20 years later, and I'm just finally seeing this masterpiece that was inspired by the true story of Chris Gardner. Honestly, maybe I still wouldn't have seen it if it wasn't for a short clip I came across on a friend's WhatsApp status. The clip showed Chris, giving a life advice to his son and I figured I was in for more of that in the real story.
Quite surprisingly, there was a lot more where that came from in this biography. Since I've been more intentional about English practices, this movie came in very helpful for me as I listened deeply to the use of English while the story unfolds. I found a page through the searching of this movie to learn English with movies too.
"The Pursuit of Happyness" is a movie based on the biography of the man "Christopher Gardner" released in 2006. I actually went on a search to be sure of how true the story depicts the life of the man, it turned out that the accuracy was on point and I totally love the fact that an actual father and son were used to recreate the story.
Will Smith played the role of Chris Gardner, a struggling sales man who have the custody of his son after his wife left him, starts working as an intern at a brokerage firm. How he kept facing struggles in selling his devices, meeting thieves and even accident, was heartbreaking to watch.
In all these, he was making sure to bring comfort to his son even if it was in a public homestay. One thing that is worth taking note from his life is how he didn't downplay or let himself be disrespected even though it was obvious he had little to nothing to offer. He had this confidence that he would find a better life for him and his son. That led him to an interview with no fear.
Jayden Smith played the role of the son to Chris Gardner, also called Christopher after his father. He is a very bright kid who seemed to understand to a good extent what is happening around him even though he is supposed to just be a kid with no worries. I love how carefree he acts with his father giving the man energy to continue trying.
This little kid character told two stories that I don't think I'll forget for a while, they hit home really. Especially the first story where he told his father about a man who kept refusing help until death thinking God will save him. It was a funny story but had me on a reflective mood after, a reminder that God will not come down to answer our prayers but instead, he would use fellow men.
It's a 1hr 57m movie, so not so long but has a whole life of a person that will come off as inspiring, purposeful and not free of challenges as it should be. I especially liked how things changed for him slowly in what he enjoyed doing. It's a very old movie but still teaches the present generation a lesson to apply in life. Check it out.
Images are from Imdb