In the movie, "Pursuit of Happyness" why couldn't he just get a job?

Question

Why couldn't he just get a job? I mean why have your wife working double shifts like that. His job was part-time if I'm not mistaken. I have worked a double shift and it's alot and I couldn't even imagine doing it with a child.

BTW
I thought it was a good movie and Will Smith did an excellent job acting.

So even though the wife is working double shifts (16 hour days) It's harsh for him to have one full time job?

Yes Jean, but surely a man with his charisma and charm should be able to get a decent paying job. He did afterall land the internship. I don't think his race has anything to do with it.

Good point Bella. It's dangerous to have your 5 year old sleeping on the streets after the mother offered to take him. He should have let the son stay with the mom while he finished his internship.

Answer 1

I thought the same thing as you!!!!! He should of gotten a job full-time and sold them "scanners" on the side cuz he was not selling very many of them to completely get by....then once he was selling a lot of them on a weekly basis then and only then, he should of done it full time. he could have easily got a job to support his family but instead he was homeless.... I am totally with you on that and i would have done the same thing the wife did......the movie was excellent. he defintely deserves a golden globe for that performance.

Answer 2

He purchased the imaging machines with their money because he and his wife both felt that the investment would pay off. He had to sell the machines to get their money back and couldn't do that and work a job....it ivolved a lot of traveling an sales calls. His wife obviously wanted him to sell off the machines so they could move on too. However, she lost hope and didn't have faith in her man when he told her what he wanted to do....too bad for her.

It is obvious that he is a man of standards (by his views on his sons daycare, etc..) and honor, so settling on a regular job just to help his family get by would not have made the situation for him and his family any happier, only a little more comfotable.

In the end, he decided not to settle for anything less than doing what it takes to give his son the very best...that involved some sacrifice on his part, which really paid off as he is now a very wealthy man and his son is well cared for and better for the experience.

This may be a movie, but it is based upon a true story..the bathroom in the movie was the actual bathroom he and his son stayed in. The Pastor in the movie at the shelter was the actual pastor who inspired and spurred him on when he doubted his decision. The man he glances at when he and his son are walking down the street at the end of the movie is the real Chris. Most of this movie is based upon actual events....check out his story online. So, question his motives and actions if you want, but his faith, sacrifice and actions have no put him in a place of great fortune and he lives a life most of us only dream of.

Here is his actual biography from his official website:
http://www.chrisgardnermedia.com/main/biography.htm

Answer 3

I loved this movie as well, but he couldn't get a job because they invested their entire life into those bone density scanner machines, and he was stuck with all of the units to sell--he put so much into it that there was no way out. Thus, that remained his number 1 priority. On top of that, his goal and dream was to succeed as a stock broker, knowing the only way to do it was to get that internship. And the internship meant no day job. And having the kid meant no night job. It's tricky! such a great movie!

Answer 4

No, i theory it replaced into fairly contrived. It replaced right into a usually mawkish american action picture that shows in case you relatively artwork annoying you will succeed. At what? finding out to purchase into the gadget and incomes revenue. i'm helpful which will Smith with get an Oscar nod simply by fact this is 'conquer adversity' tripe that the academy love lots.

Answer 5

whoa whoa! he did do an excellent job. my husband brought one thing to mind, NOT ONCE in the ENTIRE movie did will smith use the race card. NOT ONCE. and they should have had better communication between the couple. they did both invest in those machines. however, as he was seeing they weren't selling as fast as they could have been, he should have picked up a small part-time job to supplement his income to reduce his wife's stress level. and he shouldn't have been such an @ss as to rather drag his son sleeping through the streets instead of letting him go with his mother with her family on a temporary basis. but it was a story. and it was well done. i still wanted to hit the father though.

Answer 6

He did have a job and his job was selling or trying to sell bone density scanners. He couldn't just quit because he invested his life savings into buying them to try to re-sell them so he actually was self employed because he was not selling these machines for anybody. He made good when he sold them, he was just having a hard time doing so.

Answer 7

Because working at Mcdonalds doesn't pay enough to support chlidren.I don't think you know how hard it is to get a great paying job for a black man with a child to support.

Answer 8

I agree with you 100%.If they both worked one full time job, she wouldn't have needed two.

Answer 9

1>it was a movie
2>sometimes jobs that pay well just arent available and living in most cities isnt cheap

Answer 10

Because it was a movie, and they needed to have crazy hi-jinks, and emotional turmoil, so people of questionable intellect would discuss it on on-line forums as though it mattered.