"The Pursuit of Happyness" w/ Will and Jaden Smith
 

Gardner Personifies Rags-to-Riches Story



It was just a movie set, but in a moment it showed Chris Gardner where he'd been - and how far he'd come.

There with actor Will Smith - who was playing Gardner, a former homeless man turned millionaire - Gardner stood in what looked like the train station bathroom where he once slept a quarter century ago.

Suddenly he was overcome with memories of teaching his 2-year-old son to never, ever open the locked bathroom door, no matter how hard someone pounded on the other side. It didn't matter that he now had three homes - one a condo in New York's Trump Tower - or that he'd gone from selling his own blood to buying Michael Jordan's car.

"I had to get out of there," he said.

The story of how the 52-year-old Gardner did just that, climbed out of homelessness and became a millionaire stockbroker with his own 15-employee Chicago firm, is being turned into a motion picture, due out in December. It's also the subject of Gardner's own just-released book, "The Pursuit of Happyness." The unique spelling of "happiness" is intentional.

Even in the realm of rags-to-riches tales, Gardner's story is unique. Take, for example, the events that led to his descent into homelessness.

A medical supplies salesman barely making enough money to support his girlfriend and baby, Gardner had one of those Hollywood moments in a San Francisco parking lot in 1981 when he spotted a man looking for a place to park his red Ferrari.

"I said to him, 'You can have my (parking) place but I've got to ask you two questions. What do you do and how do you do it?'" recalled Gardner.

The man was a stockbroker. Gardner didn't know a single stockbroker or even what one did. But the man said he made $80,000 a month - $50,000 more than Gardner made a year.

Gardner found a brokerage firm willing to hire him and quit his job. But when he showed up for work he learned the guy who'd hired him had been fired. Gardner's job was gone.

Then, days before a scheduled interview with Dean Witter, a loud fight with his girlfriend brought the police to his door. The next thing Gardner knew they were asking him for $1,200 to clear up some unpaid parking tickets.

They may as well have asked for $12 million. Gardner spent 10 days in jail.

When he was released, his girlfriend and son were gone. He had no money, no home and the only clothes he had for his job interview the next day were the ones he wore to jail.

How was he going to explain showing up wearing jeans and paint-splattered Adidas shoes?

"I couldn't think of nothing that could top the truth," he said. He went with that and got the job.

A few months later came a knock on the door of the boarding house where he was staying.

"It's my ex and, guess what, she doesn't want the baby any more, here." he said. "The boarding house does not allow children. That's how we became homeless."

I saw his story on 20/20. It was very inspiring. I can't wait to see the movie.

This story sounds farmiliar...does this guy now reside in Hawaii

I was thinking the same thing cause I remember that brother in Ebony or Essence. But I thought he owned a whole slew of ATMs.

Ok, that is the one I am thinking of..I think I read his story in Jet and yup he did own a slew of ATM's

Here is the link to the movie trailer: http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/t...itofhappyness/

I saw him being interviewed on The View (which I don't watch anymore since they kicked my girl Star off), and he is a very smart man. I see how God can work in your life if you let him. However, his story isn't new. How many times have you seen your grandparents or your parents make 5 pieces of chicken feed 10 people, make a 3 room house fit cousins, aunts, uncles, the church family and whoever else on a daily basis, and always managed to put the fear of GOD in you when she heard you singing "When Doves Cry" by Prince. (Ok that last part refers to me, I digress) Black people have always made a way out of no way.

Comes out next Friday :cool:

Looks like it will be a really good movie

I'm looking forward to the movie. But I have to say that the book was awesome!! I just finished it and it was great. I definitely recommend it.

I'm actually going on a double date with my PARENTS to see this movie. I'm excited...more so about the movie, than the date, lol.

I won tickets for an advance screening tomorrow night. I look forward to seeing the film.

Enter contest to win a copy of the book

http://concreteloop.com/the-pursuit-...book-giveaway/

Good luck!

Can't wait to see the movie!!

Very good film. I did not shed a tear.
It was long, close to 2 hours.
Will did alot of running. :D

Yes, it was a really good movie, but it was a tear jerker for me. :o