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Will Smith in Action
In a world where popularity and talent don’t always coincide, Will Smith has managed to have it both ways. Born in 1968, Smith parlayed his Philadelphia upbringing and background into a successful rap and, later, television career, guest-starring on popular early 1990s shows like “Blossom” and leading a cast all his own as “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.”
Though he appeared in the 1993 film Made in America opposite Whoopi Goldberg and Ted Danson, the comedic actor first made a splash with big-screen audiences later that year as the lead in Six Degrees of Separation. Based on the true story of con man David Hampton, who spent years convincing people he was Sidney Poitier’s son, the movie marked a dramatic turn for Smith. The actor has since continually received praise for his darker roles, including Academy Award nominations for Ali (2002) and The Pursuit of Happyness (2007).
While his resume is peppered with the occasional family film (Shark Tale and the upcoming The Secret Life of Bees, which he produced), it is in the action world that Smith seems most at home. He is the king of Hollywood—as named by Entertainment Weekly and Newsweek in their recent rankings—and the July 4th box office, which is why, with this weekend’s release of the movie Hancock, MM saw it fit to take a look at Will Smith in action.
Independence Day (1996)
There are few who aren’t familiar with this apocalyptic action film in which Smith plays Air Force captain Steven Hiller, a man out to save his family and the world from invading alien forces. We won’t give anything away by saying that 4th of July fireworks never looked so liberating. The movie brought in more than $800 million worldwide and initiated the actor’s reputation for being able to open summer movie blockbusters on a massive scale.
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From An Inconvenient Truth (2006) to Sicko (2007), movies are becoming the choice medium for exposing societal problems in an effort to fuel change. Patrick Creadon’s I.O.U.S.A. is another documentary intent on exposing America’s troubles, this time taking a harsh look at our current economic situation and offering suggestions on how to make the nation financially secure for the future. The film is not just a presentation of the facts, however; the minds behind it have decided to take a more proactive role in making sure their movie inspires dialogue among viewers.
Posted 08.19.08 | News/Commentary | No comments yet...
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