An Excellent Example Of Never Giving Up

Rating: 10/10 (25 September 2007)

A few years ago I saw Chris Gardner's story on a news show and was impressed, not to mention awed, on his struggles to get himself and his infant son out of poverty and toward a better life. What I admired most was his strong willed determination to always stick by his son and be there for him no matter how bleak his situation got. And yes, things did get pretty bleak. I always thought about that story's message on having the courage to follow your dreams and to never give up no matter how hard it can be to get there. When it became a movie starring none other than Will Smith, I was estatic. I was hoping it would perfectly capture all the powerful elements of the true story and it ended up delivering though there were a few minor changes: the boy was made five years old instead of an infant and the time spent in a subway station washroom was made into a brief ordeal when, in actuality, it served as a temporary home for many nights(Chris would bath his son in the sink). Will Smith is excellent as Chris, showing so much determination and drive to get to his goal, that you can't help, but root for him and hope that he does. This is a remarkable movie, not only from Will's performance, but that it did an excellent job of capturing the story's powerful message of believing in yourself and to not let anything stand in the way of following your dream.