A review of a new Spiritual Cinema offering, starring Kirk Douglas.
One of the great things about writing this column is that it provides a forum for getting the word out about films that might go unnoticed by the general public otherwise. "Illusion" is just such a film, and well worth renting or purchasing when it finally becomes publicly available on DVD in May.
The winner of a number of film festival awards, both for screen writing and best feature, "Illusion" presents a turning-point night in the life of famous film director Donald Baines (Kirk Douglas) as, during a visionary experience with his long-deceased editor Stan (Ron Marasco), he witnesses three significant events in the life of the illegitimate son, Christopher (Michael Goorjian), whom he rejected.
Near death from cancer, Baines is forced to face the decisions he has made in life and how his absence affected his son — and how his son's absence from his life has actually affected Baines too. Reviewers have likened it to a dark version of "It's a Wonderful Life" — that chance to see our life, and how it touched others, from the outside.
In my rush to preview the DVD before a conference call with Goorjian and Douglas (another big perk of this job), I did not realize that Goorjian, who beautifully plays Christopher at three very different ages and stages of life, is also the writer and director of this film — and is a name you should remember and watch for in the future.
Michael Goorjian may not be a household name yet, but if you watch much television, you've surely seen him. His credits include parts on "House," "Chicago Hope," "Touched by an Angel," "CSI," "Without a Trace," "Alias," "Monk" and even "Growing Pains" — not to mention his several seasons as a regular on "Party of Five." He even won an Emmy in 1994 as Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Special for his role as an autistic child in "David's Mother."
He also has had parts in over a dozen movies, working with some top names in the business, and says he loves acting. But now he focuses on more heartfelt projects, as he shared with me during a personal phone interview a few weeks ago.
"For me," Goorjian says, "what a film says means something to me. I don't like to do things just because they're a good part. It matters to me what the film is about."
Realizing that the only way he could really control the content of his projects was to create them himself, he attempted to do the whole Hollywood fund raising process to see his visions achieved. Discouraged, he returned to the Bay Area to try a different approach of building it on his own. It's been a struggle, but Goorjian has also met many people with the same mission as his — call it spiritual cinema, or something else — and made some great connections.
"Illusion" was filmed as early as 2001. Goorjian maxed out his credit cards (and those of friends and family) to create the segments involving Christopher's life. It then took a while to bring Kirk Douglas on board and film his portions. Then came the success at film festivals, a buyer was found, and then another few years passed while that buyer determined exactly what to do with it. "My life has been on hold for five years," he jokes. "It's been really rough. I've been in debt for a long time." He laughs that he's definitely "all-in" on this project.
Discussing what this genre of film signifies to him, Goorjian says that it is really simply stories that have meaning, beyond just entertainment. "It's more mythos than message sometimes," he says, "and it might be hard to articulate. With 'Illusion,' it has to do with redemption, with examining your life, and the esoteric idea of being stuck in cycles — the idea to separate yourself from your life a bit and examine it and look at it like it's a film — what metaphysically that does to a person." He also sees themes of following your dreams and not giving up what is important to you.
A big part of the film has to do with the parent/child relationship. Goorjian jokes that most fathers and sons or mothers and daughters have some issues with their relationships that need closure and healing in some respect.
And thinking of that father/son relationship, Kirk Douglas is his usual level of fantastic as the self-absorbed, unwilling parent who now has to face his choice to abandon his son. Even now at 90 years old, Douglas is doing promotions for "Illusion," and on a conference call that I had the amazing pleasure of joining, he delighted us with his bright sense of humor and sassiness that transcends both his stroke-related speech problems and the multitude of age issues that the world loves to pile on.
"Today's culture is so driven by youth, where it's like you're already dead once you reach a certain age," Goorjian says when discussing Douglas. "But the depth of what life is gets wider and deeper. He's a man who has just grown and grown, despite the many obstacles he's had, and it accumulates into something. I would say it accumulates into a soul. Just five minutes with Kirk, and you know this is a guy with a very deep soul." And it sure doesn't take work to get the audience to buy into Douglas as a legend, Goorjian jokes, because he is one!
Selecting Kirk Douglas for the role of the father was really based on thinking outside the box on the whole project. As the part developed, Goorjian started to think about Douglas and realized that, especially since his stroke in 1996, filmmakers were not approaching him and giving him the chance to act. And people doing independent films are not going to try for someone like him. Goorjian feels it was a huge gift to work with Douglas, but it was also a gift to the actor, who loves acting, to get a chance to do it one more time. There is no doubt that time has not diminished Douglas' ability to captivate the viewer or touch the heart.
I freely admit to some bias toward this film after talking with Goorjian and Douglas, but I think "Illusion" will stand on its own feet as a really good movie that will leave you pondering what records you leave behind when your own life has shaken loose this mortal coil, so to speak. It reminds me of something I read a while back:
"Carelessly or remorselessly thou mayest have sent along the ocean of events a wave that will some time flood thy memory, surge dolefully at the door of conscience, and pour forth the unavailing tear. Change and the grave may part us; the wisdom that might have blessed the past may come too late. One backward step, one relinquishment of right in an evil hour, one faithless tarrying, has torn the laurel from many a brow and repose from many a heart." (Mary Baker Eddy , "Miscellaneous Writings," p.339)
This is a film that will make the audience look for and ponder those waves that come out from each of our lives, and maybe take more seriously how and whom they touch. What redemptive act can change your life or the life of another? Donald Baines, through his metaphysical experience, has the opportunity to atone and seek healing and redemption before his death. Let's hope the rest of us don't wait that long to assure that the wisdom that could have blessed our past doesn't come too late.
This movie is exactly what good spiritual cinema should be, and highly entertaining to boot. That combination does not come along often, so be sure to make it a part of your library.
"Illusion" will be available through The Spiritual Cinema Circle in May. If you are not familiar with The Circle, I highly recommend checking them out at www.spiritualcinemacircle.com. You can get a free month's trial membership and a copy of this movie at the same time! This is an amazing monthly resource for short and feature-length films with a spiritual message and helps to promote and support filmmakers in their efforts to create this type of movie.
You can also get "Illusion" on May 29 through www.gaiam.com and www.netflix.com . For more about the film check out www.illusionthemovie.com.
Meg Welch Dendler is an avid moviegoer, always on the lookout for an uplifting, spiritual message. She'll tell you when she's successful and warn you when to save your money. You can reach Meg to comment on this piece or suggest a movie for review in this column at
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