Movie Review: The Pursuit of Happyness (3 out of 5 Stars)

OK, this one will be shorter than my other movie reviews. I promise. How do I know I can promise that? Because I didn't really like the movie that much.


Disclaimer - I am perfectly aware that my review of this movie is far too critical

I know what you're thinking. It's not a cinematically interesting movie so I'm giving it a lower rating than it deserves.

Wrong.

I know it's not a cinematically interesting film so I'm artificially inflating it's rating up from 1 out of 2 to 3 out of 5.

Here's the deal.

Oh yeah. Big Spoilers Coming.


Down on his luck dude sees a cool job opportunity as a stock broker that really does fit his talent set. He applies for the job. While the company is getting back to him his wife leaves him. When the company does get back to him they tell him he will have to work without pay during this internship, only one in 20 people move from intern to full time, and even the intern positions are absurdly competitive.

"No worries," says the movie hero, "I'll just sell my bone density scanners on nights and weekends while I work this job."

New problem, you're kicked out of your apartment.

"No worries," says the movie hero, "I'll just move into this here motel instead."

New problem. You're broke and homeless

Wrong answer:

"No worries," says the movie hero, "I'll just put in short hours at my incredibly competitive internship, try to make it to the homeless shelter line by five so me and my kid don't have to sleep in the subway bathroom."

Just replace stock broker with rock star and you've got a story I've heard a million times. Only usually in the rock star version there's no kid tagging along for the ride.

Right Answer:

At some point you have a conversation with yourself that goes something like this.

"OK self, I'm homeless."

"I have no money, no roof, and I work hard hours for a job that might never pay me a dime, and I have a kid who doesn't realize I don't know where his next meal is coming from."

"I am going to quit my dream job, become a checker at CVS to earn some money, and trust that because I'm good with numbers, good with people, and obviously willing to work my rear end off I'll do well wherever I start."

I know I'm being a kill joy here but if I had a nickel for every time I saw someone starting some work from home/mystery shopper/[name some job where you pay up front or work for free to start], I'd be a richer man. Oh yeah, and almost all of those people would still be waiting on their first paycheck.

It's all well and good to take a chance like that while you're young, single and don't really have any responsibilities to work around (like a child). Once you become a Grown Up(TM) it really is time to calm down, let some dreams go and trust that a boring stable life where you and your child sleep in the same place no matter what time you get to the door is happier than the one where you make it to being a stock broker, work too much and alienate the child you were trying to provide for.

So here's to a boring happy life, wherever you are.

Cowboy Spelunkers

I used to read a lot of Dave Barry when I was younger and I always appreciated his "great name for a rock band" feature that would show up in the middle of his articles. G and I keep up with the tradition and try to spot phrases in our every day conversation that really would make great rock band names. I'll try to remember to put them up here.

Cowboy Spelunkers comes from around Christmas time when our kids got LED head lamps from "California Santa". They decided the coolest thing in the world would be to put them on, light them up and then put on their cowboy hats and run around screaming. Hence the name Cowboy Spelunkers.

Also, we went to Sea World recently and our son had to point out (many many times) that there were train tracks there. He really meant roller coasters but what do mom and dad know. Hence another great name for a rock band "Train Tracks in the Sky".