The Pursuit of Happyness

This film is an extraordinary motivational boost for life. There is a twinge of sadness to it to be sure, but this is a life story. It is a true story of a true man that I would love to meet someday. My father met Chris Gardner at a convention a few months ago. The man is truly an extraordinary example of persistence, dedication, and hard work. Getting a little away from the character of the man, the film itself is absolutely beautiful. It certainly shows some ugly sides of life, but that is actually a part of the beauty of this film. I would be taken aback if you could find a person in the world who cannot relate personally from their own life to some aspect of this story. Even rated PG-13, this is a film that I would suggest every parent should watch with their children and discuss the lessons it can help teach us.
The Music One thing that can make or break a film is the music behind it. This is one film where the music shines, but it doesn't glare in your eyes. It's the sort of music that makes you think of a cold winter night turning into a beautiful spring morning.	Click here forthe Musicof theFilm
The Novel The most extraordinary aspect of this film is story of the man behind it. While this film only captures a small moment of that life, it possibly captures the most important turning point that brought a man down into the depths of despare, with little hope for a future. It shows the strength of human character if we don't let the world win and kick us when we're down. Chris Gardner helps us realize that if life is beating you hard, you can keep moving and survive. Even though we all die in the end, even in the depths of hopelessness in this life, if we hold onto whatever small ray of hope exists, we all have the capacity to come out on top.

Blue Streak

Martin Lawrence is a crackup in this film about a jewel thief named Logan. He managed to hide a stolen jewel in a building moments before being captured and put in prison. After being released from jail, he finds out that the building has been remodeled as a police station. Rated PG-13 primarily for language, Martin cuts down on the language in comparison with other films, presenting a slightly more family-friendly film. It's suitable for teens and older. Parental Concerns In our society, we pay too little attention to ratings and suppose that our children have the same level of perceptivity we seem to have. In reality, the youth of our nation are struggling because parents haven't taken responsibility for teaching their children. Public education is more than a right. It is a privilege and it is there to help parents, not to replace them. We need to start discussing films with our children instead of zoning out and paying little heed to whatever ideas a film might put into a child's mind - good or bad. Even though I have no children of my own, I have been a child and I have parents. I am most thankful that they did not leave me to fend for myself where films are concerned. They kindly set aside a moment after each film to discuss different aspects of it: what is real and what is fake, how to apply it to life. My parents aren't perfect by any means, but I think more people with children in their homes could learn by their example in this aspect of life.

Much Ado About Nothing

This film was very well done in my opinion. Of course, as I have never read the play, I cannot really compare it in that way. The characters, however, were wonderful. I find that the more I see of her, the more I admire Emma Thompson. It's possible I might even have a crush on her if she weren't nearly as old as my parents. In this film, she plays Beatrice, who is set up to fall in love with Benedick. This trap is set up by the young lovers Hero and Claudio, trying to pass the time with their fellow conspirator Don Pedro. Truly, Shakespeare's genius pays off in this one. The film is rated PG-13. You may also want to take a look at Shakespeare in Love or the much-acclaimed William Shakespeare's Hamlet.

The New World

Though not exactly a huge blockbuster, The New World does have some redeeming attributes. First, the film locations are absolutely gorgeous. The plot may not be historically accurate in all accounts, but it does give a good overview of the history, with a Hollywood twist. The love story aspect of the film is intriguing, and I often found myself thinking back on Disney's Pocahontas, though this production far surpassed the cartoon. At times, the slow pace irritated me, but at the same time, it was also conducive to the mood of the story. It was just different to have such long "silent" moments in the film. Colin Farrell, Q'Orianka Kilcher, Christopher Plummer, Christian Bale, and August Schellenberg all play their parts very well. This film is rated PG-13.

The Illusionist

Similarities This film absolutely blew me away! In some ways it was similar to The Prestige. I don't want to give away too many plot points, but I'll say The Illusionist is about a young boy who falls in love with a princess and tries to run away with her. Years later, he becomes a magician, changes his name, and by chance comes across her again. Then comes a sudden twist in the plot. In some ways, this main character Eisenheim reminds me of Joseph Smith, Jr. The Short Story The Illusionist is based loosely on the short story Eisenheim the Illusionist, which can be found in The Barnum Museum, by Steven Millhauser. Both the film and the short story are exquisite ways to remove oneself from the world we live in and enter a realm of fantastical curiosity. The film is rated PG-13.