Soulful Inspiration: You care and you cry

Rating: 9/10 (16 December 2006)

This movie was more than I expected. I am a pro photographer and I am very critical of the director's work. Firstly, this movie has a quick pace about it. We are never left with a sappy feeling. When scenes ARE slowed down our heart feels truly empathetic to this father and son duo.
This, above all, is a personal movie. We are entertained by how a struggling father entertains his son and keeps his son happy through a number of sad situations. And then we are delighted by how the son keeps the father happy, as young as he is. And because these two "Muskateers" show caring for one another, we care about them. They are two good people. And we want good people to succeed!
By the way, there is no violence in this film, only some anger. You won't see them become criminals to survive either!
You will be involved throughout this film with their trials and errors. You will cry and care and hope WITH them, not just FOR them because you WILL be involved in scene after scene. The time will fly.
The director surprisingly chose to use a gritty grainy color film style which increases the realism of this movie. The handy-cam, a walking camera, adds style to the realism and rush of this movie due to some deliberate jerky camera movement in a handful of minor scenes. When Chris Gardener (Will Smith) asks someone to pay back a small loan of money($14), you feel like you are standing right next to Will Smith as he begs. And regarding the rushed feeling: Fathers just don't have time to be fatherly, make sales calls without a car by riding the bus, and survive homeless on the street all on the same day.
Will Smith's emotional range is wide here. He has a little of that comedian, that optimism in him, but he shows his universal soul. This is what amazes audiences. The new Will Smith, actor of drama. And the Italian director gave him time to emote! Therefore, you will be delighted with his nuances of emotion from scene to scene. This film is comfortably realistic. Will Smith deserves an Oscar for acting.
The music is all good: Steve Wonder, Gospel music from Glide Church; not one mediocre tune exists in this film.
San Francisco as a setting will thrill those in the mid west with tall views of the city and Chinatown and the Golden Gate Bridge. But this story is not about showcasing places as you would see in a James Bond movie. Rather, you will be taken into Glide Memorial Church where the City's homeless are feed food and soul gospel music. Concentrate on the emotions of the audience, it is so, so real. And yes, I have eaten there and stood in line there. There is no sense that poverty is simply a fleeting condition.
Your good spirit will save you. Personal diligent effort will save you. And Will Smith takes it as it comes. And there are no guarantees your pursuit will end up in happiness. It is not decreed in life, or the Constitution, and it is not decreed in this movie.
The supporting actress was so realistic. She challenges Will Smith with her impatience. You will be rooting for Will Smith and you will care that these two characters, father and son, find their rainbow: which may only be as humble as finding appropriate employment. Will Smith is never foolishly arrogant. To be so would raise the odds against his survival. The miracle here is how you end up crying for someone that simply accomplishes that which we take for granted, something so mundane as getting a job.
This film looks like a documentary at times.
No person seems trite: The landlord is not a parody or a character of a landlord, you know that he is a real person with his own problems. The people are not extraordinary people, you believe them as they are, whatever they are. No one over acts. You are never distracted by a "false" character, not even the "Time Machine Man". And you wonder if maybe these people are actually non-actors chosen to do what they already do in their "real life". But it is a fact that the homeless people in the movie are actually homeless people employed to be in the movie. I live here and I was an actor in the movie. I know this to be true. There were only 3-4 people who acted homeless in this movie, and you know what, their scenes were cut.
This is not a cleaned-up Disney movie. This movie has soul and spirit. It is funny and ironic that the one obscene word is uttered by the 5 year old child. And there are some light hearted jokes that will touch you.
If you liked the movie "Seabiscuit" you will like this movie. You will root for this ordinary person as he pushes his spirit against extraordinary odds to survive and to attain his vision of success. But this movie is not dead centered around survival, and the homeless scenes are few. We are really drawn to the conversations between the father and son. And the kid is cute and smart. You never feel he is reading any lines. This movie is really about the relationship of the father to his son.
The book reminds you that even if you only attain "baby steps" towards your goal you are on the path to your own success. You are reminded that if you are an "A" student, you need to have a humble caring attitude to succeed too. And Will Smith is humble here. Oh yes, he gets angry and he isn't perfect....and his emotional range is wide. He deserves an Oscar for truly carrying this film to its perfectly happy destination.