Attitude and Longitude

Movie: Gridiron Gang - Inspired men making a difference in the world

Gridiron Gang. I got around to watching it on DVD this week even though it was released in theaters in 2006. The whole time, I kept thinking... Lean On Me meets football. Sean Porter is a real guy who decided to try something different. He shook up the juvenile detention system in Los Angeles, which according to the movie had a 75% failure rate, and, if the movie has any ounce of accuracy, he and his colleagues at the Camp Kilpatrick detention center have given some young men a different view of themselves and others, inspiring them to live up to their potential. Now, I call that making a difference in the world.

I’m a sucker for these kinds of movies.  Inspirational movies, and especially inspirational sports movies.  My husband calls it "hoak, but good hoak".  Sure, the plot is predicatable and the dialogue contains cliches.  But who cares?  It makes you feel good, and I like art that makes you feel reaffirmed.  What makes inspirational movies like this work is that, like good literature... and film has the elements of literature, as one teacher demonstrated in my Film as Literature class back in high school... it features character transformation. When a character starts out one way and through his experiences is transformed, that is the foundation of successful literature and film. Whether good or bad in the end, the character is transformed. Just about every character in Gridiron Gang is transformed in some way or another.

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson as Sean Porter, Xzibit in the supporting role as Malcolm Moore, and the kids in this movie do an especially fine job with the acting and the story. I didn’t think I’d ever say that about The Rock, but his skills have definitely matured. But then, I remember when John Travolta played Vinnie Barbarino on Welcome Back, Kotter, and who would’ve thought he’d turn out to be the strong actor he’s become?

By the way, this is not a movie for young children. It’s rated PG-13 for good reason. However, in my opinion, the violence and language is not gratuitous. As a matter of fact, this could have easily become a rated R movie considering the subject matter. Bravo to the filmmakers for weaving the story so that young teens could see it and get the message.

I was pleasantly surprised by this movie. I must admit – I didn’t expect it to be this delightful. It very much appealed to my internal, eternal optimist. The best part... it’s based on a true story.

The Way Of The Peaceful Warrior - Book & Movie

About four years ago, I bought a bargain-priced copy of Dan Millman’s The Way of the Peaceful Warrior. When I was in college in the 1980’s, I worked part-time at a bookstore in the mall. I remember this book being a pretty good seller back then, so I casually picked it up thinking I’d get around to reading it soon. However, I stuck it in my bookcase and then forgot about it. On a whim, I plucked it off the shelf early last year and finally read it... to my delight.

Well, you could say there’s no such thing as doing something on a whim just as you could say there’s no such thing as coincidence. The messages in this book are so pertinent to my personal growth and where I am right now, I know it was with purpose that my hand was guided to pick it up at last. You know the adage, when the student is ready the teacher will come. That’s how it is with books and me. Anyway, I highly recommend The Way of the Peaceful Warrior and now see why it was so popular when it came out. The good news is that the author’s experiences and messages are timeless and universal.

I like that the book is a refreshingly easy read. Guess I’ve been into some intense shake-you-up, wake-you-up material lately. It’s nice to have a break from the heavy stuff. Even though The Way of the Peaceful Warrior contains wake-you-up messages, it’s a book you can enjoy on different levels. I especially like the humbling-the-ego-to-get-in-touch-with-your-true-power aspect.

Something I can’t help noticing is that Millman’s approach is very much like Richard Bach’s autobiographical style. Check out Illusions. To this day, Illusions is still one of my all time favorite books. There’s another interesting similarity to Illusions. Both feature a character along the lines of Yoda or Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars, Mr. Miyagi in Karate Kid, Professor Dumbledore in the Harry Potter series, etc. You know what I mean – reluctant hero meets teacher with special powers and/or knowledge. In this case, Socrates is Millman’s Jedi Master so to speak. I tell you, it’s the kind of hero’s journey plotline that Joseph Campbell would relish pointing out to us.

As soon as I finished reading the book, I heard that a film version was being released. It turned out to be a limited theater release, so only one place in town showed it on the big screen. Not able to work it into my schedule to go across town to see it during its fairly short run, I decided to wait for the DVD. I have to admit it, I had low expectations. I mean, these events were supposed to have happened on and near the campus of UC Berkeley back in the 60’s, told retrospectively in book form in the 80’s, and now made into a 2006 movie with – of all the actors who could play Socrates – Nick Nolte. And, add in that it didn’t get much notice when released.

Got it and watched it anyway. Still think the book is better, but the movie is a pleasant surprise. As in most book-to-movie translations, something is lost. Details and certain character development parts intrinsic to the full gist of the story are left out. In spite of that, the movie stands up well on its own. I actually really enjoyed every minute of it... every minute of what they chose to capture out of the book that is. While I’m not a huge Nick Nolte fan and though he’s not as I imagined Socrates, he pulls it off pretty well. The actor who plays Millman, Scott Mechlowicz, does a fine job. He believably expresses a wide range of emotions without overdoing it. He successfully portrays the transformation of his character.

Dan Millman said in an interview with amazon.com, "Although the movie covers only the first two-thirds of the book -- leaving out the most important part of the story -- it still manages to capture the spirit of the book, and to offer wisdom that can impact the lives of those who view it." I would agree with that observation.

There’s one more thing I want to say about the movie, and then I’ll stop because I don’t want to give too much away. Normally, so many slow motion scenes in a film would turn me off, but in this one it works. Slow motion in sports-themed movies is a device usually used in order to help build momentum to the audience’s expectations during an impending victorious moment. Since Peaceful Warrior is not a typical sports-theme movie, the slow motion moments are more artfully applied. I was able to stay with those parts without being jolted out of the movie. To me, it’s true craftsmanship when your attention and sense of time remains suspended throughout a film. Slow motion can be cleverly worked in to achieve that very effect. Overuse of such special effects and you can find yourself thinking, "Oh, that’s right, this is just a movie."

The filmmakers could have been tempted to make this a sappy piece of crap, but they stayed true to the messages and created a little gem. Read the book. Watch the movie. The book gives you so much more, but the movie is a really nice complement. You’ll enjoy both as a breath of fresh air... and maybe get into some other levels of personal meaning as well.

The Pursuit of Happyness; It Takes More Than Smarts To Do Great Things

At one point in the film, The Pursuit of Happyness, Christopher Gardner, the main character, recalls that when he was a child in school and would make an A on a test, he would get a feeling that he could great things one day. Then he expresses his despair during the narration by adding that as an adult he had not done any of the things he had once imagined.

The thing is, he was meant to do great things… just not the things he thought he’d do. He could either dwell on those missed aspirations or he could rejoice in being the good man he had become and on those things he was obviously destined to do, which were just as important – maybe even more important – than what he had once dreamed.

The thing is, he had turned out to be a dedicated, involved father as well as an honorable man with integrity and a determined attitude. Those attributes and his actions helped make him into a man more incredibly noble than anything else he could have ever dreamed for himself when he was a mere child. And, as the real story goes, his hard work and attitude (as well as some pretty industrious guardian angels!) moved his financial status from impoverishment in 1981 to being worth millions of dollars by 2006.

In the movie, Chris Gardner is obviously a hard worker, smart, and outwardly affable, but those are obviously not the only ingredients for his success and happiness. Clearly, it has also taken faith, determined purpose, and an unshakeable belief in his vision. During a crucial scene when he realizes the power of his influence on his young son and how he can easily hand down his disillusionment, he says to him, "Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do something. Not even me."

The thing is, this is the part of his life that he could call "Doing Greater Things Than I Ever Imagined I Could".

Inspiring Movie - Akeelah and The Bee

     I saw an inspiring movie tonight called Akeelah and The Bee.  The story has a few layers to it and some subplots, but it’s basically about an eleven year-old girl from south Los Angeles who has a passion and a gift for words and spelling.  By the way, she also rocks at Scrabble.  This is such a well-crafted little film that, in spite of the sweetness factor, you can’t help but cheer Akeelah on as you watch her find her footing in her world.  Even if her world is dramatically different from yours, you recognize what she goes through.  It’s the same thing you had to go through at her age… and actually might still be dealing with on some level as a grown up, too. 

     This is the kind of feel-good movie that I love to watch with my daughter because I really want her to know that she can succeed in spite of the odds and that she can be inspiring by her example… just as Akeelah is.  We both also enjoyed the geeky element, too.  Mind you, my daughter is an avid reader and has recently beaten me twice at Scrabble.  I was in college before I was able to beat my father at the game, and my kid’s only thirteen!  However, this flick has so much more going for it than just being about kids in a geeky competition.  What Akeelah learns about herself and how she inspires others is what makes this such a special story.

     Okay, I can’t resist.  Here’s some necessary trivia.  There is a quote in the movie – Akeelah’s coach has it framed and hanging on the wall.  In the movie, you’re never told who it’s attributed to, but once you read the whole quote, you realize that these concepts actually form the core theme of the movie. 

     Well, I did some internet searching and found the quote.  It’s often attributed to Nelson Mandela and is supposedly from his 1994 inauguration speech, but I followed some links and found his 1994 inauguration speech posted on the South African Government Information site,  and he did not say these words in that particular speech. (Link to South African Government Information Site)  Though I haven’t personally sourced it by reading her book, the site that directed me to Mandela’s speech credited Marianne Williamson instead.  It’s apparently an excerpt from A Return To Love: Reflections on the Principles of A Course in Miracles.

     I’ll leave you with it and encourage you to check out this inspiring little movie.        

     “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, ‘Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?’ Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."