Index In pursuit of happiness: reflection paper on the filmThe theme of poverty in the filmAnalysis of the filmConclusionWorks citedIn pursuit of happiness: reflection paper on the filmFor my reflection paper about the film I chose to write about “The Pursuit of Happyness,” a biopic about a man named Chris Gardner, a homeless salesman. After investing all his life savings in purchasing portable bone density scanners, what was supposed to bring him wealth, instead turned into his life support as many medical industries did not feel the need for such medical devices. As the financial burdens pile up on him in the process, it causes him to lose both his wife and his home. Even after landing as an intern at a brokerage firm, the job offers him no pay. Refusing to give in to financial difficulties, he tries to make a better life for himself and his son by finding different methods to earn money. The director of this film is Gabriele Muccino, an Italian director who became a successful American director. This film is a biopic of Chris Gardner about his struggles with being a homeless single father. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on the topic "Why violent video games should not be banned"? Get an Original Essay The Theme of Poverty in Film News about poverty often goes unreported, and even if it is covered, the severity of the situation in these reports is often undermined . I have done many volunteer activities and have seen the gravity of such situations, one of the experiences was volunteering to help the most needy in Cambodia when I was in secondary school. Therefore, I believe this film is a perfect example to show the severity of people living in poverty. The general theme of this film is poverty. I chose this theme because the film depicts the hardships of being poor without any financial help and the father's efforts to provide food, water and shelter for his son. This movie reminded me of past experiences working with my father, when I was watching scenes where Chris Gardner tries to sell his scanners by walking door to door in medical buildings. These experiences made me feel the stress and toll that work had on my father, to the point that my father eventually became ill while working. Although my financial situation was far from what was depicted in the film, it still made me feel the need to appreciate everything it gave me, starting from the smallest things like water and electricity. As my parents' son, I should repay what they have given me by working hard in my studies and ensuring that their efforts to support our family do not go to waste. And as for my mother, who has worked hard tirelessly for the past 18 years, even just mopping the floor during my free will will help lift her burdens. These small actions should be taken by me as they will help my parents cope better with the stress of raising a family. This movie also made me realize the importance of time. Since time is limited, I felt the need to appreciate the time I have with my family. After watching the movie, I felt the need to hang out with my family more often and talk to them rather than just staying in my room playing. Games can be stopped and played later, but time with my family should be cherished as it is limited. My experiences in Cambodia made me better understand the severity of poverty. However, I usually find myself waitingthat my school hosts this type of volunteering and the thought of finding these opportunities for me never crossed my mind. There are still many people out there who need our help and joining volunteer groups in nearby community centers can help me take the first step towards helping groups in need. Poverty is a factor that prevents someone from supporting themselves financially. Coming from a decent family, I never felt the need to rely on the government for financial support, however, the scenes in the film where Chrisho tried to enter a homeless shelter, but instead turned out to be fully occupied, It really makes me think about the magnitude of government in helping the homeless and financially unstable families. I always thought that America would be almost free of poverty, thanks to the many television programs that I love to watch that portrayed America as a dream country. However, research conducted by the US Census Bureau found that 15% of the population lives in poverty. Just like Chris in the film, people in the United States live in poverty due to low wages, with families of four earning less than $23,000 a year and half of jobs in America paying less than $34,000 a year . For me it was a surprising discovery and I realized that poverty in America has always been a difficult problem to solve unless living wages are paid to help these people. Furthermore, poverty is not just an American problem, but is occurring throughout the world. Going back to my experiences in Cambodia, people in Cambodia survive on agriculture which doesn't even provide a living wage. The education system in Cambodia is also weakened, so much so that only 37.1% of the population can read, write and speak. Just like in the scene in the movie where Chris is asked to fill out his resume with his level of education, and he says he didn't need that many jokes, today there are many countries that still lack education, countries like Cambodia and China contributing to rising low wages due to insufficient jobs that pay decent wages. Therefore, this film can be linked to the poverty present in today's society. Film Analysis Since this film is a biopic about Chris Gardner, the director's intention is to chronicle Chris Gardner's experience of poverty. However, I feel like there is an underlying intention to the film. In addition to showing the lengths parents will go to just to provide for their children's needs, another intention might be that the director wants to demonstrate that the determination to constantly seek opportunities to succeed in life will result in life-changing opportunities. life. Based on the real life of Chris Gardner, the costumes used in the film are very recognizable today, from people wearing formal suits when working to homeless people wearing rugged suits and pants. The makeup used in the film is very discreet, for example the homeless people get dirt and sand on their faces and arms, which plays an important role in describing their social status. The character's behaviors in this film are portrayed realistically just like those of the homeless. scene after Chris was hit by a car and left limping away while picking up his son from daycare. There were also subtle aggressive behaviors, such as Chris and the homeless man fighting for the vacant spot in the shelter. Chris also describes feeling nervous because the manager has called him to a meeting that will decide his job. Since the film is set in San Francisco, most of the scenes were shot.