The Pursuit of Happyness

 The Pursuit of Happyness (2006) - Gabriele Muccino

 
Another highly recommended movie to watch. Based on a true story, it tells the story of a father and his son and how he manages to get out of a real and desperate problem. Of how he hustles to save the situation by overcoming obstacles, bouncing back, or enduring difficult situations that come his way. The actor (Will Smith) and his son (his real-life son is actually Smith's son) do a good job. However, Will Smith's performance stands out—one that is increasingly recognized over time, even though at the time he was only nominated in the Best Actor category at the Academy Awards, Golden Globes, and Screen Actors Guild Awards, without winning any.

In some passages, the author speaks in the first person; in one of these moments, right at the beginning of the movie, the protagonist says: "I'm Chris Gardner. I saw my father for the first time when I turned 28, and I was still just a kid when I decided that when I had children, my children would know who their father was. This is part of the story of my life."

Right there, he defines everything—everything he is and everything he represents. That fragment points to an idea: the idea of solidarity and kindness toward his family; perhaps it hints at what many fathers seek for their children, which is that they don't go through the bad things they themselves went through.

Another quote I liked is when he says: "I'm a person who, if someone asks me something and I don't know the answer, I reply that I don't know it. But by the same token, if I know how to find the answer, rest assured that I'll find the answer."

Link to the movie's profile on the FilmAffinity website: www.filmaffinity.com/es/film294674.html

(Originally published on 09-17-2011)