Gratitude Revealed

A thought-provoking piece, Gratitude Revealed shows promise in its concept and features gorgeous footage, but falters to keep viewers engaged in the film past the midway mark.

Composed of stunning nature footage and high-profile interviews, Gratitude Revealed shows us how to live a more meaningful life full of thankfulness through filmmaker Louie Schwartzberg's conversations with everyday people and eminent personalities. Featured are chats with figures like Norman Lear, Deepak Chopra, Jack Kornfield and more. The film makes the point that we need a pathway back from the disconnection we feel in our lives, within ourselves, and with others.

The thought behind this film is remarkable. However, the substance of the film is revealed painfully slowly, and some of the insights are rather obvious. It is unfortunate that the film lacks momentum and vibrancy beyond cinematography, as this makes it a difficult watch for young viewers accustomed to a faster pace of cinema. If it was the intent of the filmmaker to slow down viewers caught in the rat race of life, he certainly achieved it... almost too well. The camera work and editing in Gratitude Revealed are the highest points of the film, along with the cachet of the big names Schwartzberg speaks with. I especially love the way the interviews are framed. I feel that some of the interviews are way too long and tedious. It sometimes feels as if the nature shots are being used to compensate for the repetition of certain points. This leads to Gratitude Revealed feeling less like a documentary and more like an experimental film.

Gratitude Revealed promotes finding joy in the small things in life and just "being." It's a beautiful message that is perfect for the Thanksgiving season.

I give Gratitude Revealed 3.5 stars out of 5 and recommend it for ages 12 to 18, plus adults. By Eshaan M., KIDS FIRST!

As much as I appreciate most of the folks that appear in this film, I experienced it as a bloated single-note new age Hallmark card, with about 10 minutes of content stretched beyond an hour. I have trouble trusting presentations that invest so much in making sure I feel a certain way and I have no interest in being indoctrinated into a system that only allows for such a narrow scope of feeling, all with the promise of "happiness" if I just follow the instructions correctly. This all looks like another version of repressive religion to me.

I came to hear Rupert Sheldrake speak in particular, and he was allowed about five sentences in one minute. I think Deepak got about two minutes. Michael Beckwith gave us some rich thoughts to consider in his twp minutes. Jack Kornfield got quite a bit of airtime and managed to survive the editing and sound cohesive and show some range, coming off perhaps the best in the film. I enjoyed Norman Lear, and he seemed to get more time than he needed to make his points. There was some young guy almost yelling by the ocean in one scene, who appeared to really think he was nailing truths, but it felt ranty and forceful to me. Perhaps the most unfortunate part for me was the poem about love and growing old, that landed for me as instructions for love, or how to do it correctly.

Overall, I found the film emotionally manipulative, immature, and reeking of wishful thinking, as well as moving toward being shaming and dismissive of my wider human experience. Sure, many of the nature shots were beautiful, but only added to the Clockwork Orange element for me.

Note that this is JUST MY TAKE. I have NO investment in your experience and don't want to convince you of anything. If you enjoyed What the Bleep, you may enjoy this.

Louie Schwartzberg has created yet another fantastic documentary. As I expected, his cinematography is gloriously wonderful. That coupled to the diverse spectrum of insightful interviews made me grateful for every minute of this film. I was amazed by the cast and how much each person interviewed contributed to the understanding of the combination of individuation and universality that gratitude has.

I was fortunate enough to attend a screening that include a discussion of the movie by Louie Schwartzberg, Dr. Christine Carter, and Lynne Twist. The theater was full and universal applause erupted a number of times as the panel recalled specific events from within the film. At the end the standing ovation for Louie lasted for for a long time.

I can't say it enough... go see this film you will be grateful you did.

I truly loved this film. Cultivating Gratitude is so essential for our physical and mental health, and I applaud Louie Schwartzberg for shining a spotlight on it. Mr. Schwartzberg has the most incredible eye for capturing the wonders of nature, and he's proven he is equally adept at capturing humanity and how we connect to one another. After the film, my spirit truly felt nourished. I wish and hope more people will see it. Gratitude Revealed helps you notice all the the beautiful elements of life that are swirling around you, day in and day out. If you liked Louie Schwartzberg's TED talk, you will love this movie. If you haven't seen Louie's TED talk, you should check it out too!

At once humbling and empowering, this film made me proud of humanity. Beautifully filmed with engaging speakers and wonderful heartfelt portrayals of ourselves that served to reveal our potential to be so much more than we think we are.

I love cinema and story, but it's refreshing to watch a film that transcends story and engages me in a new way, We all, I think, want to be better and Gratitude Revealed not only shows us that we have that potential but gives us a roadmap how.

Fantastic film. Ought to be required watching for kids in school. BTW, children are interviewed in the movie and they're precious, as insightful as the adults.