Too much of a feel good movie given its subject

Rating: 5/10 (13 August 2007)

My only problem with this film is it's insidious message that this is the land of opportunity and that a homeless person can, by pure gumption, pull himself up and become a millionaire. Sure it's possible, but so is winning the lottery. It's nice to think that it can happen as an exploration of the resiliency of the human spirit --no one wants to be a victim, and we don't want to watch characters who are victims either. On the other hand, the point is that he struggled against insurmountable odds -- i.e. our society, the growing gap between the rich and poor, and the ever-dwindling support in place for those who find themselves in crisis. This should be highlighted more in the film than it is. It would only make the achievements of the character more resonant and satisfying.
The film did delve into the darker side (the lack of community child support options, the inadequacy of shelters to help people put their lives together, or of any kind of support system to help those for whom things have gone wrong) and the costs of our system for the innocent child, but the makers seemed to determined to make it a completely feel good movie. It remained too one-dimensional for me.