Gut wrenching

Rating: 9/10 (20 December 2006)

After watching this movie, I sat stunned ,cried and couldn't let go of my 2 yr old son for a long long time. This moving portrayal of a guy sinking into the abyss of poverty will shake everyone, but specially those blessed with little boys. Will Smith illuminated that tenuous line between comfortable middle-class existence and the slip-slide into poverty like few others. People may criticize the lack of focus on race--somewhat justified--but in my opinion it turned out to be the correct decision for preserving the core message of the movie: anyone can descend into poverty at a moment's notice, and only perseverance and a dose of luck can get you out--the latter cannot be underestimated.