: Widely considered one of his best roles, Smith received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor.
The system assumes a level of privilege—that an intern can afford to work for six months without a salary. Gardner can only participate in this "opportunity" because of the charity of others and his own superhuman endurance. He must sell his blood, work during lunch breaks, and skip water breaks to avoid bathroom breaks, all to compete with candidates who likely have safety nets he does not. The film subtly asks: Is the American Dream a meritocracy, or is it a game where the entry fee is the very stability Gardner lacks?
