The Pursuit of Happyness- a Movie Review with Words of Encouragement

In this depressed economy, when so many people's unemployment has run out; when jobs, even menial jobs, cannot be found, it's time to see that we are collectively going through this. Everyone has been affected or knows someone who has.

When people find out that decisions go from meat on the table to anything on the table and life keeps getting progressively tougher. It's time to watch 'The Pursuit of Happyness'. It is a good movie to watch or watch again. Starring Will Smith and his Son, Jaden Christopher Syre Smith, you'll find they make an outstanding performance together as a Father and Son team in this biography drama written by Steve Conrad.

This is a 2006 movie, so it's likely to be available at your public library, meaning free and so many of us need free entertainment these days.

The story is a love story between father and son. It's a story of triumph against the odds when many a man or woman would give up. But Chris Gardner (Will Smith) does anything but that, despite having to stand in long lines to find a bed at a rescue mission for himself and his son, despite spending the night in a public bathroom at the subway station, despite selling his machines and his first dream of becoming an entrepreneurial business sales man, losing his car, spending the night in Jail and so much more.

In the end he triumphs, but along the way he learns, he doesn't stop. And we learn that it takes very little money to be a good parent, the point is being there, really there. Sure Gardner loses it a few times; who wouldn't? The point is he keeps going when many others about him might continue to spiral downward.

Why write about a 2006 movie based on 1981 economics? It fits as well today as then; if not more so. I hope for all who have suffered this economy, we too will be able to once again find happiness in the security of a job, a job that will provide for our families needs, but until then we must stick together does as this father and son.

Perhaps, you've never had to live on the streets or in your car. Consider yourself lucky, but know that many people do exactly what Chris Gardner does in the movie, he doesn't let it people know. He studies in the dark, and washes and irons his clothes meticulously so that anyone on the street or in business would never know he had slept in a shelter that night. He keeps things as normal as they can possibly be for the sake of his son and for the sake of finding a new career and he succeeds. And many people are doing the exact same thing today.

I admire 'The Declaration of Independence, As Chris Gardner reflects on it in the movie, especially, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness- credited to Thomas Jefferson. I agree the use of the word," pursuit" was ingenious. Happiness can be found, in a moment stranded in subway or eating supper at a mission as easily as it can be in getting in getting that longed for job. It's all about hope and never giving up, about trying harder and when that doesn't work, trying even harder and this movie is all about that, it's a slice of awesome to be relished in these tough times.

My heart goes out to all the unemployed and my prayers are with you that you too will find a good job.