"You got a dream... You gotta protect it. People can't do somethin' themselves, they wanna tell you you can't do it. If you want somethin', go get it. Period"- The Pursuit Of Happyness
During lockdown when everyone was stuck and helpless, so was I. After hours of scrolling through Instagram and Pinterest, I decided to watch a movie. Netflix recommended me a movie that was heart-wrenching and absolute needed at that time. I remember the clock was ticking at 2:00 at night, the world was asleep; but overthinking made me stay awake and I decided to watch it. There were a plethora of thoughts that made me realise that I have been born with a silver spoon. I recommend each and everyone to watch the movie or read the book.
Movie-
Name: The Pursuit of Happyness
Rating:4.9/5
Year of Release:2006
Where to watch: Netflix
Book-
Name: The Pursuit of Happyness
No.of pages:322
Written by: Chris Gardner
Year of Release: 2006
Will Smith, the megastar portraying the role of Chris Gardner and versatile actor Jaden Smith as Christopher Gardner Jr, made the movie more convincing and built a real-time connection with the audience., An interesting fact is that the role of Chris's son is played by the real-life son of Will Smith, that's why the bond they share is so loving and pure. I have watched and read about many rags to riches stories but this one truly topped the list.
The Journey from being miserable and helpless to getting one’s dream job, the multiple levels of one’s journey to the top have been depicted. All the obstacles and hurdles were worth it at the end. The end of the movie did not conclude at an end but a new beginning.
"We all have to climb mountains, you know. Mountains that go way up high, and mountains that go deep and low. Yes, we know what those mountains are here at Glide. We sing about them."
Plot-
The splendid movie is based on the real-life of Chris Gardner, an American multi-millionaire stockbroker. The movie revolves around the real-life struggles of Chris, who is selling bone density scanners and making a living out of them. Due to his inability to make a living, his wife decides to leave him, she is working 2 jobs to pay rent and afford household expenses. Linda (his wife) feels she has excessive pressure and stress. She decides to take up a job at a relative’s restaurant in New York. Although Chris feels he can do so much better if he’s given an opportunity to do so, he now has complete responsibility for Christopher Jr. As a father, Chris is depicted as a very dynamic and sensitive father who managed to wear the capes of mother and father beautifully. There are some instances in the movie where the love they share is beyond the dialogue. It just reflects directly in one’s heart from the screen. He never made his son realise that he was going through a financial turmoil.
Chris was keen on switching his career path as he realised the bone density scanner won’t help him flourish. So he found out about an unpaid internship at a brokerage and security firm, he decides to take it up. He was the least educated as compared to other interns who were graduated or post graduated. Out of 20 interns, only one will be chosen. But the fact was that it was an unpaid one and he had a son to take care of. Throughout his journey in various instances, no one trusted his ability except for his son, which showed how tender he was as a father.
“The world is your oyster. It's up to you to find the pearls.”
When he just realised that he is in a stable position, he loses $600 to taxes and is now homeless due to his inability to pay rent in time. He then moves into a motel but again he has the inability to pay the rent and he is now labelled as homeless. There was one heartbreaking situation when Chris and Christopher had to spend a night at the bus station and sleep inside the washroom and that scene had me in tears. I remember pressing the pause button for a minute and expressing gratitude to the fact that I have a home to stay.
On the last day of his 6-month long unpaid internship, he is called by his peers and informed that he is supposed to wear a tie and shirt every day because he is no more just an intern but an employee. He had tears in his eyes when he was informed. I remember smiling with tears in my eyes.
“Wealth can also be that attitude of gratitude with which we remind ourselves everyday to count our blessings.”
"The future was uncertain, absolutely, and there were many hurdles, twists and turns to come, but as long as I kept moving forward, one foot in front of the other, the voices of fear and shame, the messages from those who wanted to believe that I wasn't good enough, would be stilled."-Chris
The climax was beautifully created to win the hearts of the audience, Chris is seen walking with his son on a street and having a conversation with him when the real-life Chris Gardner walks in.
Hands down one of the best movies to make us realise that hard work and determination can do wonders in life. Indeed my favourite rags to riches story of all time.
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