The Pursuit of Happyness
Sarah and I just watched “The Pursuit of Happyness” the other night. It was remarkable on several counts. First, it was an uncompromising ode to Capitalism. Not the wish-washy “try hard, be successful” Capitalism that is usually presented. Real fundamental Capitalism. The movie’s main theme is that the right to “the pursuit of happiness” as mentioned in the Declaration of Independence is only a right to the pursuit, not to happiness itself. The attaining of happiness is up to you. The film is also notable for being (as far as I could tell) completely post-racial. Chris Gardner, the main character, is a poor black man struggling to make it in a rich white business. But his race was completely incidental to the story. The appropriateness of having watched a movie with a “character over color” message on Dr. Martin Luther King Day wasn’t lost on us. Also interesting is that the Internal Revenue Service was presented as a villain when they dipped into Gardner’s account and took all but $20-something dollars of his money.
“That’s my money. How is somebody going to just take my money?” he asks. Why, through use of force. Everything the government does is by use of force.
I don’t know that I’ve seen a more pro-individual pro-Capitalism movie. Recommended.
