Christopher

Christopher Garner is an important character in the film The Pursuit of Happyness directed by Gabriele Muccino. He is Chris’s five-year-old son. He attends Mrs. Chu’s daycare center, where he mostly watches movies. His nickname at the daycare center, which is also written on his backpack is “Hot Rod” (00:17:11). The nickname points to his hidden qualities. A hot rod is a car which has been rebuilt with a better engine to improve its speed and acceleration, usually for racing purposes. It is a nickname which Christopher has chosen for himself, and which suggests that he may be small and unassuming on the outside, but surprisingly mature on the inside. 

In line with his nickname, Christopher proves several times that he is wise and understanding beyond his age. For instance, when he talks about his wish list, and Chris tells him that he will not be getting more than one or two presents, Christopher immediately understands and says the list is just to help him decide which present he wants most (00:03:38-00:03:52). He understands from Chris’ hints about the word “possibly” that his father wants to gently point out that they will not go to the game. Even when he understands this, he does not become upset, which proves his wisdom.

Even though Christopher’s parents struggle financially, ...