I am always looking for good movies, so when Jack and Marilyn Mart suggested I see the Peaceful Warrior I could not resist.

At first I thought it was going to be another feel-good sports movie but it turned out to be more.

A moving tale about the power of the human spirit, Peaceful Warrior is based on Dan Millman’s perennially best-selling autobiographical novel, Way of the Peaceful Warrior.  In the film, Scott Mechlowicz plays Dan, a talented-yet-arrogant college gymnast with Olympic dreams and a golden future.  The athlete thinks he has it all: bookcases of trophies, endless friends, fast rides and disposable relationships.  But all that is about to change. 
 
One day, Dan’s world is turned upside down after a chance meeting with a mysterious stranger he comes to know as Socrates (Nick Nolte)—a man who holds the power to tap into new worlds of strength and understanding.  After he suffers a debilitating injury, with the mystical help of Socrates and an elusive young woman named Joy (Amy Smart), Dan will grow to realize that strength of spirit is what leads a man to his true greatness.  (from the movie web site)

At times the movie felt very Zen.  As I thought about the "teachings" Socrates gave Dan they were also Christian without the language.  They never spoke of God or Christ or faith- but they spoke of living in the moment which Jesus would translate- The Kingdom of God is at hand.  They spoke of service to others.  They spoke of taking out the trash, or clearing your mind of useless stuff.  That is good psychology.

The movie stretches reality at a few points with scenes that border on the magical rather than mystical.  But all in all I would say it is a good movie.  There are some sexual scenes and some mild language.  The messages are good and wholesome and universal.