Being a father is hard enough, but, well, being a single dad of a child is even more unbelievably difficult, as shown i...
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Being a father is hard enough, but, well, being a single dad of a child is even more unbelievably difficult, as shown in the following works.
The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)
Chris Gardner is a salesman who often fails, leading to his bankruptcy. Expelled from home because he could not afford to pay for his room, his wife left him and his little son Christopher. He became homeless but never gave up the opportunity and wanted to become a stockbroker. With unyielding will and endless love for Christopher, Chris has overcome adversities in order to find the way to happiness for himself and his son.
The film is based on Gardner's own memoir in real life and is played by Will Smith and his son Jaden. The word "Happiness" in the title is actually not a spelling mistake. According to Chris Gardner, he named the title like that in his autobiography to refer to "you" or "your happiness." Happiness can only come from within yourself.
Be With You (2004)
The work is adapted from the famous novel of the same name from writer Takuji Ichikawa. The main character of the film is Takumi, a single dad who lives a quiet life with his 6-year-old son Yuji after the death of his wife Mio. Yuji, as a child, always believes in his mother's promise that she will return when the rainy season comes.
A miracle happened on the first anniversary of Mio's death, the first day of the rainy season. Takumi and Yuji were walking in the forest when they met a girl who looks exactly like Mio. She didn't remember who she is or where she is from but Takumi and Yuji both want to bring her back to their home. The house without laughter suddenly became warm and cheerful.
The Japanese version of the film is set in a gentle, deep style with peaceful natural scenes just like the feelings of Takumi and Mio in the story. The South Korean remake of the movie in 2018 with So Ji Sub and Son Ye Jin has a fresher, more comical style.
I Am Sam (2001)
Sam is a man with intellectual disabilities with IQ equal to that of a mere 7-year-old child, but he still seeks to raise his daughter Lucy. He receives the support from a group of disabled friends and a kind neighbor, which helps him cope with everyday difficulties and challenges. Therefore, although not materially affluent, Lucy and Sam spent each day in joy.
However, Lucy also began to realize her father was not as normal as the other fathers. She was bullied in school and ashamed of Sam. The Welfare Society for Women and Children also realized this and stopped Sam from raising Lucy. He and his daughter were separated from each other on her 7-year-old birthday.
The strange thing is that although Sam is not as intelligent as other people, he still makes great efforts to regain the custody. The single dad hired a lawyer, using all means to prove he can raise Lucy. And the girl, despite being adopted by a new family, persuaded her father to take her back.
Every night, Lucy escaped from her adoptive parents' home to run back to Sam, but he was determined not to let Lucy stay with him. The father-daughter relationship between them greatly surpasses the logic of ordinary people.
Hi Bye, Mama! (2020)
Released in March 2020 on Netflix, Hi Bye, Mama! has become a surprise hit amidst the many other blockbusters at the time in South Korea such as Itaewon Class and Crash Landing on You. The film tells the story of Cha Yu Ri, a poor mother / wife who died in a car accident. She then became a ghost following her husband, her parents' family, and close friends for 5 years.
Each of Yu Ri's relatives who are still alive suffers their own indescribable pain after her death, especially her husband Cho Kang Hwa. Yu Ri died in the hospital he was working at, suddenly disappeared from his life and left their newborn daughter behind. Kang Hwa lived in torment and pain because he could not save his wife to the point that he suffered a fear of operating room. Still, he had to carry on and be a strong single dad for his daughter.
The story of Hi Bye, Mama! brings many moving moments, emotions and meaningful lessons about life.
