La forza del campione

I saw this movie at a screening,(ironically at UCLA) and I really liked it. The only part I didn't like about it was the odd editing they did to make UCLA look like Cal. Of course, I'm a Bruin, so maybe I could tell the differences more.

The movie itself was sad, but at the same time, inspiring. One of the best parts of this movie is the student-teacher relationship between Dan and Socrates, his mentor. This movie hits home because it almost portrays the classic American Dream and the many people who chase it. Dan Milliman, the main character, is living the good life: he's one of the best athletes on the team, popular with the girls, still gets excellent grades. In all, his life is perfect. Yet, in a strange way, he's not entirely satisfied with his life, and you can see that the way he is living isn't good for his well-being. When he meets his mentor, he goes through an entire mental cleansing that is portrayed with humor and poignancy.

In the end, the point of this movie is not whether he reaches his goal or not, but the process of going there, and thats what makes this movie worthwhile.

I've long been a fan of the book upon which this film is based -- Dan Millman's The Way of the Peaceful Warrior.

If you've read the book, you know its central lesson is learning how to live in the moment.

Filled with memorable aphorisms, the book is part novel, part autobiography, and part spiritual guidebook -- and I have to admit that I was nervous about how the book would translate to the big screen.

But I was lucky enough to catch an advance screening of the film. And for fans of the book like me -- and people who've never read it -- this film delivers.

Nick Nolte's performance as Socrates is one of the best he's ever given. Scott Mechlowicz does a great job showing us the transformation of Dan Millman. And the feeling one has when one walks out of the theater-- of wanting to seize every moment that life offers you-- is a feeling that we don't get often enough. That feeling is worth the price of admission alone.

Peaceful Warrior is that rare film that manages to be hugely inspirational without being cheesy. It's well worth seeing.

I read the book back in the mid '80s and at that time there was much I did not understand fully,I may have thought I did however as the last 20 years have bloomed in my life I know that my views were clouded by what I thought I knew rather than the experiences and revelations which come to a life consciously lived.

That is what this movie is all about,breaking free from all the misconceptions we have and living in the moment,a moment that is rich with all the things we think are missing and in actuality are present in every heartbeat,so close and in our face that most of us miss it.

Its what Socrates calls being asleep while walking around living our lives and missing the fullness of life which surrounds us completely.

I saw this movie then re-read the book and while I would recommend the book over the Movie,if you go into the theater with a mind willing to see something new about yourself,as opposed to being a critic,then it is possible to come away with a new prospective about your place in this world.

Of course letting go of what we call mind would be even better.

If anyone has ever read "The Art Of War" by Sun Tzu then you know what the Peaceful Warrior concept is all about. The greatest warrior of all is one who has resolved the battle within oneself.

That is what this Movie is showing us and in my view the human race would be far better if all did this work.

Very few movies actually leave you with something to consider about how we run our lives in the way this one does and if you are willing to be open to these lessons,then you will get far more than the price of admission.

This one is worth 10 stars,for what it shows us about ourselves.

I really liked this movie. Gives a good feeling after watching it. I'm going to see it again with a couple of friends. Nick Nolte is one of my favorite actors and he does a great job here. I read the book by Dan Millman and I found it to be very uplifting. The other actors were pretty good, and the story moves along really well. I went to the Peaceful Warrior website which was pretty cool too. I think everyone ought to go see the movie. It's important to watch movies like this if you've every had difficult times in your life and have struggled a lot. It gives you a different perspective on things. I think the screenplay was very well written also.

I've appreciated Dan Millman's work for many years, and I have looked forward to seeing how well this film would be done. I saw it last night at a preview screening, and I was very pleased, and very moved, by it. The message is profound and important. While at one level it might be dismissed as something "we already know", when we look around our society, it's obvious we don't. Last night the actors themselves in a live teleconference after the screening shared how -- unlike most of their work -- being involved in THIS film changed their own lives too.

There are many moments which are quite funny. There is much that is quite moving. If you are at all open to the real story in the film, you will not walk out of the theater thinking only of your next snack.

There is not a classic battle between good guys and bad guys here. Rather it gives us some tools and insight to deal with the conflicts within ourselves. I hope that many, many people get to see this film.