thank you. [shakes hands with Jay Twistle and the other partners, and prepares to leave]

Frohm:
Oh, Chris. I almost forgot. [gives him back five dollars for an earlier cab ride] Thank you.