To outline this movie is to provide a litany of depressing downfalls in the life of Chris Gardner which somehow, almost miraculously, lead to ultimate success. At the beginning of the film, Chris is a pathetic peddler of medical devices. This has put such a financial strain on his family that his marriage is torn apart. His determination to succeed in life is matched only by his devotion to his son, Christopher. One day he asks the owner of a red sports car (which he had been admiring) what it is that he does for a living. "I'm a stockbroker," the man replied. Chris eventually winds up applying for an Internship with Dean Witter at the end of which one intern will be given the chance at a full-time job. It is a severe struggle just to get a spot in the program. Then, in one of the hugest disappointments of the film, when he is finally able to start the 6-month internship, he learns that it is a non-paying program. He puts everything on the line for this job, losing his wife, his home, and very nearly his sanity. Through it all, he refuses to let others know his struggles and to make pity his ally. He earns everything through hard work, making the most of opportunities, and never, ever giving up on his dream.

There were wonderful performances all around, and Smith's was certainly Oscar-worthy. However, I was also quite impressed with his son (both on-screen and in real life), Jaden Christopher Syre Smith. It was touching to see how this child willingly accepted the traumatic changes going on in his life as a result of his father's pursuit of happiness. In fact, it is this word, happiness, mis-spelled as "happYness" on young Christopher's day-care building that really jump-starts Chris' mission for a better life. In addition, the film's most heart-wrenching moment involves a now homeless Gardner family searching for a place to sleep at night. Gardner pretends that they are time travelers and that in order to get away from the dinosaurs they must hide in a "cave." The cave is the men's room at the station where they blockade the door and sleep on the floor.

As an audience, we have the benefit of knowing that a happy ending lies ahead. In our own lives, however, we only have dreams and hope. How many dreams have been given up in the midst of harsh realities? How many times has hope lost out to practicality? This movie encourages us to keep on dreaming, to keep on hoping, despite our current circumstances, setbacks, failures, and criticisms. Deep, huh?

My only complaint is that this movie somehow seems to equate money and financial success with happiness. The truth, which is plainly obvious to just about everyone EXCEPT those in Hollywood, is that money and happiness have no correlation whatsoever. I would like to see a film that instead teaches this self-evident truth and that happiness is found in our relationships with each other and with God.

Quite inspirational!