Is There Such A Thing As Happily Ever After?

Jesus Hernandez

Engl. 495 ESM

Prof. Wexler


In a time when financial institutions are falling apart and the consequence of one country’s financial problems seems to affect the entire world, what better way to escape these problems than to watch a feel good movie such as “Slumdog Millionaire”. Although the film takes place in India, the overall values it presents seem to be western ideologies and concepts. The struggles of the main character, Jamal Malik, are at times very harsh and cruel but undoubtedly real, yet the story ends on a happy note. We cheer Jamal on as he gets closer to winning the ultimate prize of 20 million rupees in India’s version of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire”, and yet we get to see Jamal’s life story unfold before our eyes and see a darker version of India that many people are not aware of. Yet it is because the movie ends on this westernized concept of a “happily ever after” that creates the ultimate dilemma for a vast majority of us: when all is said and done, the happily ever after vanishes and its back to the real world.
In the article titled “Towards a Critique of Globalcentrism: Speculation on Capitalism’s Nature” the author, Fernando Coronil, explains that “As has occurred in many Third World countries, neoliberal globalization may promote ‘growth’ and yet erode a sense of national belonging” (Coronil). In the movie, Jamal is seen working at a telecommunication company called Excel Five Mobil. This company portrays a good concept of globalization because even though the company has its call center in India, it has a mural of clocks that represent different time zones from around the world. It becomes difficult to pinpoint the relationship between the company, its workers, and the people it is trying to serve, which can lead to problems. What happens when the call center wants its workers to work on a religious holiday, or in the case of the movie, have them work when their co-worker Jamal is close to getting the ultimate prize in “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire”. This feeling of possible prosperity and yet at the same time feeling alienated from ones home country is the prime example of the difficulty for countries who are trying to integrate into the concept of globalization.
Another key concept that Fernando Coronil discusses is the prime example of what happens when people get left out of the prosperity of “Globalization”. Coronil mentions that “For many who find themselves at the mercy of the market forces and yet have little to sell, the ‘market’ takes the form of drug trade, black market, sex work, and the trade of stolen goods or even of body parts” (Coronil). This concept appears numerous times in the movie. The character Maman, at first seems like a charitable and likable character because it seems like he is helping out all these children by feeding them and providing them with shelter. As the film progressed we saw the true meaning behind Maman’s intentions: he was picking orphaned children from the streets to force them to work by asking for donations, he would go as far as dismember the children in order to get more money through sympathy for the dismembered children. Another example is of Maman training Latika in high cultured dances and preserving her “virginity” in order to sell her to the highest bidder. A third example is when Jamal and Salim started stealing shoes from tourist in the Taj Mahal, and then would later resell them out in the streets. It’s tough, but when you can’t play the game of globalization fairly in order to prosper, you have to take different routes to make that prosperity come to you.
The concept of the game show “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” is the driving force behind the movie. This show originated in the United Kingdom, and has been adopted in various parts of the world. This show represents the western ideology that anyone who has some intelligence and a little bit of luck, can walk away as a richer person with as little effort possible. But it becomes difficult to pinpoint what exactly one attains when one becomes “richer” through such game shows as “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire”. During the movie, when Jamal gets reunited with Latika once again, Jamal asks “why do people watch such a show?” referring to the game show “Who Wants To Be a Millionaire” and Latika responds “it’s a means to escape, and opportunity to walk into another life”. That is exactly what games show such as “Who Wants To Be a Millionaire” are trying to do, play with people’s emotions and hook them into believing that it could indeed be “you” who could be sitting in the chair for a chance to become wealthier. But does your life truly become better when you get that money? It seemed to have gone well for Jamal, because he got the girl and the money in the end of the movie.
The most discouraging part of the movie was its ending, which ultimately led to the westernized concept of the “happily ever after”. Although the main character, Jamal, goes through all these hardships during his lifetime, the movie ends with Jamal winning the 20 million rupee’s and finally getting reunited with his long lost love Latika. What then are we to make of the group of children Maman used to collect money? What about the people who lived in the slums that cheered Jamal on during the show? What about Jamal’s brother Salim? As Frank Rich points out in his article “Who Wants to Kick a Millionaire?” when talking about the main character Jamal, “We cheer the young man on screen even if we’ve lost the hope to root for ourselves. The trouble with ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ is that it, like all classic movie fables, comes to an end – as it happens, with an elaborately choreographed Bollywood musical number, and then we are delivered back to the inescapable and chilling reality outside the theater’s doors” (Rich). Although “Slumdog Millionaire” was a great feel good film, at the end of the film, many will be left wondering of what to do with their own problems, instead of thinking of the vast poverty and economic disparity presented in the film.


Works Cited
Coronil, Fernando. “Towards a Critique of Globalcentrism: Speculation on Capitalism’s
Nature. Duke University Press 2000.
Rich, Frank. “Who Wants To Kick a Millionaire?” New York Times Dec. 21, 2008.