Peaceful Warrior

Name: Peaceful Warrior
Genre: Drama, Sport, Romance
Released: June 2, 2006
Duration: 120 min
Rating: 40
Cast: Amy Smart, Nick Nolte, Scott Mechlowicz

2006

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 23 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 63 Ratings

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7.6

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7.6	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 63 Ratings

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Peaceful Warrior

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Movie Details & Credits

DEJ Productions | Release Date: June 2, 2006 | PG-13

Starring: Amy Smart, Nick Nolte, Scott Mechlowicz

Summary: Dan Millman (Mechlowicz) is a talented college gymnast with Olympic dreams. He has it all: trophies, teammates, fast motorcycles, fast girls and wild parties. Then Dan's world is turned upside down when he meets a mysterious stranger he calls Socrates (Nolte), who holds the power to tap into new worlds of strength and understanding. AfterDan Millman (Mechlowicz) is a talented college gymnast with Olympic dreams. He has it all: trophies, teammates, fast motorcycles, fast girls and wild parties. Then Dan's world is turned upside down when he meets a mysterious stranger he calls Socrates (Nolte), who holds the power to tap into new worlds of strength and understanding. After a serious injury, with the help of Socrates and an elusive young woman named Joy (Smart), Dan discovers that he has much to learn and even more to leave behind before he can become a peaceful warrior and find his destiny. This moving tale about the power of the human spirit is based on Dan Millman's best-selling autobiographical novel, Way of the Peaceful Warrior. (Lionsgate)… Expand

Director: Victor Salva

Genre(s): Drama, Sport, Romance

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 120 min

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Critic Reviews

Sheri Linden

Strong performances by Scott Mechlowicz as Millman and Nick Nolte as the mysterious mechanic who changes his life ground the film in effective drama. Read full review

Roger Ebert

Sometimes in an imperfect movie there is consolation simply in regarding the actors. Read full review

William Arnold

Cult-favorite director Victor Salva ("Jeepers Creepers" I & II) is a competent visual storyteller and the film believes in itself so strongly (and with such a straight face) that it's hard not to halfway enjoy it. Read full review

Scott Tobias

The "What The Bleep Do We Know?" crowd may well receive the film's wisdom like communion, but the rest of us are free to gag when Salva tries to jam it down our throats. Read full review

Nathan Lee

For all its manifest corniness, this is an achingly sincere and supremely unembarrassed effort to transform an audience for the good. Its heart is very much in the right place - a place that movies all but ignore - but its mind is a mush. Read full review

Ty Burr

The film's biggest miracle is the straight face Nick Nolte maintains in his role as Socrates. Read full review

Connie Ogle

One of those blessedly rare films based on a self-help book, is remarkable in one sense: It prevents "The Lake House" and its magical mailbox from being the most ridiculous concept on screen this summer. Read full review

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User Reviews

BrianY.

Feb 16, 2008

I think sometimes we are bored because many people go to get away from thinking at the movies.

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Irishcream

Oct 21, 2015

Every time I had fallen short of my expectations watching the screen versions of the books. A director's vision had failed to convey to the audience a transforming inner experience. I was sorrowfully disappointed with direction of J.Ostin's "Pride and Prejudice", 2005 , C.Bronte's "JaneEvery time I had fallen short of my expectations watching the screen versions of the books. A director's vision had failed to convey to the audience a transforming inner experience. I was sorrowfully disappointed with direction of J.Ostin's "Pride and Prejudice", 2005 , C.Bronte's "Jane Air", 2011 , F.S. Fizgerald 's "The Great Gatsby", 2013 and lots of others.

"The way of the peaceful warrior" screened on the ground of D.Millman's book is a pleasant exception from this list. It is one of the most inspiring masterpieces of modern movie-industry. I can confidently assert that this is the rare case when a film widely reflects a book.

Way of the Peaceful Warrior is a true story, based on the Dan Millman's autobiographical book. The book shares Dan's journey through university as a world-champion gymnast who has a passion to succeed and make it to the Olympics. On the surface, Dan has it all – he's good looking, popular, gets great grades, has women chasing him, his dad has plenty of money, great physical shape… yet, there's something missing. It isn't until one night Dan wakes up in the middle of the night and decides to take a walk to a nearby gas station that he encounters an old man that he calls Socrates, who begins mentoring him and exposes how deeply unhappy Dan is. The story essentially chronicles Dan's story through life to evolve himself into a Peaceful Warrior, with all the powerful lessons that he's learning from Socrates.

The movie is dripped with the inspiring scenes and deep quotations that everyone can relate to in some way. The biggest thing that hooked me was "Life brought rewards, but no lasting peace or satisfaction." Dan, like many of us, have been conditioned to believe that "When I achieve X-Y-Z, then I will be happy." And while most of us intellectually know that's not true, we still pursue goals believing it will give us that fulfillment. The lesson here is simple: nothing in your outer world will ever make you happy or fulfilled. Happiness can only come from the inside. When you truly come to this realization and stop deluding yourself, you can gain that sense of peace and satisfaction within.

I highly recommend to watch this movie. Everybody will find and learn a suitable lesson and reconsider some views on life.… Expand

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Suari

Oct 26, 2016

This is meant for those who want to understand the real teaching of Buddhism that can fundamentally change your view of world as it happens to the main character. You can only benefit from watching it.

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MichaelT.

Aug 27, 2006

It was a little long but very enjoyable. I laughed and later shed a tear. Scott Mechlowicz was awesome as Dan Millman. Nick Nolte is always good. The movie didn't change my life; but it did brighten my day.

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ElizabethF.

Jul 29, 2006

Do not listen to the critics. You are looking for more purpose in your life than what you have at the present then this movie is for you. This movie had a great spiritual message that can change you forever.

0 of 0 users found this helpful

TommyS.

Mar 31, 2007

Good move, but dragged a bit.

0 of 0 users found this helpful

Statikdog

Jul 14, 2007

Are you guys on crack?!......This is truly a steaming turd. Like an afterschool special only a little goofier.

0 of 0 users found this helpful

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