OK, I admit it. I am a movieholic. I think that all life's experiences are reflected in the movies. I like almost all of them except some instances of chick flicks (there are some that I actually like - I will think of them in a moment…). I also have a problem with a lot of subtitled movies - yes, I can read thank you, but when I am reading, if there is action going on, then I miss out. Also, I think that the translations are not always complete or accurate. Have you ever watched a subtitled movie in which there is thirty seconds of dialogue in a language you don't understand, and then finally, the translation appears on the screen (usually in white text against a white background) and it is one word like, "No?"

What follows are some movies that are not only a few of my all time favorites but they also reflect the triumph of the human spirit. I am moved by stories about how people rise above their humanness and discover love (the spiritual version, not the mushy one). The International Movie Data Base (IMDB) is a great website containing a huge amount of information about movies, television shows, actors, and other people in the film industries.

This listing is not categorical in any way; it is simply in the order that I recalled my favorites…

Pay It Forward - a Kevin Spacey movie with Haley Joel Osmont is wonderful story about a young boy who creates a practice of paying a favor forward to someone other than who granted the original favor. It is a great example of the possibility of who we can be for one another.

Casablanca - is probably my all time favorite movie starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman. Most everyone knows the plot so I will forego that. One of the "facts" about the movie that some do not realize is that Rick (Bogey's character) never says, "Play it again Sam." He did say, "You played it for her. You can play it for me. Play it Sam." The move is a great combination of a love story, World War II angst, people caught in a difficult situation, and someone doing what he thought was in the best and highest interest of everyone concerned. "Here's looking at you kid."

The Singer Not The Song - a 1961 western starring Dirk Bogarde and John Mills, this is a classic exploration of the question, what is more persuasive: the messenger (singer) or the message (song)? Read more discussion of this movie and its subject in the November 2002 PlanetLightworker newsletter.

The Legend of Bagger Vance - starring Will Smith (title role) and Matt Damon is really not about golf although at first glance it appears to be. Now I am not a fan of golf so if you are not either, don't miss this wonderful film because it uses golf as a metaphor. The movie is really very spiritual in nature, and is a story about redemption, not bogies and birdies.

K-Pax - Kevin Spacey and Jeff Bridges star in this thoughtful puzzle about whether or not a visitor from the planet K-Pax has arrived on the earth for a visit. Evidence is presented pro and con. The real core of the movie is the view that that the alleged K-Paxian (Kevin Spacey) gives us earthlings of our culture and programmed responses. Spacey continually makes remarks that are slightly off center to our "reality" to psychiatrist Bridges that confound Bridges and cause him to wonder if Spacey is truly an extra-terrestial or a certfiable nut. What do you think?

Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope - this was the original Star Wars movie released in 1977 without the "The New Hope" episode title. Harrison Ford, Alec Guinness, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, and James Earl Jones (the voice of Darth Vader) were the cast that dominated the next two espisodes along with the muppet-like Yoda, the Jedi master teacher. The thing about the original movie was that it is about the triumph of the human spirit against overwhelming odds as "the" Force was a far greater "force" than the Dark Side. It is an obvious allegory of good and evil with Love triumphing over fear. It also popularized the concept of a universal energy on which all other matter and other energies are based. As for me, I first saw this in the days before I began awakening, and I will never forget the awe I saw in my six year old son's face when we came out of the theater.

Star Trek - The Wrath of Khan - Released in 1982, the second of the Star Trek movies and vastly superior to Star Trek - The Motion Picture, starred the same cast of TV fame plus Ricardo Montalban as the hammy Khan. What puts this movie on the list is when at its end Spock dies while voluntarily saving the Enterprise. Spock is my all time favorite Star Trek character (of all of the movies and television versions) and seemed immortal. (The next film, The Search for Spock, would indicate that he virtually was.) As Spock dies, he says, "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the one," (or something to that effect) I thought that a powerful statement from the ultimately logical mind. When Spock "died" it was as something good and pure in the universe died with him. It would be a long time, years in fact, before I saw the elegance in Spock's death. See further commentary on the sequel (The Search for Spock) in Pat's Pics.

Gandhi - after Casablanca, this is my second all time favorite movie. I watch it at least once a year. So what? It is an obvious entry on a list like this one. The movie stars Ben Kingsley in the title role, and everyone else in it is irrelevant. I was a corporate trainer and taught management and communication skills. I used Gandhi as an example of powerful leadership. He had no wealth, no office, and no organization yet was primarily responsible for "convincing" the British to give up their occupation and colonization of India following World War II. Gandhi accomplished this by truly exercizing leadership which in my view is serving the needs of those whom one would lead. The Indian people needed their freedom from Great Britain. Gandhi was single-minded in obtaining Indian independence through the use of non-violence. He never waivered from his goal or the means of accomplishing it. His life is an excellent example of intention and attention. Think about it.

Circle of Iron - this is admittedly a kung fu flick but with a difference, thematically and ironically. The irony is that David Carradine of TV Kung Fu claim stars in the movie created by Bruce Lee who was to star in it but mysteriously died before it could be filmed so Carradine got the role. The irony is that, earlier, Bruce Lee created and was to star in the TV series Kung Fu but got replaced by David Carradine, thus their paths crossed twice. Thematically, Circle of Iron is an allegory about the search for the meaning of life with a few butt kicking kung fu scenes mixed with introspective periods. It has a surprise ending, or not, depending on your own search for the meaning of life.

Shipping News - Kevin Spacey and Julianne Moore (along with an exceptional supporting cast) star in this thought provoking and slyly entertaining story of a man (Spacey) beaten down by life at every turn. He leaves the USA to return to his ancestral home in Newfoundland where he finds himself and personal redemption in unusual ways. This film opened in 2001 to positive reviews but unimpressive box office returns. It is well worth the price of a rental.

City Slickers may seem a strange inclusion in a list of spiritually oriented movies. It is not. Released in 1991, the film stars Billy Crystal and Jack Palance (who won an Oscar for best supporting actor). City Slickers is a comedy; however, underlying its humor is a story of courage and redemption for three men whose lives are not whole. Their two week adventure learning to be modern cowboys driving a herd of cattle from New Mexico to Colorado is about their individual epiphanies. Overshadowing their adventure is the Palance character, Curly, a hard bitten, dying breed cowboy of the old school. Curly tells Crystal that there is only “one thing” in life that is important; when pressed by Crystal as to what that is, Palance replies that it is different for everyone. The remainder of the movie is about the three city slickers discovering each of their “one things.”

Mists of Avalon – this 2001 film, originally a cable mini-series and now on DVD, retells the Arthurian legend from the perspective of the women who were prominent in his life. Arthur’s aunt, Viviane (Anjelica Houston) plots to have the old religion of the Goddess, headquartered on the mythical island of Avalon, hold sway over Christianity. There is much intrigue and action in the story, and it is entertaining. Yet, there is a great deal of dialogue that acknowledges a basic spirituality that comes across subtly yet powerfully in the telling. The soundtrack is also very beautiful and inspiring.

Joe Somebody - OK, this is a predictable, formula movie. After the first twenty minutes, there is no doubt about the outcome; perhaps how the end will come about is a matter of conjecture, but I knew that the hero would triumph and get the girl. Classic Hollywood romantic comedy with Tim Allen, Jim Belushi, and Greg Germann (of Ali McBeal fame) provide the comedy with a couple of forgettable actresses providing the romantic and PG cheesecake opportunities. But… there is more; hence, the inclusion of the movie on this page. I had never heard of this movie until I saw it positioned at a good time on an HBO channel and decided to watch it. Tim Allen is the protagonist named Joe. He is a nebbish who is propelled unexpectedly into fame at a pharmaceutical company. It seems that Joe’s time has come, and he exploits his notoriety and gains the recognition of his co-workers that seemed impossible. The crux of the movie revolves around how Joe learns what real self-esteem is about as he heals a huge emotional wound, and, in his words, learns, “I am not afraid to not fight.” With this one line delivered almost as a throwaway, Joe puts his finger on the key to all emotional healing. There is no need to fight. Check it out.

Whale Rider - this film gets ***** from me. It is a budget labor of love made in New Zealand with actors that I know nothing about. The story is set in a contemporary Maori community with the grandfather/patriarch/chief opposing his granddaughter's calling to learn the old ways of honoring and communicating with the ancient ones, whales. The young girl has a spiritual connection with the whales and a painful and poignant experience finally makes this obvious to her grandfather. This movie illustrates the wonder of the triumph of the human spirit. It takes a crisis for this to happen (doesn't it always in the movies and life?); once more I wonder why we cannot love and accept each other day-to-day without crises?

The Life of David Gayle stars Kevin Spacey and was released in 2003 to a so-so box office. It is a murder mystery set against the backdrop of an anti-death penalty movement. Kevin Spacey remains one of my favorite actors, and he certainly delivers in this film in a role that is multi-layered and shifts throughout the story such that the viewer continues to question himself as well as Spacey’s character. The reason for the inclusion of this movie in Viewings lies in the last five minutes of the film. It is an ending reminiscent of Femme Fatale (see Pat’s Pics for comments) that pulls the story together and provides a final twist that was not anticipated (by me anyway).

To be continued...