Everyone Laughs At The Homeless Man Until He Becomes A Millionaire.

The story unfolds in San Francisco in 1981. The main character, Chris Gardner, makes a living selling medical equipment, portable bone density scanners. Every morning, he drops his son Christopher off at an inexpensive daycare in Chinatown. Near the daycare entrance, Chris asks the janitor when he’ll remove the profane graffiti from the wall.

Excuse me. Uh, when is uh somebody going to clean this off? He also notices a spelling error in the daycare’s motto. The word happiness is misspelled with an I instead of a Y. It’s an I in happiness. There’s no Y in happiness. It’s an I. While waiting for the bus, Chris encounters a homeless man who’s curious about the device in his hands, mistaking it for a time machine.

Then Chris makes his rounds to hospitals, trying to sell his medical device. Due to his tight schedule, he asks his wife, Linda, to pick up Christopher from daycare, even though she works double shifts. To make ends meet, Chris needs to sell at least two devices monthly. But most clinics consider the scanner too expensive and unnecessary.

Don’t need it, Chris. It’s unnecessary and expensive. Sales haven’t been going well for a long time. Constantly rushing, Chris parks right at hospital entrances without paying the fines. Due to lack of money, his car gets towed. That evening at dinner, Chris notices a Rubik’s cube, a new toy at the time.

It’s a gift for Christopher from Cynthia at work. Linda asks if he paid the taxes and Chris replies that he needs to file for another extension. This irritates Linda and she leaves for her second shift. After she leaves, Chris tries to solve the Rubik’s Cube, but it proves difficult.

The next day, while walking down the street, Chris sees a businessman getting out of a red Lamborghini. He asks the man about his profession, and the man says he’s a stock broker. Chris assumes you need a college degree for that job, but the man explains that a broker’s success depends mainly on math skills and people skills. After a brief conversation, Chris looks around and sees how happy everyone seems. He wonders why he can’t be the same.

The next morning, Chris tells Linda that he plans to be home by 6:00 in the evening because he’s going to become a stock broker. What job? A stock broker. Linda thinks this idea is ridiculous, which offends Chris. They argue and Linda reminds him about the two months of overdue rent. She insists he sell all the remaining medical devices and quit this business.

This is what I’m trying to do for my family, for you, and for Christopher. Chris heads to the brokerage firm to submit an application, but leaves his scanner with a street performer because he doesn’t want to go inside with it. He gives her a dollar, promising more when he returns, and warns her she won’t be able to sell it anyway.

Inside, he meets with the branch HR representative who explains that they receive a huge number of applications. His role is to help people fill out forms and then send them to Jay Twistle at the main office. During the conversation, Chris notices the street performer running away with his device and rushes out of the building.

He grabs the application form and chases after her, but despite a long pursuit, the girl disappears onto a train. That night, Chris returns home with the application form and can’t sleep, berating himself for losing the expensive device. The next morning at breakfast, he watches the news about the Rubik’s Cube, reporting that a math professor solved it in 30 minutes.

As she leaves for work, Linda asks Chris to come back without that device. Chris promises he’ll sell it, and she won’t see it again. On the way to daycare, father and son discuss the spelling error in the daycare’s motto. from his son. Chris learns that at daycare the kids are just placed in front of a TV instead of doing activities, which outrages him. You watch it at Mrs. Choose.

You watch Bonanza at daycare? Yeah. He makes a comment to the caregiver, but she replies that he can find another, more expensive daycare. Besides, he’s often late with payments, so he has no right to complain. After that, Chris heads to Dean Witter Reynolds to personally deliver the completed application to Jay Twistle, the head of HR. The conversation is brief as Jay is in a hurry.

Leaving the office, Chris spots the street performer and her accomplice with the stolen scanner. Enraged, he gives chase. The girl jumps on a bus trying to escape. Chris recounts how he invested all his savings in these devices, believing they were revolutionary, and even asked his landlord to photograph him with them. But most hospitals and doctors considered them an unnecessary luxury.

Losing one device meant losing a month’s grocery budget. After a persistent chase, he finally gets his device back. Sitting at a bus stop, Christopher reminds his father about the promise to sell the devices. I’m not supposed to have any of those. Yeah, I know. You have two now. Later, Linda sees both devices at home and is completely disappointed.

After celebrating their son’s birthday, for which he received a basketball, Chris tries to explain to Linda what happened, but she doesn’t want to listen. Chris promises that everything will work out, but Linda no longer believes him. In the next scene, Chris intercepts Jay as he’s catching a cab and reminds him about the application submitted a month ago. Jay tries to brush him off, saying he needs to go. Sensing an opportunity, Chris lies that he’s heading in the same direction and offers to share the ride.

Jay reluctantly agrees. In the taxi, Chris talks about his skills and qualities, but Jay is too absorbed in solving a Rubik’s cube. Chris notices this and offers to solve the puzzle to get Jay’s attention. Skeptical, Jay hands him the cube.

Chris explains the mechanics of the puzzle while solving it, and the taxi driver listens intently, holding his own cube. Jay jokes that he’s willing to ride around all day just to see Chris complete it. Before Jay’s stop, Chris finishes solving it, impressing both Jay and the driver. However, Jay leaves, sticking Chris with the fair. Having only $5 in his wallet, Chris asks the driver to drop him off a couple blocks early.

When the car stops at a red light, he tries to run, but realizes he forgot the medical device. He goes back for it, and the driver chases after him, threatening violence. Chris manages to escape by diving into the subway and jumping on a train. But as the doors close, pinching his arm, he loses the scanner. The same homeless man who mistook the device for a time machine sees the abandoned equipment.

That evening, Chris calls Linda, apologizing for not being able to pick up Christopher from daycare. Furious that she missed her shift. Linda says she and Christopher are leaving him. Indeed, when Chris comes home, he discovers his wife and son are gone. Meanwhile, Jay reviews Chris’s internship application. The program lasts 6 months and is unpaid.

Out of 20 interns, only one will get a permanent broker position. The next morning, Chris receives a call inviting him for an interview. He’s thrilled, but then realizes he can’t reach Linda about Christopher because she took the phone. The next day, he catches Linda on the way to daycare. And after she tells him she’s no longer happy with him, Chris tells her to go to hell.

That day, he arrives at the daycare earlier than usual and picks up his son. That evening, the landlord demands the apartment rent, but Chris promises to pay later. The landlord suggests moving to a nearby motel, which is half the price. The landlord says Chris must move out in the morning because he’s already called painters to paint the walls.

I’ll paint it myself. All right. But I just I got to have some more time to I got my son up in here. The landlord gives him a week on the condition that Chris paints the walls himself. The next day, while Chris is painting, there’s a knock at the door. On the porch, he sees two police officers who ask him to come with them to the station.

After paying the fine, the officer informs him that the payment won’t clear until morning. So, Chris will have to spend the night at the station. I have a job interview at Dean Witter at 10:15 tomorrow morning. He still calls Linda to watch the kid while he spends the entire night at the station.

The next day, Chris rushes to the interview at Dean Witter Reynolds, still in dirty clothes after a night in the cell. He explains to the staff about his night in jail, and despite his inappropriate appearance, his charisma and honesty impress the manager. But Mr. Fro, the company director, shows disdain for Chris through his demeanor. How many times have you seen Chris? No, I don’t know.

One too many, apparently. Has he ever dressed like this? No. However, Chris manages to make the management laugh, and Chris gets a spot in the internship program. But afterward, he learns that the internship won’t be paid at all and doubts his career choice. There’s no salary. No, I was not aware of that. My circumstances have changed some and I need to be certain that I’ll be able to s.

On the way home, Chris thinks over his choice. After all, for a whole 6 months, he’ll be making zero sense. But he still needs to live somehow. And at the end of the program, only one intern out of 20 will be hired. Returning home to finish painting the walls before Linda and Christopher arrive.

Later, she returns with their son and announces that she’s planning to move to New York to work as a waitress for an acquaintance. And after she leaves, he calls the firm and says he’s in. The next day, Chris and Christopher pack their things and head to the motel. With help from a friend who owes him $14. Since it’s Saturday, father and son go play basketball at the court.

Chris inadvertently tells his son that he’s unlikely to become a good basketball player since he himself was never successful in sports. Seeing the disappointment in his son’s eyes, Chris immediately changes his tone. He tells Christopher to never let anyone, including himself, tell the boy he can’t do something. If he has a dream, he must protect it.

People can’t do something themselves, they want to tell you you can’t do it. You want something, go get it. They head to a clinic to sell the scanner, and the medical facility agrees to purchase it. Writing a check for a substantial amount. Cashing the check, Chris lets his son buy a candy bar. The next day, Chris starts his internship getting acquainted with the profession.

The supervisor explains to the newcomers that they should do everything possible to attract clients, even if it means having lunch or breakfast with them or babysitting their children. But if you have to have lunch with them, have breakfast with them, if you even have to babysit for them, you will do whatever it takes to familiarize them with our packages.

He explains that in addition to passing the exam, they’ll need to close the maximum number of contracts to get the job. During lunch break, Chris runs into Mr. Fro on the street, but their conversation is interrupted when Chris discovers the bone density scanner he lost while escaping from the taxi driver. He chases after the homeless man with the scanner, but gets hit by a car. The driver politely asks if he’s okay.

Hey. Hey, Are you all right, Chris tries to find his shoe that flew off. Eventually limping, he returns to the internship in one shoe. Chris is forced to move around the city like this all day. After this, we’re shown a series of scenes in which Chris is bossed around by his supervisor, who orders him to bring donuts and coffee.

He feels inadequate and undervalued. Every day after the internship, Chris rushes to catch the 4:00 bus to pick up his son from daycare on time. Then they ride another bus across town and only get home by 10:00. He continues to struggle with rent. Hey, Chris. Hey. Hey, Rob. I’m waiting. All right. I I I got that for you, Ralph.

At the brokerage firm, all the interns in search of clients are forced to cold call company employees strictly by the list, starting from the doorman and ending with the company director. All interns, as usual, must work until 700 p.m., but Chris needs to pick up his son from daycare. Therefore, he only has 6 hours to work instead of 10.

To maximize his time, he doesn’t hang up the phone between calls, saving 8 minutes every day. He also doesn’t drink during work to avoid wasting time on bathroom breaks. Despite all these measures, after 2 months, he hasn’t managed to move up the list to the company executive.

In desperation, he decides to break protocol and calls directly to the CEO of the company, bypassing all his subordinates and assistants. To his surprise, that very director, Walter Ribbon, has free time. On his way out of the building, his supervisor stops him and asks him to repark his car. Chris explains that he has a meeting with Ribbon, but the boss insists. Chris wastes precious time fighting with a jammed lock.

Not finding a single taxi, he drives to Walter Ribbon’s office in his boss’s car, but gets stuck in traffic, making him late for the meeting. On the way back, he finds a parking ticket under the windshield wiper. That same evening at a diner, Chris fills out a check to pay that very fine. He asks his son to come with him tomorrow to a business meeting.

Christopher initially refuses, but his father persuades him to go, saying they might go to a football game, hoping that Mr. Ribbon will invite them to the game. The next morning, as they head to Walter Ribbon’s house, Christopher asks when they’ll go to the football game. Finally, they ring Mr. Ribbon’s doorbell.

Chris thanks him for the opportunity given the day before despite missing it, and claims they were visiting a close friend who lives in the neighborhood. He also makes up a story about their plans to attend a football game today and his plan works. Mr. Ribbon invites him and his son to join them in the box. To appear like a successful manager, Chris hides the fact that he doesn’t even have a car.

During the game, Mr. Ribbon admits that he likes Chris, but he’s not ready to entrust their company with managing his fund. Nevertheless, Chris and his son enjoy the game from luxury seats with a perfect view. and Chris gets the opportunity to enter Walter Ribbon’s circle and network with his business partners. After 4 months, Chris sold all his scanners, which brought him enough money to last until the end of the internship.

But the bright streak ends abruptly as soon as the IRS seizes his bank account for unpaid taxes, leaving him broke. Desperately needing money, Chris asks his friend to return the debt. But the friend believes the debt was already paid when he drove Chris and his son to the motel. Discouraged, Chris demands the $14 back, but his friend slams the door in his face. Later that same day, watching his son play at the playground, Chris notices the bone density scanner he lost in the subway.

He catches up with the homeless man and finally retrieves the device. However, the homeless man starts yelling that he needs this time machine to go back in time and see Jimmyi Hendris burn his guitar. Chris and his son immediately head to clinics trying to sell the device, but discover that the scanner is broken.

Despite this, the clinic is willing to purchase it once the device is repaired. That night, returning to the hotel, they find their belongings outside the door. Chris tries to open the door, but the lock has already been changed. Exhausted, Christopher starts crying, begging his father to let them in. Needing shelter, Chris goes for help to the friend who owes him money, but he doesn’t even open the door.

Despite being dead tired, Chris and his son are forced to move on again with nowhere to go. Eventually, they end up at a train station where Christopher points out that the device isn’t actually a time machine, as the homeless man claimed. To cheer up his son, Chris pretends that it really is a time machine. He presses the button and pretends they’ve traveled back to dinosaur times, encouraging Christopher to join this game.

Chris tells his son they need to hide from the dinosaurs in a cave. They go to a public restroom, continuing to play and spend the night there. While his son sleeps, Chris quietly cries, understanding how low he’s hit at this moment. He covers Christopher’s ears while visitors keep banging on the door.

The next day, Chris goes to work with his suitcase. Jay notices this and asks where he’s heading. This prompts Chris to make up a story about a trip to Sacramento for a golf game with potential clients.

In the next scene, Chris and Christopher try to find shelter at a homeless center, but are turned away because it’s only for women and children. An employee directs them to another shelter a few blocks away, and they rush there to make it by 5:00 p.m. After standing in line, they’re almost denied entry because the shelter is almost full. Fortunately, they get a room after security discovers that the person ahead of them tried to cut in line.

Inside the homeless shelter, Chris puts his son to bed and then tries to fix the broken scanner. He finds broken parts inside. The man reads study materials by the window light as the building turns off electricity at night. The line for the homeless shelter becomes part of his daily routine. So Chris brings his suitcase to work everyday and tells everyone different stories about why he carries it.

He learned to quickly end dialogues with clients because he and his son need to get in line at the shelter early. One day, Chris and his son attend mass at the shelter, after which Chris prepares for tomorrow’s final exam for the internship. The next day, Chris quickly takes the exam to get in line at the shelter on time. But on the way, Mr.

Fro asked Chris to lend him some money for a taxi as he forgot his wallet at the office. Despite limited finances, Chris gives him $5. Unfortunately, that evening, he and Christopher are late to the shelter and are forced to find another place to sleep. To earn money, Chris donates blood and with the proceeds buys a lamp for the scanner. Finding a place at another shelter, Chris, as always, puts his son to bed.

At this moment, the little boy asks Chris if Linda left because of him. Chris tells him never to dare think that. He assures Christopher that he has nothing to do with her leaving. Christopher tells his father that he’s a good dad. After putting his son to sleep, Chris successfully fixes the scanner.

The next day, he manages to sell the device, earning enough money to last them another four weeks. He enthusiastically tells Christopher that tonight they’ll stay at a hotel. They spend the night at a decent hotel enjoying the comfort of television. The next morning, Chris and his son head to the beach to get away from the constantly oppressive city atmosphere.

That day, Chris closes contracts with some of Mr. Ribbon’s friends whom he met at the football game. In the next scene, Jay congratulates Chris on his last day of internship while they’re in the bathroom. He thanks Chris for attracting many new clients and assures him that regardless of what decision the board makes, he did a fantastic job.

These words sound like a kind of farewell speech, which makes Chris even more nervous. Later, Chris is called by the supervisor and brought to Mr. Fro. Noticing that Chris is wearing a new shirt, Mr. Fro compliments his outfit. Chris says he wore it in honor of his last day of internship. Mr. From replies that he hopes Chris will wear it tomorrow, too, because tomorrow will be his first day as a full-time employee.

Chris can’t hold back tears and thanks the board. Mr. Fro returns the $5 he borrowed from Chris earlier. After that, Chris walks out of the building and with a voice over, he tells us that this part of his life is called happiness. He heads straight to the daycare to pick up his son early and hugs him tightly. Then the film tells us that Chris founded his investment firm, Gardener Rich, in 1987.

The film ends with Chris and his son walking through the city and joking, enjoying each other’s company as the real Chris Gardner walks past them. The epilogue states that in 2006, Chris Gardner sold a small portion of his brokerage firm’s shares for several million dollars.