On The Pursuit of Happyness
by guest contributor Mrs. J, originally published at Our Kind of Parenting
I was thrilled to find out that Will Smith’s new movie about an African American father who beat the system , found personal success and financial security for himself and his young son was number one at the box office it’s opening weekend (grossing 27 million). No, that’s not the Smart Guy on the movie poster with Will, it’s his baby boy Jaden, looking all grown as he makes his big screen debut with his daddy. As if this movie wasn’t enough of a tear jerker already.
Just the fact that a drama starring black characters that aren’t cooning it up or shooting eachother up could make it to number one is enough to have me bringing the Kleenex to the multiplex. I’m so tired of the maudlin Soul Food wannabees and the buffoonish Soul Plane regurgitations make me hurl. And then we’ve got the stereotypical gangsta violent flicks that played themselves out more than a decade ago. Everybody knows that’s not what black people are all about anyway (or at least I hope so…) Give me a “feel-good” movie starring some black people any day. And no, nothing by Cuba Gooding Jr. will ever count.
We couldn’t find a sitter on Saturday night, but were fortunate to catch the incredibly charismatic, real life inspiration for the film, Christopher Gardner, being interviewed on the Wall Street Journal Report. In addition to Gardner’s personal account of how he made it, I was struck by hearing his story about how he sold shares to a racist Texan who repeatedly called him nigger over the phone before buying options from him. And that his biggest problem is not being able to sleep at night because his “face hurts so much from smiling all day.”
To be perfectly honest, the first question to cross my mind was “Did this brother make it without selling out?” Kinda hard to know without seeing the film. But just on speculation, I’m not sure how much it matters – Gardner obviously had the last laugh. In a previous life, I knew many a college educated brother who were perfectly content to live off mommy and daddy because they “didn’t want to work for The Man.” Where are they now? Not exactly uplifting the race. Last time I checked they were still unemployed, living in their parents’ basements, spending entire days playing video games and smoking weed (sorry, but you know who you are).
Most black professionals, present company included at one point in time, have had to wear Paul Lawrence Dunbar’s proverbial mask at some point. It’s no secret that assimilating into corporate America isn’t easy when you’re black, whether you’re holding a JD-MBA or – in Christopher Gardner’s case – an eviction notice. I can’t help but wonder if complete and utter desperation, as in this particular case, makes sporting that bad boy just a little more bearable.
Carmen Van Kerckhove is co-founder and president of 
H. Lewis Smith wrote:
This comment has been deleted by the moderator.
H. Lewis Smith, I’m sure our readers would love to know about your book and project. But try actually participating in the conversation here instead of just copying and pasting your pitch every time you get an alert that a blog mentioned the n-word.
This is the 4th time you’ve done this now on Racialicious.
Posted 05 Jan 2007 at 2:47 pm ¶
brad wrote:
Yeah, it’s nice to see Smith in a role like this. I hated the “Men in Black” movies because Smith mid-flick in both films went from successful, intelligent detective into comic relief Negro sidekick. Yech! It was weird because Smith had carried Independence Day as an action hero and there he was as a wretched sidekick stereotype.
In “I, Robot,” Smith made reference to the fact that he is “Black” when there was no need to do so. It struck me as one of those Hollywood white writer dialog screw-ups that bedeviled many African-American actors: Whether it was Denzel Washington or Wesley Snipes, there always had to be some racially charged line that made the audience no the character was Black even though we could tell.
I remember in “Crimson Tide,” Washington and Gene Hackman had this ridiculous conversation about a kind of horse that was born one color and turned another. Similarly, in “Passenger 57,” Snipes had a stupid line about “always bet on black.” Gag.
As for Daman Wayan’s use of “nigger,” it’s ironic considering his role in “Bamboozled,” which was an eerily prophetic movie given the rise of “Flava of Love” and the fact the head of MTV is an African-American woman who had no problem with the shows coonery.
Posted 05 Jan 2007 at 3:56 pm ¶
Sewere wrote:
I think it’s great that this movie showcases the more positive side of the black community… The skeptic in me is always on the alert for the usual Newt Gingrich “see he did it, why can’t all you blacks do it too” type argument…
Posted 05 Jan 2007 at 4:00 pm ¶
Mrs. J wrote:
I’m sorry, H. Lewis, but are you just trying to get the word out? Or are you saying that I, too, have been placed on this list for spelling the word out? Please advise.
Posted 05 Jan 2007 at 4:56 pm ¶
A GDI, and proud wrote:
Torn by this movie, as it (finally) showed a black man being loving and non violent. But I really didnt enjoy it, it was just too sappy and pat. (What was up with that musical score?) Glad its doing well, but anyone interested in the real story should read Gardners book (same title). WAY more interesting and multilayered, and you get all the important details that the movie so blithlely changed or just plain left out.
Posted 10 Jan 2007 at 2:16 pm ¶
Christine wrote:
It’s nice to see a man portrayed positively and even nicer when they are men of color. This is not the only role Will Smith portrayed a homeless man rubbing elbows with the “upper crust.” In the movie 6 Degrees of Separation, Mr. Smith was much younger and just as talented an actor as he is today. But let’s not forget that there are other wonderful blacktors out there who have had the same impact on their audience as well: Denzel Washington, Cuba Gooding Jr., Danny Glover, Tyler Perry, Morgan Freeman, Bernie Mac, Chris Tucker, etc., etc. Yes, The Pursuit of Happyness is sappy and corny, but it hits home. That’s all that counts.
Now, let’s see some movies that portray Chinese men as real people and not some crazed kung fu nut.
Posted 08 Apr 2007 at 1:07 pm ¶