we treat our homeless cruelly

Rating: 9/10 (1 April 2007)

If you aren't totally familiar with the state of poverty and homelessness in America, then "The Pursuit of Happiness" will not only show you but shock you. It tells the true story of San Francisco scanner salesman Chris Gardner (Will Smith), who set about trying to get a job as an intern in a stock broker firm in the hopes of trying to show his son Christopher a better life.
What struck me more than the main story itself was what the misery that Chris and Christopher experience. They get evicted from one place after another and when they get to stay in a shelter, they have to listen to a preachy choir. All this and Reagan remained mired in optimism.
Is this a perfect movie? No, far from it. Large portions get kind of treacly, and it often seems like Chris and Christopher are a little too lucky. But overall, I thought that the movie did a good job showing how they know that they have to keep going even in the most desperate and difficult conditions. I recommend it.
Also starring Thandie Newton, James Karen (you've probably seen him in something) and Dan Castellaneta (that's right: Homer Simpson's voice artist!).