I don't know why I'm devoting an lj post to a meh Will Smith movie.

[schmerica]

The brand new movie theater over by Spes's house had a deal with $1 movie tickets, popcorn and soda, so we went to one f the matinees there yesterday and saw The Pursuit of Happyness. Which, you know, nothing special but enjoyable enough, and we left the place feeling okay. Except now it's a day later and the longer I have to think it over, the angrier I am getting in retrospect. Because, man, when you are completely flat broke with no job and no chance f getting one for months, and you are sole person responsible for a five year kid you can't afford to feed or house? That is the exact point at which a six month unpaid internship with only a 5% chance of ever leading to a job at all becomes a luxury you really, really can't afford. It's not fair, and I know we're all supposed to buy into the hollywood idea of never giving up on your dream, but God. That's really almost criminally irresponsible.

Comments

[rubynye.livejournal.com]

So I can agree with you, of course! Because, yes, that's why I didn't go see the movie. Risking his all for his dream = awesome. Risking his KID's safety?! Um, no.

[speshope.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that occurred to me while watching the movie. If he hadn't had a kid? I might have been like "Yeah, hey, more power to you. Follow your dream!" But with the five year old kid, I was more like "Yeah, hey, if you can get yourself a competitive internship with your big squishy brain and charisma, you can probably get yourself a paying job with it too. Why don't you do that and at least build up some savings before you go off chasing your dream?"

[marginalia.livejournal.com]

we could ask him, i guess. since, real dude and all. "dear mister! wtf?!" and he will be all "now i make more money than you can ever dream of" and the i will go "sigh. true dat."

[pearl-o.livejournal.com]

It's weird, because if you look at the list of things they changed for the movie, it's like every one of the changes makes it more rageful in this way.

[pearl-o.livejournal.com]

Seriously, man.

[pearl-o.livejournal.com]

Yeah, exactly. Giving everything and holding onto your dream forever is an admirable goal in theory, but in reality it totally presses against your responsibilities to other people, particularly your family.

[marginalia.livejournal.com]

bah. hollywood.