The Pursuit of Happiness (1971 film)

Plot

Disenchanted college student William Popper (Michael Sarrazin) is convicted of vehicular manslaughter for killing a woman with his car. With only a week left on his sentence and the help of his girlfriend, Jane (Barbara Hershey), he escapes to Canada, making both of them wanted fugitives.

Cast

Reception

Alan Bacchus of Daily Film Dose said: "Of course it’s 1970, and though it seemed like a liberal film at the time it is completely out to lunch and is Hollywood fantasy of the highest order. It’s a shame because the opening act sets up an interesting intellectual take on the difference between moral idealism and reality. Unfortunately, the film shamelessly separates the pack into liberals good and republicans bad. ... The Pursuit of Happiness constantly rides a teeter-totter of honest realism and complete ineptitude. At one point William breaks out of jail with one week left in his sentence, an act completely out of character, not to mention illogical. Add to this scene another puke-inducing Randy Newman song and it’s more cartooning around. The prison life is ridiculous. Dramatized with quirky characters and fun personalities, it’s a summer camp-like fantasy prison. ... Mulligan also completely destroys the suspense of William’s flight to Canada with barely even a roadblock in his way. Sarrazin is a fine actor and extremely likeable, but his character and his morals are never really challenged, especially when the consequences would be going back to that fun Shawshank prison."