The Pursuit Of Happyness

Rating:	★★★
Category:	Movies
Genre:	Drama

This is the last movie on my Will Smith dvd movie collection of which I have all finished watching a week ago. Notables among the line up, in no particular order was Hitch, Enemy of the State, Men In Black I and II and this one.

Will Smith plays the lead role of the rags to riches story of Chris Gardner, a struggling salesman trying to a medical equipment that unfortunately have become outdated and most doctors at that time have found no need for the product so his source of income got bleak support himself and his son Christopher (his son in real life).

The obstacles that Chris faces are likely familiar to many or most people who watch, father and son are scrounging for food and living in homeless shelters and train-station toilets. The movie is about the achievement of one man who overcame the many obstacles that could have easily surrendered to. It also strain free that the movie is told without creating racial obstacles, because it was never an issue that Chris is black or nobody looks down on him even if his appearance at some instances do not fit that part of the corporate world.

I can say that Smith gave a great performance and this movie and this earned him an Oscar nomination and a number of acting recognitions. After viewing all the movies in that collection, I was curious how his career have been going so I read about the man and found out that ……..
• He is also one of only three actors in the history of film to have seven consecutive US$100 million blockbusters, the two other being Tom Cruise and Tom Hanks.
• Smith was nearly bankrupt in 1990 when the NBC television network signed him to a contract and built a sitcom, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, around him. The show was successful and launched his acting career.
• 1996, Smith began a successful solo music career while simultaneously starring in a series of films. The first two films were hugely successful summer blockbusters: Independence Day (1996), in which he played a fearless and confident fighter pilot, and Men in Black (1997),
• Smith turned down the role of Neo in The Matrix in favor of Wild Wild West. After the failure of Wild Wild West and watching Keanu Reeves' performance, he believed that Keanu was "born" to play the part, but admits not regretting turning down the role[11].
• He then gained lead roles in several box office successes including Men in Black II, Bad Boys II, Hitch, and I, Robot.
• Smith was considered for the role of John Smith in the movie Mr. and Mrs. Smith; Brad Pitt eventually received the role
• He was also considered for the role of Willy Wonka in the remake of the film Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

On a more personal side
Smith has admitted to studying Scientology and he has said many complimentary things about the controversial religion. He and his wife are close friends of prominent Scientologists Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, which has led to rumors that Smith is also a Scientologist. Although Smith has said, "I just think a lot of the ideas in Scientology are brilliant and revolutionary and non-religious." and, "Ninety-eight percent of the principles in Scientology are identical to the principles of the Bible.... I don't think that because the word someone uses for spirit is 'thetan' that the definition becomes any different", he has denied having joined the Scientology Church, saying "I am a Christian. I am a student of all religions, and I respect all people and all paths." After Jada made the film Collateral with Cruise in 2004, the couple donated USD$20,000 to Scientology's literacy campaign, called HELP, The Hollywood Education and Literacy Program, which is the basis for Scientology's home-schooling system. (Wiki)

Scientology, let me see…..hmmmmmm.