Oh, I wish I'd seen that - I'd be interested in learning more about this guy.
:lol: I'm only laughing because you say it's predictable, which is funny when you consider it's a real-life story (meaning sure you can predict it -we know what's going to happen before we even watch it).
That being said, we're all entitled to our opinions and some people just aren't going to connect with the film. That's cool.
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My view - I went into this film hoping to have a good cry (a very strange perspective for me, since I normally hate sappy family-oriented films), because I just wanted to feel good about the world right now.
...Only that's not what I got.
Don't get me wrong - I loved the film, and Will Smith was not surprisingly terrific (I thought he was phenomenal as Ali - hat was a pivotal time in my life and I remember it vividly, and Will Smith truly, and somewhat surprisingly, pulled it off, so tackling this role couldn't have been much worse).
It's just that the film - as the narrator/protagonist says - is about
the PURSUIT of happiness, not happiness, per se. My companion thought the film should have dwelled more on his successes, but I was taken in my the sheer frustration and stress of watching someone trying to get break after break, and not always making it.
Real human drama - especially that of a father and son - is something we just don't get enough of. It was painful for me to watch, and if I'd known what I was getting into I would have waited until it came out on DVD (I just lost one of my closest friends and stress and depression aren't what I need right now), but ultimately I'm glad I saw it, thought it was an exceptional film, and if I don't hear Oscar buzz I'll know (not that I don't already) that the Academy Awards truly are crap.
Also - ohmygoshhowcuteislittleJaden! *squee*