Happyness is . . .
. . . a good movie. The hubs and I watched The Pursuit of Happyness this week, and it was a movie that I definitely enjoyed, even though it had its painful moments. Before I review, let me just mention that, once you become a parent, everything you observe is filtered through the lens of momhood. And things that affected you somewhat BEFORE you had a kid seem to affect you alot more now that you DO have one. For example, when I read those horror stories of mistreated children in the paper, I am doubly hurt because I am somebody's mama, and I picture my little man in whatever situation is described.
Which is probably why I found The Pursuit of Happyness very emotional. The movie, which stars Will Smith and his (actual) son Jaden, is about Chris Gardner. Chris is a smart, capable guy, but he's gotten himself into a bad situation. He sunk his life savings into selling bone density scanners, which don't seem to be moving very quickly. And his girlfriend Linda (played by Thandie Newton, looking as bad as a person that gorgeous can look), who's been working double shifts to make ends meet, gets fed up. She's going to leave him and take the kid, but Chris won't let her. So she leaves him AND the kid. Here's where things get interesting. In an effort to better their situation, Chris applies for a competitive broker internship. He's learned that out of a pool of 20 interns, ONE will be offered a job at the end of the six-month program. He gets the internship. Problem? It's UNPAID.
Soooo, Chris has to start selling some scanners, FAST. He has moderate success, but there are still times when the father/son team is living pretty close to the bone. During some scenes, such as when the little family finds itself homeless for a while, I almost cried. These are the kinds of characters I can root for. Chris is doing everything possible to keep body and soul together and make a future for himself and his son. And sometimes, it still isn't enough. But the guy just WON'T give up. He powers through the worst of circumstances. He puts a brave face on for his kid. He keeps his wits about him. He doesn't cave. You gotta love a guy like that.
Will Smith is great in this. He must have gotten in awesome shape, too, because he spends alot of the movie in a flat-out run. (Talk about hustle.) And Jaden is adorable. His sweet, soft little-boy face. His good nature. His ultimate trust in his dad (on screen and off). A totally effortless performance, it was perfect for this movie. You will love this kid.
I recommend The Pursuit of Happyness. And if you're a parent, I REALLY recommend it. It's absolutely inspirational.
Which is probably why I found The Pursuit of Happyness very emotional. The movie, which stars Will Smith and his (actual) son Jaden, is about Chris Gardner. Chris is a smart, capable guy, but he's gotten himself into a bad situation. He sunk his life savings into selling bone density scanners, which don't seem to be moving very quickly. And his girlfriend Linda (played by Thandie Newton, looking as bad as a person that gorgeous can look), who's been working double shifts to make ends meet, gets fed up. She's going to leave him and take the kid, but Chris won't let her. So she leaves him AND the kid. Here's where things get interesting. In an effort to better their situation, Chris applies for a competitive broker internship. He's learned that out of a pool of 20 interns, ONE will be offered a job at the end of the six-month program. He gets the internship. Problem? It's UNPAID.
Soooo, Chris has to start selling some scanners, FAST. He has moderate success, but there are still times when the father/son team is living pretty close to the bone. During some scenes, such as when the little family finds itself homeless for a while, I almost cried. These are the kinds of characters I can root for. Chris is doing everything possible to keep body and soul together and make a future for himself and his son. And sometimes, it still isn't enough. But the guy just WON'T give up. He powers through the worst of circumstances. He puts a brave face on for his kid. He keeps his wits about him. He doesn't cave. You gotta love a guy like that.
Will Smith is great in this. He must have gotten in awesome shape, too, because he spends alot of the movie in a flat-out run. (Talk about hustle.) And Jaden is adorable. His sweet, soft little-boy face. His good nature. His ultimate trust in his dad (on screen and off). A totally effortless performance, it was perfect for this movie. You will love this kid.
I recommend The Pursuit of Happyness. And if you're a parent, I REALLY recommend it. It's absolutely inspirational.
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