I didn’t catch any new movies at the theater this weekend, but I did watch The Pursuit of Happyness on Pay-Per-View.
First off, if there are any left in doubt over the caliber of Will Smith’s acting ability, we can just put that to rest now. The man can act.
Will Smith deserves all the credit, because for the most part this movie is a soliloquy by him. Although his real life and movie son brings some good moments into the film, it’s really Smith that carries the full weight of it.
I’ve seen a lot of movies that tug on the heart strings, but it usually takes a heavy dose of sadness to do the trick. Although Happyness has its fair share of sad moments, the times when you really feel it are at the time of happiness. That, in my opinion, takes real skill at both acting and writing.
I felt more emotional when Smith’s character sold his bone-density scanners than I did when they got turned away from a homeless shelter for the night. In the end, when he got the job as a stock broker I felt as proud as if I were him.
The movie is based on the real life story of Chris Gardner who pulled himself up by the bootstraps to become a multi-millionaire. After some research, it’s clear that that the movie took some liberties with the severity of Gardner’s situation, but that shouldn’t diminish from either the value of the movie or the impressiveness of Gardner’s ascension.
All in all, this movie is a wonderful movie that makes you proud to live in a country where enough determination and wit can change your fortunes. It reminds you that there are great people out there and that we’re all just a little bit insignificant by comparison.
Verdict: A+