The Shift
(Trailer and RSVP form below)
Review by Walter Perschke
This is a gem of a spiritual movie, an interesting blend and balance of interviewing Wayne Dyer and the illustrative lives of two families and various characters, including the film crew filming Dyer and being filmed themselves by the various characters in the movie. Quinn and Jason are a married couple with two young children. But Quinn feels lack in her life because she was a budding artist in college and has misplaced her ability to draw in the mix of marriage and young kids. Chad and Denise are another married couple, sans kids. Chad is at the top of the type A pyramid, an overachiever in all things except his marriage.
All achieve an “ah-ha” moment in a plot and script under the direction of Michael Goorjian that makes it all seem flawless and genuine. You are drawn into the characters and the plot and the individual stories blend well, but never overlap. The characters of the multiple sub-plots never meet. The character development is more subtle and understated than your usual Hollywood product. The actors act out their dramas rather than just blatantly speaking them, so that no one could possibly miss the point. Goorjian treats his audience as intelligent and sensitive to the message of the film, and I appreciate that subtlety and I believe you will as well.
As a teacher, I know that what we see has a much higher retention rate than what we just hear, so this film will have more lasting value to the viewer. This is also a movie that most people will want to see more than once precisely because the message isn’t hammered into us by repetition.
Filmed with the backdrop of stunning Asilomar, the family of characters provides a more interesting method to illustrate Dyer’s message than “talking heads.” Dyer discusses how to find your purpose, how to know when you have found it, ego, separation, the shift towards spirituality, and other topics which are then played out by the characters. His story of his personal miracle experience at Assisi is especially powerful.
The casting is interesting because everyone looks “normal, ”just like us, avoiding the Hollywood beautiful people cast (Portia De Rossi was deglammed), even though it was filmed in California. The theme music provides an appropriately understated balanced tone, as do the nature views for a proper introspective backdrop.
Wayne Dyer and Michael Goorjian should make more movies. A memorable experience that sets the tone for future efforts in this developing genre.
Run Time: 121 minutes
Rated PG
Where:
Temple Beth Shalom of Greater Harrisburg
Map and Directions
When:
Saturday, May 22nd, 2010
6:30pm to 9:00pm
Movie starts at 6:30pm
All achieve an “ah-ha” moment in a plot and script under the direction of Michael Goorjian that makes it all seem flawless and genuine. You are drawn into the characters and the plot and the individual stories blend well, but never overlap. The characters of the multiple sub-plots never meet. The character development is more subtle and understated than your usual Hollywood product. The actors act out their dramas rather than just blatantly speaking them, so that no one could possibly miss the point. Goorjian treats his audience as intelligent and sensitive to the message of the film, and I appreciate that subtlety and I believe you will as well.
As a teacher, I know that what we see has a much higher retention rate than what we just hear, so this film will have more lasting value to the viewer. This is also a movie that most people will want to see more than once precisely because the message isn’t hammered into us by repetition.
Filmed with the backdrop of stunning Asilomar, the family of characters provides a more interesting method to illustrate Dyer’s message than “talking heads.” Dyer discusses how to find your purpose, how to know when you have found it, ego, separation, the shift towards spirituality, and other topics which are then played out by the characters. His story of his personal miracle experience at Assisi is especially powerful.
The casting is interesting because everyone looks “normal, ”just like us, avoiding the Hollywood beautiful people cast (Portia De Rossi was deglammed), even though it was filmed in California. The theme music provides an appropriately understated balanced tone, as do the nature views for a proper introspective backdrop.
Wayne Dyer and Michael Goorjian should make more movies. A memorable experience that sets the tone for future efforts in this developing genre.
Run Time: 121 minutes
Rated PG
Where:
Temple Beth Shalom of Greater Harrisburg
Map and Directions
When:
Saturday, May 22nd, 2010
6:30pm to 9:00pm
Movie starts at 6:30pm
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