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March 2006 Issue –> Movie Review Article
The Movie Mystic – Illusion
By: Stephen Simon
ILLUSION is one of the most entertaining, moving, fascinating, and
life-affirming spiritual films in many years. I hope and trust that the film
will become an instant classic that will be loved for as long as films have
a life somewhere in people’s hearts. In the film, Kirk Douglas gives the
most touching and indelible performance of his career and co-star/director
Michael Goorjian emerges as one of the most sensitive and visionary
directors of his generation.
In ILLUSION, legendary film director Donald Baines (Douglas) is shown three
visions of the life of the son he never knew. As he lies dying alone in his
private screening room, watching the films he has devoted his life to
creating, he is given one last chance to affect his son’s life. Having
isolated himself from family and friends, he now regrets many personal
decisions. The rejection of his illegitimate child, CHRISTOPHER, brings him
the most pain, having seen him only once 30 years ago.
Late one night, Donald is awakened by the ghostly image of STAN, a favorite
editor who has been dead more than 35 years. Suddenly Donald finds his
deathbed transported to an old movie house. Stan informs Donald that he has
come to help and that he will show him three films – three visions – each
vision representing a different period of Christopher’s life.
The first vision brings Donald into the teenage life of Christopher who is
in the throes of his first blush with love. A rebel and a romantic,
Christopher proclaims his love for a girl he has only seen from afar and
chances it all for an opportunity to spend some time with her. A nagging
voice, which sounds like the father he never knew, echoes in his head
telling him he is not worthy.
A wild romp marks the second vision of the 20s-something life of Christopher
as he tries to escape an artistic maelstrom and finds himself face to face
with the love he had for a brief moment and lost from the first vision. His
life takes a brutal twist as he finds and yet again is torn from his love.
The last vision Donald sees is the return of Christopher now as a mature
man, wearied from the difficult curveballs life has thrown him. Again
looking for love, this is his last and perhaps only chance to rid himself of
what he imagines to be his father’s haunting disapproval.
Ultimately, Donald Baines is given an opportunity to make a difference… but
after such a long time, can he take the leap or was it all just an illusion?
ILLUSION grabs you by the heart in the very first frame and never lets go.
Michael Goorjian’s direction of the film is so sensitive, visually arresting
and well paced that I felt more like a participant in the film than a
viewer. Someone once said to me that our most crucial goal in raising our
children is to make certain that they love themselves. If they love us in
the bargain, that’s a bonus for which we all hope, but it is always
secondary to our children’s own self-esteem. The several stories within the
film–and the progression of Goorjian’s character–are heartbreaking in
their illumination of the deep and lifelong effect that a negligent and
disparaging parent can have on the psyche of a child. Douglas’ act of
rejecting his son at such an early age sets in place a sense of
self-loathing that literally stops his son from ever achieving any of his
heart’s desires.
As Douglas watches the Akashic records of his son play out in front of him
on the big screen, he becomes more and more anguished and aware of the
devastating effect he has had on this boy he never knew. Douglas is
absolutely amazing in his performance, both in its nuance and also in its
bravery. He performed in this film well after his stroke had severely
altered his speech patterns but obviously his heart and soul are still
afire! Goorjian’s direction of Douglas and all the other actors, including
himself, is also utterly brilliant. One can only hope that Academy voters
will be reminded of this film at the end of 2006. Douglas should not only be
nominated for an Academy Award, but for a Lifetime Achievement Award and
both the film and Goorjian’s direction deserve major consideration as well.
I can already sense that ILLUSION will be one of my 5 Favorite films of
2006. For more information on where ILLUSION is playing near you, please go
to (the source of the synopsis of the film in this
column.) Please go see it soon and OFTEN and bring all of your friends and
family. Films like this and directors like Michael Goorjian need and deserve
our full-hearted support so that more movies like ILLUSION can be made in
the future.
(Stephen Simon produced such films as Somewhere in Time and What Dreams May
Come and has just directed and produced the film version of Neale Donald
Walsch’s Conversations with God. . He also
co-founded The Spiritual Cinema Circle (
) Stephen welcomes your comments by email: Stephen
@spiritualcinemacircle.com)