The Pursuit of Happyness

All of the new DVD releases hit stores (and Netflix) on Tuesdays. So each week in What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday, I sort through the best of the batch and tell you what to add to your queue. This week brings us an exciting list of big titles, many of which got Oscar attention this year. In addition to these recommendations, check out Heath Ledger in the gritty drama Candy, as well as the gorgeous-looking Curse of the Golden Flower, which was up for Best Costumes.

Children of Men
Nominated for three Academy Awards, Children of Men is a frightening sci-fi tale of a not-so-distant future when women are unable to have babies, and humans everywhere, facing extinction, have turned to violence and warfare. Miraculously, one woman named Kee (Claire-Hope Ashitey) has managed to conceive and needs help from Theo (Clive Owen) to bring her — and the future of the race — safely to a science center named The Human Project. It's a chilling and dramatic piece of sci-fi that's a far cry from Jar Jar Binks. For more details, check out my full review.

For two more recommendations, read more

Will Smith may not have come home a winner at last night's Golden Globes, but he certainly didn't seem too worried about it while hamming it up with his Pursuit of Happyness costars in Rome over the weekend. Inside, though, Will is more full of Saddyness, and for good reason. Here's more:

"Smith, one of the world’s most bankable stars, appears mostly opposite black or Latino women,” noted U.K. writer Leslie O’Toole. “He once confided to me that he’d love to make a romantic comedy with Cameron Diaz but feared that his audience wouldn’t accept it.”

“It’s a shame, but it is what it is,” Thandie Newton, his co-star in “The Pursuit of Happyness” lamented. “I think if it was done in the right way, where race wouldn’t be an issue, it would be great. But you can’t bend people’s minds too quickly.”

It's an unfortunate truth that interracial couples are still very much shied away from in Hollywood. Quotes like these remind us that there's still a long way to go to achieve racial equality in America. Seriously, how could you deny the preciousness (not a word, we know, just go with it) of a beautiful pairing like Heidi and Seal? What do you guys think?

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The Smiths continue to pursue "Happyness" while at the German premiere of their new film. Will must be so psyched that he got nominated for a Golden Globe. The show is only a week away, and we are having a great time trying to predict the winners. You can too. Click here to fill out PopSugar's first ballot. Cast your vote and watch the Globes to see who brings home an award. Good Luck!

For more pics just read more

The Smiths went to London for the premiere of The Pursuit of Happyness. We bet they will be back in the states for the Golden Globes in less than a week. You can tell they are all so supportive of each other. In fact, Will and Jada seem to be going strong after almost 10 years of marriage that they might do it again. Apparently not only did Tom and Katie's wedding inspire J Lo and Marc to walk down the aisle one more time, but Will and Jada too. Here's more:

Word is the actor was so overcome by his friends' fairy-tale ceremony near Rome in November that he's planning one for himself and his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. Tom and Katie's wedding "made me realize we didn't have a big wedding," Will told Jay Leno on December 20. "It was the most amazing experience." So he'll throw a big bash of his own. "We're going to go back and do it again," says Will, who is planning the ceremony in honor of his 10th anniversary, December 31, 2007. "We'll renew the vows and all that."

They certainly have figured out something right in this crazy Hollywood world. For more of the Smith family walking the red carpet and with other cast members like Thandie Newton just read more

Will, Jada and Jaden attended a charity lunch in aid of The Prince's Trust prior to the UK premiere of The Pursuit of Happyness today. The film is still #2 at the box office here in the states, and we're sure it will do just as well overseas. I mean how could anyone resist little Jaden, he is just the cutest! He and Will are just perfect together in the film, even though Jaden recently said he felt somewhat tricked into it by his dear old dad. Here's more:

Jaden said, "It's kinda cool" working with his very famous father, but he admitted, "I thought it was extremely harder than I thought it was gonna be. ... because I thought he tricked me, because I thought it was gonna be a comedy, 'cause he does 'Fresh Prince of Bel Air,' 'Men in Black,' all that stuff that's funny. And then he just comes up with a drama."

"He told me he was a little nervous about cryin'" Will Smith said.

"Were you embarrassed about cryin'? Or what, what was the thing? Or you just didn't feel like it?" Smith asked his son.

"I didn't feel like it," Jaden said. "I didn't feel like it, and like, it's hard. But I just knew I could do it."

"You weren't scared or anything with the cryin'?" Smith wondered. "'Cause like, he really, he really didn't want … to do it, you know. I'm walkin' him around for about 15 minutes after the scene. And I'm sayin', 'It's OK, man. You know, you're a great actor. Relax.' And he goes, 'I wanna make comedies.' "

I guess we know what's up next for Jaden. This kid is sure to have a long career ahead of him. For more pics including Will, Jada, Jaden, Thandie Newton, Joanna Lumley, Dynamo, Adam Gibbs, and Anna Kari just read more

Pursuit of Happyness may be getting great reviews, but they weren't enough to keep the film at the top again this weekend. However, this didn't stop Thandie from celebrating this holiday in London. As for the top spot, Ben Stiller's Night at the Museum debuted at #1 taking in just over $30 million. Pursuit came in at #2 with $15 M. It's hard to compete with a film that's safe to take the whole family to. Rounding out the top 5 are Rocky Balboa with $12.5 M, The Good Shepherd with $10 M and We Are Marshall with $6.6 M.

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We were thrilled to hear that Will Smith was nominated for a Golden Globe last week for his fabulous performance in The Pursuit of Happyness. Will was so grateful for the nomination and now he has yet another thing to make him happy. His movie came in #1 at the box office this weekend taking in $27 million! Here he is on the Today Show with son (and co-star) Jaden, who we're sure is sharing in the good news as well.

More of the family man on the Today Show so read more

I was excited to see that "The Pursuit of Happyness" was No. 1 at the box office this weekend, beating out "Apocalypto", which held the top spot for just one week. It's great to see a very un-Hollywood movie like "Happyness" win out, but I'll be interested to see if the film maintains its momentum. After all, it's definitely not your typical feel-good movie, and some people may be surprised at how hard it is to watch. Still, if you haven't seen it yet, you should.

The Pursuit of Happyness has been a family bonding experience for the Smith family. Will stars alongside his adorable son Jaden and proud mother Jada has joined them on their promotional tour. We're excited to see the movie this weekend, but it turns out Will really doesn't care if the film does well at the box office. He's just proud that he grew as an actor on the film and got to spend so much time with Jaden. Here's more:

“What it taught me — it’s interesting on camera and off with Jaden — is that the bottom line is time,” the 38-year-old Philadelphia native said. “The amount of time you spend with your child. If it’s in the bathroom or like Chris Gardner said on ‘Oprah,’ in a million-dollar home, it’s the time. And Jaden and I got to spend every single day, 10 to 12 hours a day together working on this film. It became clear that whatever you have to offer financially doesn’t matter. Whatever situation you’re in, it doesn’t matter. You have to be there. You have to be with your child. To be able to spend that many hours a day together, our bond took off in a way that I never imagined.”

“I was struggling with a scene and [director] Gabriele Muccino would come and give me notes,” Smith said. “Every time Gabriele would give me notes and wouldn’t give any to Jaden; Jaden took that as him winning [laughs]! He would look at me like I got a note and he didn’t.

Ahh... not only is Will a terrific actor, but what a fabulous father as well. More pics of Jaden, Will and Jada stopping by The Late Show so read more