This film depicts
the classic Hollywood storyline of a man chasing the American Dream.
Nevertheless, it still gives the vibe of being a sort of independent movie.
This might be due to the fact that the acting is very good and the story very
realistic. And they don't live in a luxurious house in Bel Air, they actually live in a dingy flat in San
Francisco. However, the budget was 55 million dollars.
The main character
Chris Gardner is in serious finanicial trouble and holds custody of his young
son. The chemistry between Chris, played by Will Smith, and his son Christopher
is really good. The son of Will Smith's character is actually played by Will Smith's
real son. This is probably why their bond was so strong on screen. It didn't do
any harm either that Jaden Smith happened to be incredibly cute.
The character Chris
Gardner is very poor, and barely gets by. Will Smith plays this role very well.
It is very different from the Bel Air prince and alienkilling roles he usually
plays. Considering that Will Smith lives a very comfortable life, he managed
very well to act as though he owned nothing at all. Chris Gardner also narrates
the whole film, as though everything has already happened. He does this by
introducing us to different chapters or key events of his life by saying things
like: This part of my life is called being stupid.
The score for this
film is very good too actually. The music is very motivational and creates the
right atmosphere for different parts of the film.
This film is a
Hollywood movie so the end is very predictable. I won't spoil it for those of
you who haven't seen it yet, but I'll just hint that it has a very happy
ending.
Will Smith as Chris
Gardner and his son Jaden Smith as Christopher Gardner