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Seven Pounds is an American drama that was released in December, 2008 starring Will Smith, Woody Harrelson, Rosario Dawson, and Barry Pepper. It features a man (played by Will Smith) who attempts to alter the lives of seven people. The film was directed by Gabriele Muccino and was released by Columbia Pictures in both the United States and Canada in December. It has a 123 minute run time and is rated PG-13 for sensuality, disturbing content, and thematic material.

Filming for Seven Pounds was done in Malibu, Pasadena, and the greater Los Angeles area of California. Other actors that can be seen in the film are Elpidia Carrillo, Judyann Elder, Michael Ealy, Bill Smitrocivh, Robinne Lee, and Quintin Kelly. The screenplay was written based on a script by author Grant Nieporte.

Seven Pounds was basically kept a mystery by both cast and crew, with the trailers being very vague. The studio even refused to explain the title to those in the film community. Smith told fans after the film was released the title was a reference to Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice. Director Muccino didn’t want audiences knowing what Will Smith’s character was going to be doing throughout the film; he wanted as much of an element of surprise as possible.

The plot of Seven Pounds finds an IRS agent, Tim Thomas played by Will Smith, causing a car wreck in which he kills seven people. He is filled with remorse which he cannot overcome, so he tries to save the lives of seven good people to atone for the deaths his wreck caused. He finds seven worthy people and awards them each a rare gift. He donates a lung to his brother, a kidney to a high school coach, bone marrow to a young child, and part of his liver to a child service worker.

Thomas meets a woman whose boyfriend is abusing her, so he moves into a motel and gives her the deed to his vacated house. He ultimately commits suicide by climbing into a bathtub full of poisonous jellyfish. He keeps the temperature freezing so it will save his vital organs and he can give his final two gifts.

He gives his corneas to an old blind man (played by Woody Harrelson) and he gives his heart to a young woman (played by Rosario Dawson) with a rare blood type and fatal heart condition, whom he just happened to be in love with. With these final two gifts he has save the lives of seven people, each of which he had gotten to know on a personal level. Seven Pounds promoted charities and held fund raisers for the needy in many different cities all over America. It was promoted in order to raise money for food banks and other various charities.

The film opened in 2,758 different theaters and grossed $16 million its opening weekend, which was $5 million less than expected. This was the lowest opening weekend gross for a Will Smith movie since 2001 and received mixed critical reviews from various sources. The only award it has won to date is an Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture (Smith) at the Image Awards in 2009. It was nominated for Outstanding Motion Picture at the 2009 Image Awards and Rosario Dawson, writer Nieporte, and director Muccino were both nominated for awards as well.

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