It was Saturday afternoon.
I was chillin’ on the couch at a friend’s place, watching a James Bond spoof flick. My phone rang, and I was delighted to see that I was receiving a call from a beloved old friend.
He asked if I wanted to go to Santa Fe with him to see a movie. I agreed before he even uttered the movie’s title — he’s that cool.
We were going to see a documentary, “I Am,” by Tom Shadyac, the man who directed “Ace Ventura” and “Liar Liar.”
The smashing success of these films netted him millions in a few short years. He lived large, as Hollywood stars do. He bought mansions, sports cars and priceless artifacts from all over the world. Probably a shit-ton of cocaine, too, though that wasn’t mentioned in the film.
Shadyac’s decadent lifestyle came to a sudden halt when he crashed his bike and nearly died.
His brush with death forced him to confront that the life he was living, while filled with material wealth, was empty. He was unhappy, and money and possessions couldn’t change that. He sold his mansion, moved into a modest mobile home in a trailer park, and began in earnest a quest to find meaning in his life.
Meanwhile, we arrived at the theater a few minutes late, and to my surprise, the room was absolutely packed. I hadn’t seen a theater so full since I went to see “Star Wars: Episode I” (um, maybe that’s a sign that I don’t go out to see Hollywood blockbusters often enough).
As I settled into my seat, I sensed that I was in for more than what the typical Hollywood flick has to offer: visual feats, bone-crunching sound effects and steamy lesbian love scenes. And I was absolutely correct.
The film began by questioning why we, as Americans, are so obsessed with the idea of stuff. We’re always drooling over sports cars, diamond rings, decadent feasts in romantically lit restaurants, etc.
This phenomenon, dubbed “conspicuous consumption” by economists, is a plague. Tom Shadyac referred to this obsession as a mental illness. An illness, he said, that he is still struggling to recover from.
Scientific studies have been done on the relationship between happiness and how much stuff you have. The studies found that having more stuff can’t make you happier if you use it to replace the fact that your life lacks the things that really matter: friendship, family, love, and finding purpose and meaning in your life.
Steve Alley, a phenomenal teacher in UNM’s psychology department, said in class one day, “Life is all about little-j — joy.” This resonated with me so much that I wrote it on a sticky note and stuck it to the wall above my desk.
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I need reminding of this simple fact on a daily basis. We all do. “I Am” recapitulated this sentiment in my mind.
After exploring our unhealthy preoccupation with “stuff,” the film beseeched its viewers to reach out to one another, to build communities, strengthen our relationships with one another and take the time to appreciate the common humanity that ties us together.
OK, I’ll say it: This sounds like a bunch of new-age hippie bullshit.
But it made me feel warm and fuzzy anyway. The powerful emotional impact of this part of the film was achieved through vivid imagery and well-placed testimony from religious and cultural leaders, including the Dalai Lama, Howard Zinn and Nelson Mandela.
Toward the end of the film, the screen suddenly went black, and a single word appeared: Love. And I’ll be darned; my whole body crawled with goose bumps for a split second, as I felt a rush of emotion at the thought of all the love I’m blessed to have in my life.
Sappy? Undeniably.
But I knew that having love in your life is what really matters. I can only hope that others can find the same kind of innate satisfaction that comes with intimate relationships (romantic or otherwise) with our fellow human beings. Bull’s-eye. The film had hit its mark.
As the house lights undimmed, I was again struck by the crowd of people around me. The feeling of community and compassion was tangible. I was gettin’ some hella-good vibes, man.
And then — the director himself stepped out onto the stage in front of the screen.
The room erupted into vigorous applause. Instantly, I sensed that this man embodied a mystical evangelical preacher, a motivational speaker, a person who has the gift to inspire others to change their lives for the better. Yes, he has appeared on “Oprah.”
The long hair, the comfy-in-his-own-bones posture, his informal and relaxed way of speaking, his palpable charisma — it was dynamite.
He gave off a total “hipster preacher” vibe (check out Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros for another phenomenal hipster preacher). He spoke with ease and confidence, maneuvering gracefully through a 20-minute Q&A session.
At the end of it, I was certain that this man would make a rockin’ cult leader. I was witnessing what I hoped was a grassroots movement in the making.
“I Am” is a moving, passionate, vivid, breathtaking film with a powerful message. You should definitely go see it. Bring your friends. Even though it’s totally, like, mainstream and stuff.
Guaranteed you’ll emerge from the theater arm in arm with your comrades, thankful to have them in your life.
Who knows? Maybe you’ll even embrace a complete stranger in a moment of sheer “little-j — joy.”
