"A man whose determination to succeed was matched only by his devotion to his son... A true story of heartache, hardship, and all-American heroism... Schmaltz International proudly presents Will Smith in... The Pursuit Of An Academy Award!"

This is the impression many will have of Smith's return to serious drama, having barely flexed his acting muscles since failing to win an Oscar for Ali five years ago.

Post-Ali, his record reads: Men In Black II; Bad Boys II; I, Robot; Shark Tale; Hitch.

But as the most down-to-earth and disarmingly likeable star in Hollywood, Smith could make a box office hit out of a party political broadcast.

So here we are in 1981 San Francisco, where cash-strapped Chris Gardner is struggling to shift his stock of portable bone scanners.

Working out the Rubik's Cube is a doddle; the bigger puzzle is how to pay the bills and young Christopher's daycare fees.

Believing that it will solve all their troubles, Chris begins an unpaid and highly competitive internship with trading company Dean Witter. For his scolding wife Linda (Newton), this latest folly the last straw – and out she walks.

Laws being different back then, Chris manages to keep custody of Christopher, but his financial woes worsen and soon they have no home.

The title (spelling explained early on) refers to the statement by Thomas Jefferson in the US Constitution which holds that all have the right to "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness". It is the notion to which the real-life Gardner clung throughout his ordeal.

Cinematically, his story is inspiring and occasionally moving – especially a scene in which father and son spend a night in a public toilet. But the outcome is never in doubt - of plot twists there are none.

There is also a mixed message here: Gardner's situation reinforces the idea that money is the root of all evil, yet all those happy, smiling traders make Dean Witter look like Disneyland.

The soundtrack teeters on the mawkish too, and no explanation is offered as to why an amicable guy like Chris has so few friends to lean on. Or where any relatives might be.

This is not, however, the mawkish nightmare cynics might expect. Thanks to the understated performances of Smith and son, the film rises well above its TV movie trappings... so we can all live happyly ever after.

Elliott Noble