Ordinary Magic

I come very close to adoring this movie. Besides its thoughtful presentation of Hinduism in action, in the life of one young practitioner, it admirably portrays the sense of displacement the central character Jeffrey [Ganesh is his nickname] feels after his father dies and he realizes that, even though he has grown up in India and considers himself an Indian, he is viewed as a "foreigner" by most of the people in the village in which he has lived. He goes to Canada [to the U.S. in the book] to live with an aunt he has never known and to try to adapt to Western life. But, as it turns out, he is as much an eye-opener to his fellow students as the West is to him. Toward the end the film is a little too simplistic, in its presentation of Jeffrey's determination to put his Hindu beliefs up against a voracious development planner, but overall this is a feel-good movie with true heart and soul. The original novel, first called "Ganesh" and now published as "Ordinary Magic" as well, is a fine and worthy young adult book, intelligent enough for adults too.

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.

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.

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.

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