Oscar Nominated Films: The Pursuit of Happyness & Dreamgirls

Philippines
March 7, 2007 5:55am CST
The Pursuit of Happyness This inspirational movie starring Will Smith and his son Jaden Smith in his film debut should not be missed, if only to see Smith's Oscar nominated work. Based on a true story, it chronicles Christopher Gardner's incredible struggle towards achieving financial stability. The pace is kind of slow all throughout, with the situation worsening with each second, until the long-awaited climax finally arrives. Artistic license disappointed me though as apparently some of the more charming and inspiring twists of the story were merely added on. For example, the Rubix cube played no role in the eventful meeting of Gardner with the stockbroker. Also, Gardner apparently received a monthly stipend during his internship. Still, this serves as a reminder that even when you reach rock-bottom, hard work and perseverance can turn things around. Dream Girls I love musicals, and this took me on an exciting ride. I see why Jennifer Hudson won an Oscar, this was the perfect role for her to showcase her incredible singing prowess as well as her acting chops. Hopefully, this won't be the last we'll hear of the American Idol contestant. The rest of the all-star cast was great and it is always fascinating to view the gradual rise and fall of celebrity, although the plot twists and turns were predictable.
1 response
natzee
@natzee (40)
• Philippines
11 Mar 07
I love the Pursuit of Happyness. I've seen the movie twice. I agree that the pacing was slow and showed little of the more important scenes - the part where he was already working on his internship. I would have loved to see more on how he talks and charms his clients. Though, i loved the interview scene. Gardner has very witty answers. I liked it when he said something about him not knowing the answer to a question but will find ways on what the answer is. I'm even thinking of quoting the line for my own job interviews. :) I'll see if it would work. :)