Linda Thomas: at the movies

Will Smith does a wonderful job of playing a real life character, Chris Gardner. Chris is struggling to keep his family afloat. He and his wife work all the time just to make ends meet financially. His wife is always angry and she has given up on Chris. She leaves him and their son to move out of state. One day, Chris meets a man who is a stockbroker and he decides this is the job for him. He gets a job as an intern at Dean Witter but there is no salary. He and his son are evicted from their apartment and end up living on the streets. Smith’s own son, Jaden, plays his son in the movie. Their chemistry together is lovely to behold. Chris works all day and then he has to leave early to get to a shelter so he and his son have a place to sleep. We frequently see Chris and his son running through the streets to catch a bus, find lodging or go to daycare so Chris can get to work. No one that works with Chris knows what he is going through. Chris is an intelligent, optimistic and driven man. He wants to be a good father for his son, something that Chris himself never had. Smith plays the character to a tee. He is scared and vulnerable and trying everything that he can to make his life work for him and his son. The themes are mature and there is the boy’s abandonment by his mother. A car hits one of the characters. The f word is seen written on a wall and it is spoken, innocently, once. I think this movie needs to be seen by teenagers who can appreciate the experiences. I would suggest 13 and older. Talk about the mother’s abandonment and why she left. Why is it so important for Chris to be a good father? Explain the American Dream and that it is still possible today.