The Peaceful Warrior
Starring: Scott Mechlowicz, Nick Nolte, Amy Smart. Tim DeKay, Ashton Holmes
Directed By: Victor Salva
Written By: Kevin Bernhardt
Based on the book by: Dan Millman
Rated PG-13
Lion�s Gate Films
If there�s one coming of age sports film that features a Zen master who is an auto mechanic, there may be too many. Regardless of a premise�s history, if it sounds like a cliché, it probably is. The fact that the mechanic in question (who is referred to throughout the film as "Socrates" ) is played by a charismatic Nick Nolte makes Peaceful Warrior feel like the best film in the whole coming-of-age-Zen-sports-drama genre, even though it�s probably the only one. As formulaic as the film feels, it still brings enough of its own inspiration to hold the attention of most audiences through its casual 90 minutes.
Scott Mechlowicz plays Dan Millman: a college gymnast who is the best there is at what he does and he knows it. Master of the gymnastic rings, he and his fellow college gymnasts apparently split their time evenly between training and drinking excessively at a bar where they are fawned over by attractive women with whom they later have casual sex. As rigorous as this schedule is, Millman may not have the kind of training necessary to realize his dream of being on the US Olympic men�s gymnastics team.
One night after yet another evening of casual, nearly anonymous sex, Millman drives out to a service station and runs into a stereotypical wise old man complete with white beard, cryptic demeanor and an auto mechanic�s jumpsuit. Presumably, Millman would not have thought twice about the encounter were it not for the fact that the mechanic had casually performed a standing jump to the top of the service station that defied the laws of physics and common sense. Captivated by the mechanic�s physical abilities, Millman resolves to learn everything he can from the man in hopes of getting that edge he needs in order to make the Olympic team.
What follows is pretty predictable for anyone with a passing interest in Zen Buddhism. While Peaceful Warrior doesn�t cover all of the basics, it covers select Zen lessons with remarkably clear simplicity. The film could serve as a valuable primer in Zen for junior high school kids who aren�t that familiar with the concept. The world being the way it is, society needs more people to focus on Eastern thought. For anyone already vaguely familiar with Zen basics, however, the film�s a bit of a bore.
Aside from occasional cameo-level appearances by the rest of the cast, (notably, Amy Smart plays an approachably mysterious love interest for Mellman), this film really focuses on the teacher-student relationship between the two main characters. Mechlowicz and Nolte put in pretty standard performances as cocky, brash student and wise old mentor, but where Mechlowicz does nothing to infuse his character with anything of interest beyond the stereotype, Nolte�s natural charisma makes all those tired old Zen master stereotypes interesting enough to carry the film. He casually tells Mellman to �take out the trash,� and though Mellman doesn�t understand, it�s pretty obvious to everyone in the audience what he means in context, but he still manages to make it sound simultaneously mundane and cryptic. Mechlowicz�s performance takes on an interesting feel as Mellmn�s mentor leads him blindly into the wilderness or instructs him to look for enlightenment atop a rusted-over dead car, but Nolte�s performance is the only thing really selling those moments as being authentic in an otherwise dull film. VS
Russ Bickerstaff is a local poet and writer. His poems can be heard regularly at Linneman's Monday Poetry Night.
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