Ordinary Magic

This morning I was flipping through the channels on television and came across this film which had started only about 15 minutes before.

I was immediately interested in watching the film and put aside my plans to go out until the film had finished. I was completely riveted to the screen by handsome young Ryan Reynolds and his extraordinary performance as Jeffrey. Mr. Reynolds Indian accent seemed very realistic to me, and I was very impressed with his dedication to the role, even going so far as to learn some of the Yoga the role required him to do.

In some sense the storyline was familiar (David versus Goliath), but it is a wonderful film with good performances by all including Glenn Headley as Jeffrey's aunt and an over the top performance by singer Paul Anka as the manipulative land developer who will not take no for an answer when Jeffrey's aunt refuses to sell her house.

Eventually Jeffrey teaches the townspeople and his aunt some lessons in acceptance and in standing up and fighting for what you believe in. This film will give you hope about the good in people and will leave you feeling very nice at the end.

It was interesting to see Ryan Reynolds in his first movie role. The film won a Genie Award, Canada's version of the Oscars, for Best Adapted Screenplay. I have to say it is a very typical Canadian movie set in Paris, Ontario.

OM is an ancient Hindu mantra, or sacred chant, that originated in Eastern cultures, and is used all over the world in spiritual practices such as yoga. OM is also an acronym for "Ordinary Magic", a low budget, indie film about a teenage boy (Ryan Reynolds) who, after having lived in India all his life and having learned spiritual ideas taught in India, moves to Canada to live with his aunt (Glenne Headly). The boy thus transports his knowledge and practice of Eastern religion to a totally different culture. In the story, both he and the people with whom he interacts must deal with ideas and ways of living that seem strange.

Part of the film's plot involves a greedy developer (Paul Anka) who tries to force the boy's aunt to leave her ancestral home, to make room for condos. The resulting conflict presents an opportunity for the boy to apply the spiritual principle of "satyagraha", as a way to resolve the conflict. The film's message here is rather simplistic, but archetypal. It's a clash between East and West, of materialism and religion, of David and Goliath.

"Ordinary Magic" is an unusual film. Some Westerners will be put off by its none too subtle message. Others will find the message refreshing. Because of its low key style and contemplative screenplay, I personally found OM to be a welcome change from the usual, mindless junk churned out by the Hollywood peddlers of violence and gore.

This movie has the formula that many afternoons' specials use, where the displaced kid knows more than those around him.

Ganesh is a young Ryan Reynolds.

Glenne Headly plays charlotte It is the interaction between the two characters that makes the focus of the movie.

The title is the redeeming factor. The movie presses upon you the lessons of magic. That it is real and works in ways not planned. At any moment, they could have lost their house. Due to process and time, people had time to reflect on what they were doing. Therefore, magic does not have to be supernatural. Especially ordinary magic. Similar to miracles, it is not a supernatural process that is a miracle; it is that the process happens when you need it.

This is a film from Canada that proves our neighbors to the north can be just as preachy as our very own Hollywood. Basically, Jeffrey is an annoying little snot, raised in India and sent to Canada after the death of his father. Jeffrey moves in with his aunt, who is presented as a free spirit but basically comes across as a flake. Evil developers want the aunt's house so Jeffrey leads a nonviolent protest and basically brings enlightenment to the world. Or at least Canada. Jeffrey is played by Ryan Reynolds, an actor who projects such an air of sainthood that most viewers will probably want to beat the living Hell out of him.