The Pursuit of Happiness

1971

Action / Crime / Drama

4
Rotten Tomatoes Critics - Rotten 33%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience - Spilled 33%
IMDb Rating 6.2/10 10 484 484

escape college girlfriend fugitive car accident manslaughter

Plot summary

William Popper is the son of a stockbroker and is thoroughly disenchanted with "the system." So much so that even though he can prove that he ran over a woman in his car entirely by accident, he accepts a sentence for manslaughter.

Director

Robert Mulligan Photo
Robert Mulligan

Top cast

Ralph Waite Photo
Ralph Waite as Detective Cromie
Tom Rosqui Photo
Tom Rosqui as District Attorney Keller
Barbara Hershey Photo
Barbara Hershey as Jane Kauffman
Michael Sarrazin Photo
Michael Sarrazin as William Popper
720p.WEB 1080p.WEB
854.4 MB
1280*714
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  
23.976 fps
1 hr 33 min
Seeds 3
1.55 GB
1920*1072
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  
23.976 fps
1 hr 33 min
Seeds 3

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by vandino1

Not bad for its time

Usually these Young-People-against-The-System films from the late 60's-early 70's are populated with groovy-talking stoners, angry radicals, and even angrier authority figures (cops, parents, etc.) But this one dispenses with those cartoons. Sarrazin and Hershey play idealistic college students, but Sarrazin is realistic enough to understand he needs help from his family connections when he gets into trouble, and Hershey doesn't have a beat-the-system attitude when Sarrazin escapes from custody; in fact, she can't fathom why he was so stupid.It all revolves around an accident involving Sarrazin hitting a pedestrian with his car. It has nothing to do with campus politics and no attitudes are posed. The filmmakers don't try and truckle to the youth crowd by having the establishment types be played over-the-top. When Sarrazin mildly mocks the justice system, his lawyer played by E.G. Marshall shuts him up fast with a well-written lecture that reasonably explains Marshalls' viewpoint. And, noticeably, it is Marshall's law assistant, of the same age as Sarrazin, who is played as far more hard-core establishmentary than Marshall, or Sarrazin's father, played by Arthur Hill. The film also features a young Robert Klein, who is quite good as Sarrazin's buddy. It also features a small but striking performance from William Devane as an airplane pilot hired to help Sarrazin. Devane is on screen no more than thirty seconds before he becomes more interesting than anyone else in the film (although Sarrazin's grandma is quite a kick, even though one note). And yes, Hershey does show off her very nice young figure in a couple of scenes. Unfortunately, the film also features Randy Newman drone-singing one of his boring songs at the opening and closing.
Reviewed by shiannedog 7 / 10

I just went

This movie is fairly well made overall. It certainly gives a glimpse into the mindset of college aged students in a political and legal environment with all the predictable clashes. It also explains why letting people (who've retained the idealistic views of their childhood) become the political leaders of tomorrow will lead a nation to ruin. The lack of thoughtful consideration of the consequences of perilous and stupid actions is particularly disturbing in this film. No doubt the excitement of living a responsibility free life is an irresistible draw to many of the young and foolish who are nurtured by their predecessors in our educational system. All in all it's a frightening view of the reason great nations fall due to the well meaning ignorance of too many people. So sad to see when happiness is found simply by moving to the right.
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