MovieChat Forums > The Pursuit of Happyness (2006) Discussion > Great film, illogical plot. Can somebody...

Great film, illogical plot. Can somebody help me?

posted 10 years ago by zuhairi1994
17 replies | jump to latest

Hi, I love this film but the only reason it succeeds was due to Will Smith's captivating performance.

However, I can't keep myself wondering: Why didn't Chris Gardner get a part-time job? I'm not referring to the real life the film was based of, I'm talking about the film. I'm not from America so I don't know what was the condition of the economy back then but come on, he could've avoided getting thrown out of his house had he gotten himself (even a low-pay) job. 😞

Does anybody agree with me?

[–] kperera 8 years ago

You're right - he didn't make the best of decisions early on. The movie makes that pretty clear showing his multiple parking tickets, tax problems and other bad choices. But I suspect the real Chris Gardner would happily admit to these short-comings.

It strikes me that his personality is similar to many Silicon Valley leader types - guys that have a big vision and a shoot-for-the moon attitude. These are not the kinds of people that patiently perform menial jobs for years, quietly living within their means and saving a pittance. He has grand plans, as illustrated by his previous medical equipment sales gig, and his bold move into being a stockbroker. These are no safe, entirely rational choices. It happened to work out for him, and makes for a very dramatic, inspirational story.

[–] zuhairi1994 8 years ago

guys that have a big vision and a shoot-for-the moon attitude. These are not the kinds of people that patiently perform menial jobs for years, quietly living within their means and saving a pittance.

In a may, it makes sense when you say it. True, there are such people in the world. I just thought that after his previous grant scheme went bust, maybe he'll consider taking some odd jobs for a while. That's what I would do, then again, Chris Gardner is no average kind of guy.

I guess I was nitpicking the movie because I love putting myself in the character's role every time I watch a movie. 😅