Will Smith earns a B+/ A-

Rating: 7/10 (30 December 2006)

First let me say, IMO this is by FAR Will Smith's best acting to date that I have seen. The story is told very well and the screenplay was very good. If I had to nit-pick the movie however, I would say the film should have been just a little MORE emotional and a little more depressing. Don't get me wrong, the story IS depressing in itself. Anyone in those situations would be hard pressed to keep moving forward after losing their wife and living on the street with their child and struggling day to day to survive. However the WAY that those spiraling events were subtly glossed over were a little disappointing to me. Perhaps the real Chris Gardner didn't get more emotional as his wife was leaving him than the character did in the film? Maybe the real Chris Gardner didn't lose it when he realized he had to spend the night in jail? Maybe he didn't get more angry when he learned about his account getting levied by the IRS, getting evicted and was stiffed by his friend on a small loan? Maybe we're supposed to assume he internalized a lot of this? Would it have hurt to yell and hit something in anger to portray the disappointment a little more? I don't fault Will Smith entirely for this, as the director generally dictates how much emotion to portray in each scene. Also, would it have hurt to visually SEE an "update" of Chris Gardner's life and career instead of merely reading about it in the captions at the end of the film? I'll say this in Will Smith's defense though, I really enjoyed the acting and the weight of the scene when he is called into the conference room at the end of the film. This is where he really shined in my view. Overall I enjoyed the movie and left the theater with an overall appreciation for the little things I sometimes take for granted. It renewed my sense of brotherhood with my fellow man, that we are all alike in many ways, regardless of where we live, how much money we have or how we dress. As for Will Smith, I would not be surprised to see him get award nominations, however I believe we are yet to see his best performance should the right script and director cross paths with him again.