I have read the book. Now I have seen the movie.
This movie was inspired by the book Pursuit of Happyness by Chris Gardner. The book chronicled Chris Gardner's life of poverty and his rise to wealthy stockbroker and entrepreneur. But the real story was that he overcame that extreme poverty before he succeeded. He grew up in an abusive home, and never knew his biological father. His mother was mostly absent from his life, either in jail or in trouble.
The book began in the Midwest, but was also set in Oakland, San Francisco, New York and Chicago. It began with Gardner's childhood with his abusive stepfather. The spelling of happiness came from the daycare center Gardner attended as a child, where the word was misspelled with a “y”. In the book, he tells of the client who helped him make his first million. It was a white man from Texas. They conducted business strictly over the phone. The man was unaware that Gardner was black and often used the “N” word in conversation with him. None of Chris Gardner’s struggles with racism were addressed in the movie. Black prostitutes in Oakland also played a role in the book. They provided five-dollar bills nearly everyday that Gardner said kept him from near-starvation. The movie, however, does not even provide a hint of any of these startling details.
The movie was directed by Italian director Gabriele Muccino. The movie was a bit slow going in the first thirty minutes. In no way did this director take a critical look at American life, black or white. The movie takes a simple, sanitized look at black people, who just happened to be homeless, without even implying a reason for it!
Will Smith, in the starring role, was a good choice to play Gardner. In the tight shots he became Chris Gardner. Smith's real-life son Jaden Christopher Syre Smith delivered a flawless performance. No, it’s not hype — he was perfect. Thandie Newton played a cookbook role as a sarcastic, working-poor wife. She left her son behind reluctantly to find work in New York City. Stevie Wonder’s 1980s hits dominated the sound track. It was soapy, but super for me.
Chris Gardner lent his talent to the film by narrating short segments of the movie. He had a cameo appearance that was supposed to act as a conduit between the real life tale and the Hollywood tale, but even that seemed cut and pasted. The movie was just under two hours. It was sad from the beginning just about to the bittersweet end. The end most are already aware of — Gardner became a stockbroker extraordinaire.
Article comments
1 - Marsha Kinston
I wouldn't call Newton's performance textbook. It was full of pain and restraint. I expected her to spend all of her screen time in full rage at Chris, and yet she balances her anger with tears and looks of disgust and distrust in Chris's odd plan for their future; especially considering that his last plan wound up in her having to work double shifts in order to put food on their table because he can't bring in an income.
I thought that both gave one the best performances in the movie.
2 - Heloise
Thanks for your comment. She was not bad in the movie. But as a teacher we sometimes do "cookbook labs." They work fine, but there is no real critical thinking evoked out of the students, nor input by the teacher. It is just a good tool.
Heloise
3 - Toni
What about the fact that he never looked for a job? When he got the internship he did that during the week and then sold the scanners on the weekend. Why couldn't he have done that about 6 months earlier with a job that paid? It seems like this movie is about the pursuit of not having to ever be a normal working stiff at the cost of your spouse, a secure steady home and an education for your child.
After reading this review though I'm thinking that in the book he did actually look for a paying job and couldn't get one??
4 - Heloise
Hey Toni,
Yes, the book is way different from the movie on that tip. I forgot what he did but it was not selling scanners.
Heloise