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LOVE AND ‘HAPPYNESS’ AT THE BOX OFFICE: Will Smith makes African American fathers proud in new No. 1 movie.
*Will Smith is back atop the box office heap with his latest film, “The Pursuit of Happyness,” which pulled in $27 million according to studio estimates on Sunday.
The movie, based on the story of Chris Gardner’s autobiography detailing his journey from homelessness to Wall Street – all while caring for his young son – is particularly a favorite among African American fathers, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
"It's been a long time since a movie has touched me like this. I saw a lot of myself in him," said Fatin Dantzler, who is half of the R&B group Kindred the Family Soul. The 33-year-old watched a screening of the film at Philly’s Ritz Five last week with his 7-year old son, Aquil.
"Unfortunately, this isn't what we see most times," Dantzler told the paper. "Art often depicts reality and the reality Hollywood directors see is what most people see in the media, black men in negative roles. Good black fathers don't see themselves on the news."
"The good images are hard to find," Kofi Asante, director of resource center Philadelphia Comprehensive Center for Fathers, told the newspaper. "Most of what we see are shows of brute force with mack daddies or drug dealers. We are scholars, we are musicians, we are teachers...we are in every position that's vital to the American existence and more of that needs to be shown."
Last weekend’s No. 1 movie, Mel Gibson's Mayan saga "Apocalypto," tumbled to sixth place with $7.7 million. “Happyness” also beats newcomers “Eragon,” in second place with $23.45 million, and “Charlotte’s Web,” No. 3 with $12 million.
Read Kam Williams' review of "The Pursuit of Happyness" HERE.
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