I hope everyone had a great weekend. Here in the States Labor Day falls on a Monday, so we have a three day weekend. (Don't get me started on the originations of holidays).
For those with limited time, here's my summary upfront:
If you want a thought-provoking, emotional, inspiring tear-jerker, you need to watch this movie. On the other hand, if you want a brain draining, action-packed flick, then you should avoid this one for sure.
For those who'd like to know more:
I thought I'd take a go at reviewing a movie that moved me, way more than I expected. As the title of the post says, I am a father of seven amazing children (5 of which are adults now). You can read more about that in my INTRO POST.
This year has just been action-packed for me and my family, and this movie just slipped by me completely unnoticed.
In this movie, Will Smith loses a child, a loss that I hope I never have to endure. The movie deals with how the loss affects the life of the main character and those around him, and it provokes thought in many, many other ways. It's incredibly deep.
Several weeks ago, I had to make a quick trip back to the South of Chile to handle some affairs and visit with friends. On one of my return flights, I stumbled upon this movie. (By the way, there are a lot of return flights to get to Northern Idaho from Southern Chile). This movie was only one of just a few options that the 'on-demand' list gave me. At first glance, the cast looked amazing and I quickly thought, "how could you go wrong?" Fortunately this movie proved me right.
I cannot sleep on a flight. I have flown hundreds of thousands of miles, and I've never learned how to sleep on a flight; it's a real bummer. So, as was the normal, I was looking for movies that would occupy my mind a bit and help in making the flight go by quicker. Again, this movie achieved that splendidly.
Before I go too much further, I'm not sure I intend to be a future Steemit movie critic; that space is very well filled by some great writers such as 
As you can see from the 'selfie' above, the movie has a fantastic cast. In scanning the internet to get some appropriate photos for this post, I couldn't help but read some of the reviews out there, and I was shocked at the lack of enthusiasm about this movie. I saw one review that said that this was one of Will Smith's worst performances. I beg to differ! I felt the cast was fantastic. The acting by the cast was very well done.
I would almost say that the movie was over casted. What I mean by that is that there are some heavy hitters that play some very small roles. For example, Kiera Knightly plays a very small role. Because of her being casted, you're expecting a storyline to develop from her character and it never does. Perhaps a much lesser known actress should have been chosen so as to keep your focus on the main plot.
I will say that, in my opinion, you really have to have had the experience of being a parent to even understand this movie. I can see how anyone else would be totally bored and not see any point, as perhaps is the case with some of the critical reviewers out there.
Since I qualify as having experienced being a parent, I really got this movie. It resonated with me.
From the very beginning of this 'Drama,' your attention is held by the storyline and, again, the marvelous acting. You are immediately drawn into the story. Character and plot setup is developed quickly.
As I stated above, I was watching this movie on a return flight from a very quick and exhausting trip to Southern Chile. During this movie, on multiple occasions, I cried like a baby. Not sure what those around me were thinking; I didn't bother to take notice.
Thanks for taking the time to read