ACTIVIY 1 – REFLECTION PAPER

THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS (2006 FILM)

Directed by Gabriele Muccino

ROBERT JANSMIT O. YAP

BSMA – IV
ACTIVITY 1 – Reflection Paper
The Pursuit of Happiness (2006 Film) – Directed by Gabriele Muccino
Robert Jansmit O. Yap

Part II. Synthesis

In the 2006 film entitled “The Pursuit of Happiness”, directed by Gabriele
Muccino which was played by the one and only Will Smith as Chris Gardner, Based on
a true story about a man named Chris Gardner. Gardner has invested heavily in a
device known as a "bone density scanner". He feels like he has it made selling these
devices. However, they do not sell well as they are marginally better than x-ray at a
much higher price. As Gardner works to make ends meet, his wife leaves him and he
loses his apartment. Forced to live out in the streets with his son, Gardner continues to
sell bone density scanners while concurrently taking on an unpaid internship as a
stockbroker, with slim chances for advancement to a paid position. Before he can
receive pay, he needs to outshine the competition through 6 months of training, and to
sell his devices to stay afloat.
Chris Gardner, a single father, is struggling to make ends meet. Tired of Chris's
professional failures, his wife decides to separate, leaving him financially broke. He and
his small son have been evicted from their residence and are now homeless. Chris
ultimately secures a position as an intern at a famous brokerage business, but the
employment is unpaid. The two must live in shelters and face numerous challenges, but
Chris refuses to give up hope in his quest for a better life for his son.
Part III. Movie Scene Description
The part that really catches my attention is when Chris Gardner was doing the
interview wearing clothes that made him looked like a garbage man. It was really
fascinating to watch because he managed to pull off an important interview looking like
that, we all know that in a job interview you should look decent and presentable but with
his honesty and wittiness he made the interview looked easy.
That part of the movie was really relevant to me because I see my own self in
Chris Gardner in an interview. I myself would do the same thing what Chris did in an
interview and its being true to oneself, yes its common to act all good and pretend who
you are not just to pass a job interview but most of the time it just won’t work. Employers
don’t need that kind of employee for them, what they are searching are people that
knows who they really are.

Part IV. Learning Insights

While watching the movie I could really relate to it because I can see my own
father in Chris, like Chris my father also does his best finding any type of job or
business just to earn money to give a better life for me, his son. My father entered
different kind of jobs and businesses from being an OFW, Bus driver, and now selling
medicine. With his hardships and determination to provide for his family and with that I
know what type of father I would like to become in the future.
Life is not that easy as you expect, it will not always go as what you had planned.
In life there would be many hardships, problems, and trials that would be on your way.
The only one thing you should never do is quit, yes it will be hard it will not be easy but if
you really want it that bad you need to just go forward focus on your goals, you should
learn from the mistakes you made, you should be stronger and better with each
experience in life and with that no matter how long it takes in the end all your hard work
will always be worth it.

Part V. Conclusion
After finishing the movie I would highly recommend this for people who are in the
brink of giving up, this movie shows how you need to fight for your dreams and for you
to fight for the future of your family. This movie shows how hard work and perseverance
with confidence will get you in life. Life must go on no matter what happens don’t give
up believe in yourself and go make your dreams into reality.
Part VI. Photo Documentation while watching the movie