Monday, December 18, 2006

I Watched a Movie: The Pursuit of Happyness

I took in Will Smith's new movie, The Pursuit of Happyness this weekend. The previews captured my attention more than any other flick this time of year. Plus, I'm usually a sucker for these types of films – the inspirational, happy ending kind.

The guy whose life the film is based on is making the talk show circuit and his biography has sold quite a few copies. Indeed, the movie is uplifting and inspirational, but I don’t think I could sit through it again. Will Smith and his son do great jobs. It's definitely worth renting.

On a larger (and perhaps unintentional) scale, this movie is a study in American capitalism. The scenes contrast deeply from one to the next, from homeless shelters to corporate headquarters; from luxury automobiles to city buses; from designer clothes to missing shoes.

Set in San Francisco in the early 80's, the movie follows Chris Gardner as he tries to live out the rags-to-riches story that many dream about, but few achieve. For me, the movie highlights the following realities of our current economic system:
  1. Opportunities may exist for all, but not all opportunities are equal.
  2. People have a chance to lose it all and regain it all, even late in life.
  3. The extreme wealth of some comes at the expense of many.
  4. Our immense riches make it easy to ignore the needs of others.
  5. The amount of reward one gets is directly proportional to the amount of risk one takes.
  6. It is much more difficult to make ends meet when one is a single parent.
  7. There is an imperative placed on those who have to give freely to those who have not.
  8. Generosity is always a direct act. In other words, don't think you're helping immigrants just because you employ a refugee at $6 an hour to be your maid.
  9. Our system has created unparalleled amounts of wealth - and unparalleled amounts of poverty.
  10. It all starts with a dream.
Good or bad, these are the realities of our economic system. I don't see it changing anytime soon, so we must see how we can use the tools and benefits of capitalism to fix the inequalities it creates. The movie offers no recommendations, but I'm interested in this topic and will write more as I take my course on microlending next semester.

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Comments (4)

Anonymous

8:21 AM

For some reason I cannot understand why "emergents" hate wealth and capitalism so much; your review of this movie illustrates this very well; it also illustrates the lack of economic education prevalent among younger American Christians. Statements like "opportunities may exist for all, but not all opportunities are equal" are really off the mark as far as I am concerned, and illustrate a lack of grasping the most basic economic principles involved in those processes we are discussing here. What exactly does that mean anyways? You are speaking of opportunities as if God created x numbers of them and that's it...we have to all split them among ourselves equitably.

Opportunities are created by people who are motivated and hard working; of course they are not equal. Who says they have to be? Also, the idea that America creates poverty by creating wealth is total BS...I am sorry. America gives more foreign aid in charitable donations than all other countries of the world combined; it's actually almost three times as much as the rest of the world combined. Wealth is created by people motivated by freedom and choice, and it's not made at anyone's expense as you are suggesting. Poverty in most regions of the world is caused by thugs, dictators and oppressive regimes that ignore the most fundamental rights of human beings. I know...I lived through it; and I resent it when Neo-Communist-Americans like you think that wealth redistribution (the same thing that destroyed the lives of many people in my country) is the solution to poverty.

I may be "emergent" theologically but I'll be damned if I'll ever align myself with this kind of thinking.

Sam Davidson

8:33 AM

Virgil-

Thanks for commenting.

I appreciate your thoughts regarding my economic education and my sympathies with Communism. Thank you for calling names, making assumptions, and your overall stereotyping of someone you've never met based on a single movie review.

And, in terms of opportunity in America, my take that 'opportunities exist, but not equally' is based on reality. If you think that your skin color and zip code don't matter when it comes to a equal playing field, please visit any public school.

And, if you think that exploitation of some doesn't result in economic gain for others, again, please visit large, multi-national corporations.

You are dead on, however, in your assessment of oppressive regimes in other countries. I agree that our current aid system does much to further the violence of certain dictators.

Thanks again for visiting, and I hope you come back soon.

Anonymous

8:45 AM

Sure thing Sam - after re-reading my comment I realized that it was a bit too harsh. I spent most of my life under Communism so I am overly sensitive to those issues. My apologies....

Sam Davidson

8:49 AM

No worries, pal. I normally don't respond to comments unless they're worthy of response. :)

We all come from different places and perspectives, thus the need for sensitivity and understanding.

Best of luck.

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