The boy finds a key in his father’s (played by Tom Hanks) closet and sets off an adventure to try to find out what that key literally and figuratively unlocks to see if his father was trying to leave him any final message.

One message that really struck me as I watched the movie was how important it is to be compassionate and forgiving of ourselves during tragedy. The 10-year old boy spends the whole movie questioning whether he could have done more for his father. This reminded me of how we, similar to the boy, often carry unnecessary guilt by questioning whether we could have done more to prevent or improve circumstances in our life that are out of our control. By the end of the movie, the boy has learned to be compassionate towards himself and let go of his guilt. This inspired me to let go of my need to question whether I should do more in certain situations in my life.

The other message that really impressed me was to be open to the goodness of humanity and kindness in others. The 10-year boy embarks on a dangerous journey walking across New York City on foot to meet with other people who might be able to tell him what the key unlocks. He puts his trust in the goodness of others that they might be able to help him. In return, we witness the kindness, compassion and goodness that complete strangers are capable of extending. This reminded me of one of my favorite quotes by Dr. David Hawkins:

“Simple kindness to one’s self and all that lives is the most powerful transformational force of all. It produces no backlash, has no downside, and never leads to loss or despair. It increases one’s own true power without exacting any toll. But to reach maximum power such kindness can permit no exceptions, nor can it be practiced
with the expectation of some selfish reward. And its effect is as far reaching as it is subtle”

“Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close” shows us the incredible power that is available to us when we practice extending love to our self and others and also practice receiving other people’s love.

Frustrated by religious turmoil and fanaticism he posits the age-old question, “What is God?” to religious leaders, zealots, spiritual luminaries, humanitarians, fundamentalists, and ordinary people, along with celebrities including: Hugh Jackman, Seal, Ringo Starr, Sir Bob Geldof, David Copperfield, John F. Demartini; all who share their unique perspectives and understandings of God. Peter’s journey to question a diverse group of humanity takes him around the globe from the 9th ward of New Orleans to the Guatemalan Jungle; from the Himalayan region of Ladakh to the Australian Outback.

Controversial, hopeful and heartwarming, in Oh My God, Rodger questions why we often blindly believe and explains, “I was fed up with the ‘My God is greater than your God’ syndrome…I made this film because I believe we all have a responsibility to live our lives with tolerance and understanding of our fellow man…If only we could open our hearts for tolerance and peace which is what every religion preaches, then we might have a chance. If I can touch one heart with this film, then I have succeeded.”

I had the chance to interview Peter about his film. He told me about his filmmaking journey, including some difficulties he initially encountered that almost caused him to give up. Additionally, Peter shared with me some encounters that put his life in danger while he was making the film, including an interview with extremist Muslims in Kashmir. Peter said that what the film doesn’t show is that he had the protection of commandos armed with submachine guns behind him during his interview with militants.

You can listen to our entire interview by clicking the button below. If you would like to watch Oh My God, it is available for purchase on DVD on Amazon if you Click Here.

According to Big Miracle Movie’s website:

Inspired by the true story that captured the hearts of people across the world, the rescue adventure Big Miracle tells the amazing tale of a small town news reporter (John Krasinski) and an animal-loving volunteer (Drew Barrymore) who are joined by rival world superpowers to save a family of majestic gray whales trapped by rapidly forming ice in the Arctic Circle.

Local newsman Adam Carlson (Krasinski) can’t wait to escape the northern tip of Alaska for a bigger market. But just when the story of his career breaks, the world comes chasing it, too. With an oil tycoon, heads of state and hungry journalists descending upon the frigid outpost, the one who worries Adam the most is Rachel Kramer (Barrymore). Not only is she an outspoken environmentalist, she’s also his ex-girlfriend.

With time running out, Rachel and Adam must rally an unlikely coalition of Inuit natives, oil companies and Russian and American military to set aside their differences and free the whales. As the world’s attention turns to the top of the globe, saving these endangered animals becomes a shared cause for nations entrenched against one another and leads to a momentary thaw in the Cold War.

Big Miracle opens in theaters on February 3

The Soloist is a movie about a Los Angeles journalist, Steve Lopez, (Robert Downey Jr.) who befriends a schizophrenic, homeless Julliard-trained musician, Nathaniel Ayers (Jamie Foxx).

This movie raises questions about mental illness, social injustices and homelessness. However, the message that most resonated with me was about friendship and acceptance. Nathaniel is a lonely, homeless schizophrenic man who still deeply values his personal dignity and sense of Self. Steve is conflicted throughout the movie about whether or not he should try to treat or ‘fix’ Nathaniel’s schizophrenic condition; or if he should accept Nathaniel for who he is and just try to be his friend. This is a constant battle and tension that leaves the viewer wondering how or if this conflict will be resolved.

There are no easy answers. On one hand, Steve is trying to offer treatment and opportunities that could change Nathaniel’s circumstances and condition for the better. However, the more he pushes Nathaniel to try to improve his life, the more their friendship suffers and the more Nathaniel regresses. Steve struggles with how to balance his desire to be a good friend while still wanting to help Nathaniel change his life.

The resolution of the movie, without spoiling the plot, helped me realize that true friendship means to love and accept others for who they are and also for who they are not. This perspective can open our hearts to allow ourself the freedom to be who we are and who we are not. This process is a way of honoring our most Sacred Self with unconditional appreciation, trust and love.

You can purchase The Soloist on Amazon by Clicking Here

- How to Build It So They Will Come
- Beyond Social Networking
- The Magic of Cosmic Marketing

She also answered specific questions ranging from:

1. How to make it in the entertainment industry if you know NO ONE
2. How to get your project made and distributed if you have NO money
3. Viral marketing strategies

You can listen to the MP3 of the audio recording of this call by clicking the play button below, or use the MP3 Download link to download to your computer:

Viki King MP3 Download

P.S…I’ve ‘uncopyrighted’ this MP3…So, you can make copies of it and pass it on to friends who might benefit from this information too! =)

I Am is a documentary Tom made to find out what’s right with the world and how even the smallest changes can make a difference.

Now, Tom wants to hear from you. Have a question for Tom about making the world a better place? Tom is answering your questions on Oprah’s web site if you click here. No question is too big or too small.

This raises some very spiritual questions. For example, Where does the capacity to appreciate music come from? Where does beauty originate? Additionally, many great musicians, similar to the prodigy in the movie, say that they are not the ones who create their lyrics and musical compositions because the music just “comes to them”. Where is the music coming from? Who or what is creating the music?

The “music” may also be symbolic for any source of inspiration in our life such as the capacity to experience love, follow a dream, or create beauty. This movie reminds us that the “music” is always playing. All we need to do is listen.

You can purchase August Rush on Amazon by Clicking Here.

I am proud to be a voting member of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences that nominates and then votes each year for the Oscars^®. However, I do have a conceptual issue with the notion of “Best” film, actor, etc. Art is way too subjective to be making objective distinctions, so I feel much more comfortable using the phrase “favorite film.”

When considering my favorite films for the year, I ask myself: Do I feel better about being human after having seen the movie? This personal qualifier is certainly not a part of the Academy voting rules, but it is an essential one for me.

Here are my 2011 favorites:

1.The Tree of Life Terrence Malick’s mind-blowingly original The Tree of Lifeis so majestically and subjectively emotional that seeing it feels more like a deeply personal and spiritual experience than the viewing of a film. One gets the sense that each of us in the theater embarks on our own internal journey during the film.The plot of the film? Life, death, spirituality, nature, evolution, God, parenthood, childhood and everything in between. Truly, the film has no historical antecedent in its imagery or storytelling and thus simply defies traditional description.Brad Pitt’s performance in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button firmly established him as a brilliant actor. Now, in The Tree of Life, Mr. Pitt has elevated his craft to a new league of brilliance as he gives one of the most nuanced, evocative and haunting portrayals of a father in recent memory. Because of its dazzling originality, deep spirituality and sheer artistry, I would not be at all surprised to see The Tree of Life take on Citizen Kane-like status in the decades to come.

2.The Descendants Writer/director Alexander Payne, who made one of my all-time favorite movies Sideways, hits another character-based home run here with The Descendants. George Clooney (who is absolutely pitch-perfect) plays a man whose wife is in a coma after having been critically injured. Utterly bewildered as he is called upon to care for his two daughters in a way he never imagined, he finds out that his wife had been cheating on him. How he and his daughters deal with those wildly conflicting emotions is the heart and soul of the film.Set in Hawaii, the film is a beautiful and ultimately a triumphant family drama that is filled with love, compassion and hope, illustrating how “life is what happens while we’re making other plans.”

3. Hugo Director Martin Scorsese’s Hugo is a magnificent and loving tribute to The Old Hollywood and movies themselves. The story of the film surrounds an orphan boy in Paris who searches for a key that will unlock the mystery of a humanoid device that was left behind by his father. As the boy (played wonderfully by young Asa Butterfield) searches for the right parts to bring the device to life, he encounters a bitter old man (Ben Kingsley) who at first becomes a nemesis and then transforms into a friend.

4. The Artist The Artist is a brilliant, innovative salute to The Old Hollywood. One of the bravest movies of the year, The Artist dares to be a black-and-white silent film. An actor (played with incredible flair and depth by Jean Dujardin) named George Valentin is a huge silent film star with a glamorous, movie star life when he befriends Peppy Miller (Berenice Bejo), a young woman working as an extra on one of his films. He helps launch her career just at the time talking movies are replacing silent films. The Artist is a delightful love story between a man and a woman, between the audience and the magic of movies themselves, and, oh yes, between a man and his dog. Can’t beat that!

5. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close Extremely Loud and Incredibly Closeis a heartfelt film about childhood loss, adventure and triumph. The movie focuses on the son of a man (played by Tom Hanks) who is killed in the twin towers on 9/11, a challenging subject matter for filmmakers. The film mostly takes place a year later as the ten-year-old boy searches for a key (literally and figuratively) that connects him to his father.Under the incredibly sensitive and human direction of Stephen Daldry (The Hours and Billy Elliot), child actor Thomas Horn is brilliant, compelling and relatable as we join him on his search for healing and understanding.

6. We Bought a Zoo We Bought a Zoo is to 2011 what The Blind Side was to 2009: a feel-good-about-being-human film. Writer/director Cameron Crowe (Jerry Maguire and Elizabethtown) makes movies with compassion and empathy for real human beings who take on life challenges that ultimately open their hearts.The always-wonderful Matt Damon plays Benjamin Mee, a widowed father of two young kids who buys a new home that includes a dilapidated animal park. Through the experience of putting the zoo back in working shape (aided by an understated and naturalistic Scarlett Johansson), Benjamin and his children transform their lives. As an audience, we leave uplifted and happy in the knowledge that we humans can be pretty wonderful creatures, too.

7. Win Win Win Win is a moving reminder of the crushing financial stresses and moral dilemmas those pressures present today. Paul Giamatti, one of my favorite actors, stars in the film and brings to it his trademark wit, intelligence and decency. His portrait of a man who compromises his own integrity is so real and compelling that it takes on the aura of a common moral and societal predicament in this age of economic upheaval. How far would we go, how much would we blur or even erase the line between our own integrity and our commitment to support our family? What happens when those lines intersect is the essence of Win Win.

8. Midnight in Paris Woody Allen’s whimsical Midnight in Paris is an inspiring film about a man who yearns to live a simpler life in a different time and, through time travel, manages to experience just that. Owen Wilson’s character in the film has become so disenchanted with his life that he literally can no longer live in his old persona. What a wonderful message to all of us. Be real. Be ourselves. Trust. Love. Listen to our hearts.

9. Everything Must Go Everything Must Gois a dramatic and deeply moving character study of a man (played by the brilliant Will Ferrell) who has literally thrown his entire life away because of his addiction to alcohol. Will Ferrell infuses his portrayal with a deep sense of humility, humanity and heartbreaking honesty. It is unfortunate that great comic actors are often completely ignored come Oscar time when they venture into drama, even when they give phenomenal performances.Incredibly life-affirming, Everything Must Go is an absorbing film that has much to say about how resilient we can be.

10. Dolphin Tale Dolphin Taleis an enchanting, inspirational film that is based on the true story of Winter, a dolphin that was washed ashore in Florida after becoming tangled in a fishing cage. Through the loving care of the Florida Marine Aquarium and two young children, Winter (who plays herself) learns to swim without her tail and later receives a prosthetic tail.Beautifully directed by veteran actor Charles Martin Smith, Dolphin Tale is much more than just heart warming and uplifting. Winter’s aquarium has become a haven for children from around the world who also have prosthetic devices. Winter gives us some great lessons here in life and love…

So, that’s my list for 2011. What’s on your list? Join the discussion on Facebook.

Here’s to a great 2012…both at the movies and in life!
Warm regards,

Spiritual Warriors takes a courageous look at all aspects of our Spirit by showing the internal and external struggles of a troubled actor, Finn (Jsu Garcia) trying to make it in Hollywood. Throughout the movie Finn meets with an elderly man, Roger (Robert Easton), who helps Finn learn how to awaken to the insights of his soul.

From a cinematography perspective, this is no easy task. But, the filmmakers boldly use stunning visuals and exquisite special effects to demonstrate such ideas as the transcendence of the soul, past lives, destiny, light versus darkness, and spiritual awakening. Using words to accurately describe these concepts is difficult enough. However, the movie successfully uses remarkable images to capture the essence behind these deeper realities. Additionally, since the film primarily takes place in Los Angeles, there is enough subtle humor and contemporary examples of everyday life to provide a fun, exciting and relatable context to examine some of life’s most important questions.

The cinematography provokes the viewer to ask their own questions as opposed to the dialogue simply giving answers. For example, the movie asks what role darkness and evil play in our own spiritual quest. What impact do our past lives have on our current relationships and circumstances? How much of our destiny is predetermined?

My favorite message from the movie is that when we begin to view life from the perspective of our soul, our life and eventually our destiny take on a much more fulfilling meaning. This is echoed in the beginning scene, when the following quote is flashed on the screen,

“Spiritual Warriors are people who confidently make choices about where to focus their internal attention, even when the external realities of their everyday lives are chaotic, troublesome or just plain annoying.”

You can purchase Spiritual Warriors on Amazon by Clicking Here.

I had a chance to interview the filmmaker and star of Spiritual Warriors about the challenging and rewarding aspects of making the film. You can listen to that interview by clicking the play button below.

According to the film’s web site “In the Fire of Grace: Dancing Rumi’s Journey of the Soul”, Banafsheh Sayyad interprets five stages of the soul’s archetypal journey to union with the Beloved in movement that marries as Rumi’s mystical vision does, the serene peace with the fierce gorgeous passion of the divine. She is accompanied by Andrew Harvey as the voice of Rumi, summoning her deeper into the flames of death and rebirth.

Born in Iran, Banafsheh’s electrifying and wholly original dance style fuses together Flamenco, Tai Chi, Gurdjieff Movements and the sensuous ecstasy of Persian Dance with the austere rigor of Dervish whirling.

“As an embodied mystic of the divine feminine, her presentations are not performances but transmissions which transform your vision of dance forever. Dancer and dance become one initiatory flame of grace.” – Andrew Harvey