The Will Smith Movie That Reminded Shania Twain of a Difficult Time in Her Life
Country music superstar Shania Twain is a world-famous artist today. But before she became the beloved singer of hits like “Man! I Feel Like a Woman!” and “That Don’t Impress Me Much,” Twain had a tumultuous upbringing in rural Canada. Years later, when she reflected on one of the many difficult periods in her youth, she likened one situation to a scene from a beloved Will Smith movie.
Shania Twain had a difficult upbringing
Shania Twain primarily grew up in the rural town of Timmins, Ontario, and moved around frequently as a child, as her family often couldn’t afford to stay in one place for very long. The relationship between her mother and stepfather was characterized by many breakups and makeups as well as physical and verbal abuse, some of which Twain witnessed. Twain also experienced sexual abuse at the hands of her stepfather, who raised her as her father.
At one point during her teenage years, her mother took her and her siblings and left Timmins for the big city of Toronto. They had nowhere to go, and ended up in a battered women’s shelter. Eventually, the shelter arranged for Twain, her mother, and her siblings to move into a townhouse.
Will Smith’s ‘The Pursuit of Happyness’ reminded Twain of a tough time in her life
Twain’s mother eventually decided to leave Toronto and move back with her father. But Twain had fallen in love with the city so much that she refused to leave with her family, and was determined to stay in the townhouse. She reflected on the time in her 2011 memoir From This Moment On.
“Naturally, I couldn’t stay in the town house anymore, now that my mother had given it up to move back,” she admitted. “I packed up a trunk of belongings, pages of my song lyrics, stuffed animals, pictures, a diary, and a host of other personal trinkets to send on with the family. The only thing I kept with me was a small suitcase of clothing and a few functional items for my daily needs.”
“I decided I could squat in the old house some nights to stay close to [my boyfriend] Daniel and ride the bus through the night as another solution for lodging,” she continued. “Did you see the movie The Pursuit of Happyness starring Will Smith, which was based on the true story of a man who was homeless for a time but went on to become a wealthy stockbroker? When I watched the scene where he and his young son ride the bus all night because they have nowhere else to go, it brought me right back to Toronto, 1981.”
She’s a global superstar today
Twain’s music career took off in the early 1990s after she moved to Nashville. She signed a record deal and released her self-titled debut album in 1993. Her 1995 album The Woman in Me confirmed that she was one of country music’s hottest new stars.
Her 1997 album Come On Over remains one of the highest-selling albums of all time to this day, having earned double-diamond certification. Her 2002 album Up! similarly earned diamond certification, as well as her 2017 comeback album Now. She has five Grammy Awards to her name and has performed two Las Vegas residency shows.
In 2022, Twain released a new single “Waking Up Dreaming” from her upcoming sixth studio album.
