So now you're a movie critic?

Last night Karen and I watched an excellent but VERY difficult film called the Pursuit of Happiness. I say it was excellent because:

- The plot was discernible but not heavy handed. When I think of heavy handed, I think a line in the Gregory Peck version of To Kill a Mockingbird in which the young daughter, Scout, says to her dad (Peck), "Gosh daddy, that would be like killing a mockingbird!" The protagonist here, Chris Garner, portrayed by Will Smith, often gives narrative comments including direct reference to and quotation of the title, but it is done in a way that seems appropriate.

- The characters are very well developed in a very narrow way. Because it is one man's story, I left feeling that if I met Chris now, we could have a very meaningful conversation. Each other character is above average in his development including the son, the mom, the bosses, etc

- The acting and cinematography made the events palpable. To such an extent that the movie become difficult for me to watch. I became so involved in the film that I had to pause it and walk away for a minute to catch my breath. It took several moments after it was over and the credits were done and the VCR had finished rewinding for me to unpack what I had seen.

It was difficult in a similar way to the Green Mile. The course, in broad strokes, is fairly clear and even though you pretty much know where its going, it still shocks you with its heft and (emotional) brutality.

I alluded in another post to the house of cards I so often feel is mine... that the tiniest puff of wind or inadvertent movement by me or another will bring it tumbling down around my ears on those I love best. This theme compounded my difficulty in watching: the dogged and affable Garner reaps things that would crush my heart and stop me in my tracks. The pains are borne equally by those around him even though they are not responsible for causing them... and yet he goes on.

I don't want to be a critic, it is much too hard to give you a good feeling for what's going on without telegraphing the films punches. I have never respected that trade as I do today.

None the less, this is a film you should consider. It propounds some of those rumored fears that hang on the edge of many of our consciousnesses and succeeds in convincing us, if ever so understatedly, that it will all come out right in the end. There is room for a sequal I'm not sure could work, but then again, I don't know that I'd have given this one the green light until Smith actually did it (as lead and co director)

It accuses me of being too careless as I speak to those around me (especially my kids) and often too prideful to correct myself. It propels me to do some things I have often said I would and never gotten around to like helping to serve at a local mission. And it convinces me yet again that my Heavenly Father cares for you and I so much better than we deserve and that I, at least, am very ungrateful.

Take your prozac if you must but definitely take in the film.