Scooter Chronicles

Back on May 15th, Marcia and I finished watching “The Pursuit of Happyness” starring Will Smith and his son Jaden Smith.

This movie is based on a true story. From a synopsis posted by Kenneth Chisholm, I have cleaned up a bit of what he posted:

In 1981, Chris Gardner (Will Smith) was a struggling salesman of little needed medical bone density scanners while his wife worked double shifts to support themselves and their 5 year old son, Christopher (Jaden Smith). In the face of this difficult life, Chris has the desperate inspiration to apply for a stockbroker internship where one in twenty is given the chance at a lucrative full time career. Even when his wife leaves him because of his dream, Chris clings to it with his son, even when the odds become more daunting by the day. Together, father and son struggle through homelessness, jail time, tax seizure, and the overall punishing despair in this quest.

I have held off reviewing this movie because it hit close to home. No, I haven’t ever been homeless. I haven’t had funds seized by the IRS. But Marcia and I have been struggling, and with not having a permanent full-time position of my own, that includes benefits like health insurance and paid vacations, Chris Gardner’s story is one that I can totally relate to. You will do everything and anything (short of breaking the law) to get a good job to make money to support your family.

The problem with me reviewing this movie is because it hits too close to home. I got totally wrapped up emotionally in it. However, I think it’s a good look at what a lot of people struggle with everyday. There are people out there that have overcome a lot more then I could imagine, let alone go through myself, and they have accomplished more then I ever will. It’s the dream, that pursuit of happiness that is a right given to us citizens of the United States. We don’t have the absolute right to have happiness, but we sure can try like hell to obtain it.

Chris asks his son one time in the movie if he is happy. It is a touching seen, because I would never think of asking Nigel that when he is older. And I am going to try and remember to do so. Another time Chris is sort of being a typical father to his son who makes mention of wanting to be a basketball player. Chris tells his son that he doesn’t want to see him wasting all his time on the courts, because if he takes after his father (and timed well Will misses a shot), that he won’t have much chance for success as a basketball player. His son then kind of gives up shooting, being rather dismissive with the ball, which was a birthday gift. As he watches his son, Chris realizes what he has just done, and tells his son:

You got a dream, you gotta protect it. People can’t do something themselves, they wanna tell you that you can’t do it. You want something? Go get it. Period.

And:

Don’t ever let someone tell you, you can’t do something. Not even me.

Those are great words. Something I want to try to remember for not only myself, but for Nigel and Marcia.

The movie as a whole, even beyond what I was going through at the time, was a very good and meaningful movie. I think Will Smith is showing he has a lot of range as an actor. It’s hard to believe that it’s the same guy from those early rap days. But no matter what or where he came from, this is a great movie to see that depicts the human spirit of perseverance, and the pursuit of happiness.