Possibly the nicest personality in Hollywood, we all know Will Smith as blockbuster movie star. We’ve all seen him in hit’s like The pursuit of Happyness, Independence Day, I, Robot and loads more. Some of us know him from his Fresh Prince days but very few know of him as one of the stars in Six Degrees.

During his time as Bell Air royalty, Smith was cast in Six Degrees of Separation alongside Donald Sutherland and Stockard Channing. While films like Bad Boys, Independence Day or Men in Black would be considered his step up from sitcom actor and musician to movie star, Six Degrees was sadly forgotten.

Smith plays Paul, a stranger who shows up at the home of New York socialites the Ketteridge’s (Sutherland & Channing), claiming to be attacked and seeking shelter. A wonderfully articulate and intelligent young man, Paul explains that he’s a friend of their children, reciting detailed stories of what he knows of the family and winning the Ketteridge’s trust. Charming the couple and their visiting friend (Ian McKellen), they spend the evening together, eventually offering the young man a place to stay for the night and money to get home in the morning.

In the morning they find Paul in bed with another man in a hectic scene that results in Sutherland throwing them both out. Channing dwells on the experience. From there Paul becomes an urban legend with friends and fellow victims, who try to track him down.

I first watched this movie in 2004 and I was surprised by it. At first I thought it would be a pretencious, self indulgent piece of garbage. I’ve read reviews that said the same thing. But I enjoyed it, and a lot of negative reviews I’ve read seem to have either missed a point or two or just aren’t aware of it. Maybe I see something that others don’t. Who knows.

It’s an interesting look at interpersonal relationships, using the example of a wealthy materialistic couple who are merrily climbing their way up the social ladder, expanding business opportunities and gaining a lot of expensive toys to play with but as we wee with Channing’s character, there’s no spark in that life. It’s as if they’re drifting through a world of wants and possessions, alienating their own arrogant, self involved children, without really living their lives.

It takes the con man and his desire to be accepted as one of the higher class to open her eyes to what more she could have.

The film not only looks at that life and it’s mere six degree’s of separation away from the poor and desperately unhappy Smith, it displays a lot of articulation and heart that other movies lack.

It also proved that Will Smith can act in more than just a sitcom or as support for Ted Danson and Whoopie Goldberg in Made in America.

There are several layers to this films structure and it’s told in a great way. With sharp dialogue, a few intriguing characters and references to Catcher in the Rye and the real life events it’s based on, whether it’s a hit or a miss for you, the film deserves a chance and it certainly deserves more than being a Will Smith movie most have either forgot or never heard of.

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Tags: geek, movies