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Name:________________________________________________________________ Date:_______________ Period:___
Will Smith stars in this moving tale inspired by the true story of Chris Gardner, a San Francisco salesman
struggling to build a future for himself and his 5-year-old son Christopher. When his wife, Linda walks out, Chris is
left to raise Christopher on his own. Chris' determination finally pays off when he lands an unpaid internship in a
brutally competitive stockbroker-training program, where only one in twenty interns will make the cut. But without
a salary, Chris and his son are evicted from their apartment and are forced to sleep on the streets, in homeless
shelters and even behind the locked doors of a metro station bathroom. With self-confidence and the love and
trust of his son, Chris Gardner rises above his obstacles to become a Wall Street legend.
Directions: Complete the questions below throughout watching the video.
1.Identify some of the
challenges that Chris Gardner
faced when trying to sell his
bone-density scanners.
2.What were some of the
challenges that Chris’s wife
Linda had to face?
3.List some of the risks that
Chris Gardner faced in getting
the job at Dean Witter.
4.What would result if Chris
had given up on his dream of
getting a job at Dean Witter?
5.Summarize some of the
difficulties that Chris had to
face while training at Dean
Witter.
6.List some of the alternatives
that Chris and his son could
have done to make their life
better.
7.Explain how Chris felt at the
beginning, middle, and end of
the story.
8.Select parts of the story
that were the funniest,
saddest, happiest, and most
unbelievable.
9.Select an action of one of
the characters that was
exactly the same as something
you would have done.
10. How did Chris’ positive
thinking allow him to be
successful through his trials
and tribulations?
1.Identify some of the
challenges that Chris Gardner
faced when trying to sell his
bone-density scanners.




HIGH PRICED
LOST THE SCANNER/IT WAS STOLEN
DIDN’T HAVE A VEHICLE TO TRANSPORT THEM
SOME DOCTORS FELT THEY WERE UNNECESSARY
2.What were some of the
challenges that Chris’s wife
Linda had to face?



WORKED DOUBLE SHIFTS
FELT LIKE CHRIS WASN’T WORKING HARD ENOUGH TO SELL THE SCANNERS
COULDN’T DEAL WITH THE STRUGGLE OF THEIR LIFE
3.List some of the risks that
Chris Gardner faced in getting
the job at Dean Witter.
4.What would result if Chris
had given up on his dream of
getting a job at Dean Witter?
 NO EXPERIENCE IN THE INDUSTRY
 NOT GETTING PAID FOR THE 6 MONTHS
 NO GUARANTEE OF A JOB IN THE END
 HAD GONE TO JAIL PRIOR TO INTERVIEW
 GOT HIT BY CAR AND LOST HIS SHOE
WOULDN’T HAVE BEEN AS SUCCESSFUL IN THE END
HOMELESS WITH A CHILD
HAD TO GET ANOTHER JOB
5.Summarize some of the
difficulties that Chris had to
face while training at Dean
Witter.




DIDN’T HAVE AS MUCH TIME TO MAKE CALLS
DIDN’T HAVE A CONSISTENT PLACE TO STAY
DIDN’T HAVE A VEHICLE FOR TRANSPORTATION
WASN’T GETTING PAID FOR THE INTERSHIP
6.List some of the alternatives
that Chris and his son could
have done to make their life
better.



CHOOSE ANOTHER JOB THAT WOULD HAVE PAID MONEY
CHOSEN TO STAY AT A CHEAPER PLACE
PAID TAXES
7.Explain how Chris felt at the
beginning, middle, and end of
the story.
8.Select parts of the story
that were the funniest,
saddest, happiest, and most
unbelievable.
BEGINNING- WAS JUST TRYING TO GET BY WITH A RUT ROUTINE, TRYING TO SELL THE
SCANNERS, AND PAY THE BILLS, ARGUING WITH HIS WIFE
MIDDLE- HE HAD HIT ROCK BOTTOM AND WAS TRYING TO MAKE HIS WAY UP AGAIN
END- HAD WORKED REALLY HARD TO GET THE JOB AND WAS SUCCESSFULL
VARY BY STUDENT
9.Select an action of one of
the characters that was
exactly the same as something
you would have done.
VARY BY STUDENT
10. How did Chris’ positive
thinking allow him to be
successful through his trials
and tribulations?
ANSWERS WILL VARYCHRIS WAS ABLE TO KEEP AN OPTIMISITC OUTLOOK ON EVERY SITUATION NO MATTER
HOW BAD IT GOT. FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN THEY HAD TO SLEEP IN THE SUBWAY
BATHROOM HE HAD A POSITIVE OUTLOOK FOR HIS SON AND ACTED LIKE IT WAS A
GAME INSTEAD OF BEING UPSET.