Bone scanners don't sell well. Struggling salesman Chris Gardner (Will Smith) knows it, the doctors he's pitching to know it and his nagging wife knows it. So when the chance to train as a stockbroker comes up, Chris grabs it with both hands. The problem is, there are no guarantees of a job at the end of the training and no money until he gets a job. Add to this a five-year-old boy (Jaden Smith) who needs his dad, and you've got a story with heartbreaking potential.
Italian director Gabriele Muccino crafts a fact-based drama about one man's struggle to live the American Dream without overdoing the sentimentality. Smith lost out to Forest Whitaker at the 2006 Academy Awards, but his performance is still one of the finest of the year. A heart-warming tale of struggle and achievement.
Did you know? Chris Gardner's young son, Christopher, is played by Jaden Smith. Jaden is actually Will Smith's own son, and, by coincidence, Christopher is one of Jaden's middle names.
(4 Star)
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