What if there’s someone looking at our lives, looking at us as honest in our struggles, and, with all their heart, rooting for us to win? That person could be anyone. But most importantly, it’s us.
We all wake up and rush somewhere to make it in life. At times, we feel like we’re going nowhere, but there’s this dream, this hope that we hold in our hearts, that keeps us going. Without it, how would we ever have the drive? That’s our pursuit of happyness.
Living life is hard, and we make choices that decide our destiny, and sometimes destiny makes some choices that decide our choices. In between all that, we take what life throws at us and keep moving. All the time in this film, looking at Chris Gardener’s struggles, I was constantly rooting for him when I realized there are only thirteen minutes left for the film to be over and there’s nothing extraordinary happening in his life that he can call happiness, and that’s when I felt all of what I wrote up there.
It reminds me of a conversation from Neil Gaiman’s amazing graphic novel that goes by the name “Sandman: Prelude and Nocturnes,” where Morpheus, the lord of dreams, says something that stuck with me forever.
“What power would hell have if those imprisoned here would not be able to dream of heaven?”
Thirteen minutes, including the credits, and Chris is still running. He is still broke. Those five minutes towards the end were game-changers. I really was not expecting something big at this point. But I was truly rooting for him to succeed. not in a big unrealistic way, but sufficient enough for him to have a moment of peace for his son and himself. And seeing him get the broker job In the end, his machine being sold, which eventually gave him enough life for some time so he could take his son out for a stay in the hotel and go to the beach.
I’ll tell you, I’ve never been happier in life. I did not know Chris Gardener was a real person, but as far as this story goes, it really made my day. I would’ve broken apart just like his wife, Linda. But to see him not give up, I’d say it’s more than an individual motivation and rather a parental catalysm. There’s a drive, a motivation. If he fails, he loses a lot. And maybe that’s why seeing this honest attempt at life was so rewarding throughout. He was not the only one to have cried; I did too. Living is not easy, and frankly, this movie is like a reminder.
If we want something in life, we have to go get it, even if people tell us we can’t. This stays with me forever. My parents used to be very careful with spending, and hence, the more I work and the more I watch such films, the more I understand even more about the struggles they faced raising me. So, this story really hits home. Not exactly the level of struggles Chris faced, but the idea of how my parents never let me feel any less than a prince They still do.
I feel it’s pretty evident that Will Smith and Jaden Smith were pretty perfect in this film, with Gabriele Muccino being an absolute master at directing it. The simple music helps this movie a lot! I felt like I existed in this very space, which gave me my own space to reflect. It is truly a beautiful masterpiece.
If you haven’t seen this film, you truly are missing out. Despite barely mentioning the name of the film in this love letter, I’d easily rate “The Pursuit of Happyness” a perfect five out of five stars.
