This film has had better summaries written than could ever be written here.

Rating: 7/10 (1 January 2007)

I applaud Will Smith for his acting in this film, but when I consider the whole film, I was left a bit short. There are some tender moments where he shows his vulnerability - that may be, in part, because he holds his REAL son and can empathize with what his character must have gone through. In particular, the scene where they spend the night in the washroom, and he has to fight to keep people out while comforting his son and crying. What a complex moment! However, the end of the film is where I was left wondering. Did he retain the special bond he had with his younger son? Did he become a corporate executive who puts business before family? We know what kind of poor man he was, but I want to know what kind of wealthy man he became. There were many opportunities to show him as "successful", including: showing him driving a shiny,red sports car similar to the one that was his catalyst for enrolling in the program in the first place; driving up a drive way on the street where he had to walk and lie about being "car-less", or showing him 'paying it forward' by offering someone a helping hand 'up'. Any one of these endings would have satisfied this viewer instead of leaving me with more questions than I had when I sat down.