Fradam

I saw Pursuit of Happyness last night, a movie which has interested me and bugged me at the same time. Interested as the pursuit (and attainment) of being happy is one greatly aligned with my life. Bugged because that spelling is a bit jarring.

So, witnessing Will Smith’s character, Chris Gardner, taking the time to point out the bad spelling within the first few minutes of the film was definitely a great way to begin it. Witnessing the hardships of Chris as he struggled to make ends meet and find a place for his son to lay his head at night, was not as easy. In some ways, it was shocking to see an individual placed in a position he could not control, and to contemplate that life could deal anyone a similar hand. However in other ways, it was also inspiring to see that struggle resolved in a positive fashion, one that does brand hope in my eyes.

Sure — it is Hollywood — some of these events took place across a period of time etc. But the biggest part of it, the parts that were real — the implacable determination to be there for his son, the indomitable will to succeed and an almost inexorable passion for doing what he wanted and not being held back. Perhaps it is this fiery intensity that at times scared me the most about Will’s portrayal of Chris, to see what an individual would do to see his dream realised.

How many people have that kind of fervor for their goals? I’d say many people at times, have that passion… just often, those times don’t align with times they can act upon them. But how many people have the gifts he had — the fine-tuned mind for numbers and his speedsolving with a Rubix cube garnered attention from the people who had the power to grant him what he wanted. Call me crazy, but I think everyone’s got a talent somewhere. It might not make a movie, but it’s there, whether we call it that or not.

I thought Jaden Christopher Syre Smith (above) was awesome. Adorable, yet, such an amazing performance. He may well challenge Bindi for the “8 year old entertainer’s awards” with his portrayal of Chris’ son.

It was great that the real Chris Gardner had a cameo in the film; a bit reminiscent of the recent Starsky and Hutch remake, when the older and newer duos met.

All in all, a good film it was, with a fresh bite of what reality can be like at times. It’s not really a tear-jerker, but can be a little shocking in some parts. There are inspirational moments, but perhaps the fact that most of these events really happened to someone, is what hits home the most.

If there’s one thing to take away from the film, it should be this:

You got a dream, you gotta protect it. People can’t do something themselves, they wanna tell you that you can’t do it. You want something? Go get it. Period.

Go watch it