The Pursuit of Happyness

Written by Victoria Leal

I just finished watching the movie, "The Pursuit of Happyness" and it made me cry which, in and of itself, is not unusual. My favorite type of movie is what I lovingly refer to as a "tear jerker."  Watching this movie made me cry, in all the right places. Such as when he and his son were locked in the bathroom, when his son told him that he was a "Good Papa", and especially at the end, after everything he had gone through, he ended up getting the Stock Broker position at Dean Witter...I cried the most then. But then something happened. When the words came on the screen at the end of the movie that read...Chris Gardner went on to found Gardner Rich in 1987, I cried a little bit more. Then the words read...Chris sold a portion of his assets in a multi-million dollar deal, I was really choked up.

I was trying to maintain my composure, in case someone walked into the room, but it was getting harder to hold. My tears were building up like a Tsunami, a force to be reckoned with. I was feeling like I wanted to explode. I fast forwarded through the credits, looking for more tidbits on Chris, but I could not take it any longer. I pressed the stop button on the DVD remote and headed for the garage, grabbing a paper towel on the way. As soon as the garage door was closed behind me, I let go! I cried and I cried...I cried hard and loud. In between wiping my tears, I would use the paper towel to muffle the sounds coming out of my mouth. I wondered, what in the world was wrong with me? I was sitting here crying uncontrollably.

If anyone had walked in on me and asked me what was wrong, I would not have been able to tell them. I did not understand the feelings that were overwhelming me; I just know that I had to get it out! After a few minutes, the thought of someone walking in on me was enough to help subside the tears. I stopped myself from crying, but I still don't know where they came from? I picked up my pad and pen and started to write about what I was experiencing and sure enough, Joy came into the garage to ask me a question. She could see that my eyes were red and that I had been crying so, I beat her to the punch and said, "Mann, that movie made me cry." She asked, "Which part?" To which I replied, all of it, really. She then told me that it made her cry also, when she saw it at the movies and Lawrence was laughing at her for crying. And then it hit me! Maybe I was crying for him, Chris Gardner?

The scene where he was told that he got the job, tears began to well up in his eyes. He was trying so hard not to let them fall. He had to get out of the office, lest they would see him cry. He immediately thanked them, briefly wiped his cheek, shook their hands and quickly made his exit out of the building. Even then, once outside on the street, he still tried to maintain his composure, while clearly showing signs of relief. When I cried, it was like I was crying for him. I experienced all of the release that he could not. Not one time did he ever complain to his colleagues about what he was going through and at no time did they ever know that he was homeless, while raising his son, at that. And all the while, he never gave up. He never quit, not even for a moment. Besides the couple of times when his attention was being pulled at both ends, on one end by his son and on the other end by whatever problem he was dealing with at the time, his son never really knew the depths of his father's struggles because his Papa always took care of him and he trusted him to do so.

I am still sitting here reeling, although no longer crying, thinking about everything he went through; and we only know the parts that were shown in the movie! No movie has ever affected me this way and I am a movie collector and amateur critic.

In the beginning of the movie, Chris talks about Thomas Jefferson and the Declaration of Independence; how we are all entitled to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. Chris asks the question, "How did Jefferson know to use the word pursuit?" Then he surmised that perhaps happiness could only be pursued, but never actually achieved. I think now, that maybe he might feel a little differently. I am reminded of a quote I once read, but I can't remember the author. It went like this, "They say that money can't buy happiness, but I sure would like to find out."

In the end, I am so very happy for Chris and I will be forever grateful to him for sharing his story with us, for it has truly touched me this day and I will never forget it. Even though I spilled the beans by telling you that he got the job, you still need to see this movie, if you haven't already; and if you have seen it, see it again. Well, I'm off now, to watch it again.

Until we meet the next time, may you find your inner strength to handle what ever you are going through. Hang in there. Never give up. And you will win!

About the Author:
Victoria Leal is the Owner of Reality Check.bravehost.com.  To find helpful information on how to live the kind of life you deserve, please visit: http://realitycheck.bravehost.com  This article is copyright  2007 by Victoria Leal and may be reprinted in it's entirety as long as this byline and copyright statement are included.