PLOT: A college gymnast meets a gas jockey who mentors the youth in Eastern philosophy. This saves the lad from a self-destructive path. Based on the true story of self-help author Dan Millman.
The first cringe occurs in the opening credits, when you learn Peaceful Warrior was "inspired by" a true story.
This usually means the filmmakers played fast and loose with the facts, which is not necessarily a bad thing, because metaphoric storytelling can often invoke the essence of a truth. But it also signals viewers to exercise caution.
This movie is the story of the spiritual quest that apparently saved a student gymnast named Dan Millman from committing suicide after an horrific accident.
Millman went on to become an "inspirational" self-help guru with his book, Peaceful Warrior, which led to this movie. I have not read the book, although I acknowledge it has a cult following. But, with all this inspiration going on, why is the movie so dismal?
Because it does not play as reality. The "true" story seems like a Hollywood fabrication because it's constructed out of the lies of genre formula established in a hundred other cliched sports movies.
Much of the dialogue is laughable, and even credible actors such as moody newcomer Scott Mechlowicz and wily veteran Nick Nolte cannot sell this stuff as believable.
Mechlowicz plays Millman, a star gymnast -- "the lord of the rings" -- shooting for the U.S. Olympics team.
The youth is callow, rash, impetuous, selfish, a poor teammate, a worse friend, but popular with the gals for one-night sexcapades because he is good looking and well built.
For someone as smart as Millman is supposed to be -- he keeps good grades in academics despite hours in the gym -- he acts stupid, much like many other college kids.
Then, during one of the many nights he can't sleep properly because happiness eludes him, he goes jogging. He passes a 24-hour Texaco gas station where a growly old man pumps gas and works as a mechanic. Nothing special, until he magically leaps to the roof of the station ... maybe.
Millman is intrigued. He discovers that the old man -- played by Nolte -- is versed in basic Eastern philosophy, a rudimentary Zen Warrior spiritualism. Millman wants in on the action and teasingly calls the stranger Socrates.
The movie chronicles their uneasy but productive relationship, a learning curve that may eventually save Millman from his worst nightmares.
The film shows those nightmares quite literally. The controversial director, Victor Salva (Powder, Jeepers Creepers), has a visual flourish that allows him to take risks, turning parts of Peaceful Warrior into the first Gothic horror sports movie. That is eye-catching.
But these passages always give way to more cliches as the story plods on laboriously to its obvious next step and its inevitable ending.
There may even be moments of truth scattered here and there. But little of it is truly inspirational.
BOTTOM LINE: Unless you are already part of the Dan Millman book cult, this movie could be difficult to endure because it indulges in so many sports movie cliches.
(This film is rated PG)
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