InfoAnda - Documentary suggests sky not falling after all |

Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case
Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They

Taiwan denies boycotting Australian film festival
Thursday, August 6, 2009

AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e

Merkel's support dips, regional ally resigns International
Thursday, September 3, 2009

By Sarah Marsh and Noah Barkin

BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German

Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who

Asian markets mixed after Wall Street rally
Wednesday, March 18, 2009

By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an

Abbas insists on January date for Palestinian vote | International | | 24 October 2009
Analysis: Cyber attack protection not worth the cost for most | 11 December 2010
Biden To Unveil New Administration's Foreign Policy In Maiden Trip To Europe | 7 February 2009

Happy as Larry: new Downing St cat to fight rats | 16 February 2011

Forum Views () Forum Replies ()

Read more with google mobile : Documentary suggests sky not falling after all |

Edition: U.S. Article Comments (0) Follow Reuters Documentary suggests sky not falling after all Tweet Share this Link this By Kirk Honeycutt LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - That weary guy reaching the top of a mountain peak to consult with a wise man about the meaning of life has long been a staple cartoon in The New Yorker and Playboy. "I Am," a surprising... Email Print Related Topics Entertainment » Fashion » Film » By Kirk Honeycutt Wed Mar 9, 2011 8:59pm EST LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - That weary guy reaching the top of a mountain peak to consult with a wise man about the meaning of life has long been a staple cartoon in The New Yorker and Playboy. "I Am," a surprising philosophical inquiry-cum-documentary from, of all people, Tom Shadyac, is a 21st century equivalent of that cartoon, though despite his funnyman credentials, Shadyac intends no joke. In the movie, the filmmaker closely associated with the careers of Jim Carrey, Eddie Murphy and Steve Carell in such respective films as "Ace Ventura," "The Nutty Professor" remake and "Bruce Almighty" consults with top scientists, historians, spiritual leaders and philosophers in a quest for enlightenment that proves ... well, all right, let's use the word, most enlightening. The 78-minute film starts off as a curio by a Hollywood insider but winds up making an awful lot of sense -- with a few caveats. That combination might mean an energetic box office for "I Am" in specialty venues and certainly a wonderful afterlife in television and home entertainment. It opens Friday. Everything stems from a very bad day of bicycling. In 2007, Shadyac, basking in the glory of a substantial career as a canny purveyor of film comedies, took a terrible spill from his bike. The initial injuries were bad enough, but he developed something called post concussion syndrome, which basically means the original concussion doesn't go away. The horrible pain, mood swings and sensitivity to movement and light can lead to suicide. Gradually, relief did come, but this brush with death caused him to re-evaluate everything in his life and make this doc. With a crew of four people, Shadyac approaches any number of sagacious individuals, the most famous of whom are probably Bishop Desmond Tutu, Dr. Noam Chomsky and Dr. Howard Zinn. He asks two questions: What's wrong with our world? And what can we do about it? The initial "wisdom" Shadyac receives falls into the category of cliches. Money, he learns, can't buy happiness. So he sells his 17,000-square-foot mansion and scales down to a mobile-home community -- albeit in Malibu. Lesson No. 2: It's the economy, stupid. Yes, our society and economy dictates that one's success must come at someone else's expense. One needs to see a conspicuous difference between his wealth and another's lack thereof. Indigenous cultures, you are told, take this as a sign of mental illness. After this not-so-enlightening commentary, however, things get more interesting. As the talking heads sort through animal behavior, recent studies of human DNA and of the heart and brain, there is growing evidence that humans are more hard-wired for cooperation and compassion than might be imagined. Occasionally, the talking heads make debatable leaps in logic. The consensus decision-making observable in flocks of birds in flight or herds of animals moving as one toward a watering hole gets described as a kind of democratic electoral process, with, for instance, the birds "voting" with every wing stroke. The idea of such nonstop elections in the animal kingdom seems dubious at best. And though it's interesting to learn that in his "The Descent of Man," Charles Darwin uses the word "love" 95 times and his famous phrase "survival of the fittest" only twice, what conclusion can you really draw from that? In fact, Shadyac lets his talking heads draw most of the conclusions while relegating himself to too few appearances on camera -- he is a very funny guy. The approach nonetheless is lighthearted, and besides, he probably isn't expecting audiences to buy everything that's said here. The general conclusion of those he consulted is that there is much that is right with the world rather than wrong. People do prefer to cooperate and do naturally feel compassion. It is a modern, Western society that has superimposed "values" that are contrary to natural man. (Eastern societies are not much consulted -- "I Am" is far too Western-centric for its own good.) But the optimism he revels in as his inquiry winds up feels earned. There is scientific evidence backing up much of the wisdom. The heart apparently does talk to the brain more than the other way around. A scientist does put sensors into a bowl of yogurt to illustrate how Shadyac's own emotions can actually impact that yogurt sitting in front of him. When he merely mentions his lawyer, the meter swings madly into the negative, one of the funnier moments of a film that has more than a few. Documentaries have been coming down on humanity so hard in recent years -- from "An Inconvenient Truth" to the latest Oscar winner, "Inside Job" -- that it's refreshing to bask in a bit of optimism coming from a nonfictional film. Indeed, what can be more optimistic than Shadyac filming himself back on his bicycle racing down the Malibu canyons? Of course, he is wearing a helmet. Entertainment Fashion Film Tweet this Share this Link this Digg this Email Reprints We welcome comments that advance the story directly or with relevant tangential information. We try to block comments that use offensive language, all capital letters or appear to be spam, and we review comments frequently to ensure they meet our standards. If you see a comment that you believe is irrelevant or inappropriate, you can flag it to our editors by using the report abuse links. Views expressed in the comments do not represent those of Reuters. Comments (0) Be the first to comment on reuters.com. Add yours using the box above. Social Stream (What's this?) © Copyright 2011 Thomson Reuters Editorial Editions: Africa Arabic Argentina Brazil Canada China France Germany India Italy Japan Latin America Mexico Russia Spain United Kingdom United States Reuters Contact Us Advertise With Us Help Journalism Handbook Archive Site Index Video Index Reader Feedback Mobile Newsletters RSS Podcasts Widgets Your View Analyst Research Thomson Reuters Copyright Disclaimer Privacy Professional Products Professional Products Support Financial Products About Thomson Reuters Careers Online Products Acquisitions Monthly Buyouts Venture Capital Journal International Financing Review Project Finance International PEhub.com PE Week FindLaw Reuters on Facebook Thomson Reuters is the world's largest international multimedia news agency, providing investing news, world news, business news, technology news, headline news, small business news, news alerts, personal finance, stock market, and mutual funds information available on Reuters.com, video, mobile, and interactive television platforms. Thomson Reuters journalists are subject to an Editorial Handbook which requires fair presentation and disclosure of relevant interests. NYSE and AMEX quotes delayed by at least 20 minutes. Nasdaq delayed by at least 15 minutes. For a complete list of exchanges and delays, please click here.

Other News on Thursday, 10 March 2011
Veteran US shuttle ends historic spaceflight career
Wall Street tycoon driven by greed: prosecutors
Carlos Slim tops Forbes' rich list, BRIC billionaires emerge |
Insurer Prudential eyes Asian growth after doubling profits
Libya: live report
Blast shuts down Iraq Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline: sources |
Nokia Siemens delays Motorola purchase
Iran aims to get to brink of nuclear arms: U.S. aide |
Nokia shares up after Symbian sales commitment
Bahraini Shi'ites protest against settling Sunnis |
Killing hardens opposition resolve in Yemen |
Men with rocks attack remnants of Cairo protest |
Saudi Shi'ites hold new protest in oil province |
Japan's new FM wants to deepen alliance with US
Asians, Latinos boost California population
US-ENTERTAINMENT Summary
NPR chief resigns amid controversy
Disappearing tradition: Najaf abaya makers in decline
UNESCO plans museum for destroyed Afghan Buddhas
From the streets to the stage, Yemen finds its voice
Danube delta reed: new 'in' roofing for luxury homes
Amid revolution, Egyptian designer still makes it to Paris
German hints will return treasured sphinx to Turkey
CORRECTED
Call girls, wives check into Marc Jacob's 'Hotel Vuitton'
Pakistani stocks end up; rupee weakens; o/n rates flat
Microsoft sells 10 million Kinect devices |
Obamas take Facebook stand against bullying
Nokia Siemens delays Motorola purchase
Online travel sites seek to ground Google-ITA deal
Microblogs in China government's fight to win public approval
Nokia shares up after Symbian sales commitment
Lady Gaga may sue over breastmilk ice cream name |
NPR chief resigns amid controversy |
Mel Gibson reaches plea deal in domestic abuse case |
Spider-Man musical overhauled, delayed again-report |
News Singapore
News Singapore
News Singapore
News Singapore
News Singapore
News Singapore
Adele spends second week at #1 on Billboard albums chart with "21"
News Singapore
News Singapore
EU and NATO to meet on Libya after raging battles |
ElBaradei says he'll run for Egyptian president |
News Singapore
News Singapore
Dalai Lama plans to quit as Tibet political leader |
Yemen president vows new constitution within year |
Mexican gang members charged in U.S. consulate murders |
Hawaii's Kilauea volcano erupts with greater fury |
News Singapore
China and Russia drive growth in world's billionaires |
News Singapore
News Singapore
News Singapore
News Singapore
News Singapore
Charlie Sheen sparks new era of cyber celebrity meltdowns |
Sony promotes Hirai, possible successor to CEO |
News Singapore
News Singapore
News Singapore
News Singapore
News Singapore
LG Display says in 3D panel supply talks with Sony |
News Singapore
U.S. nominates first Chinese American as ambassador to Beijing
Facebook puts six on Forbes billionaire list |
Screening for all air cargo bomb threats faces tough deadline
News Singapore
U.S. stocks, oil price retreat
Home WiFi gives 30 percent slower connection: study |
News Singapore
U.S. lawmakers ask Facebook to block third parties’ easy access
Illinois abolishes capital punishment, governor commutes 15 death sentences
Space shuttle Discovery makes its last landing
South Florida mayor arrested on corruption charges
News Singapore
Oldest wild bird in northern hemisphere raising chick
US asks China to stop enforced disappearances of human rights activists
US on track to double exports by 2014: Kirk
News Singapore
News Singapore
News Singapore
Charlie Sheen sparks new era of cyber celebrity meltdowns |
News Singapore
News Singapore
Julianne Moore to play Sarah Palin in HBO film |
Lawyers in Charlie Sheen fracas lay out strategies |
Broadway's Spider-Man delayed, revamped again |
News Singapore
No script, no worries: Men in Black 3 shoots anyway |
News Singapore
Bath & Body Works sues over Twilight toiletries |
News Singapore
Documentary suggests sky not falling after all |
News Singapore
News Singapore
News Singapore
News Singapore
News Singapore
News Singapore
News Singapore
News Singapore
Surge in Arab protests expected on Friday in Gulf |
Gulf states prepare aid fund for Oman and Bahrain |
India's Hyderabad shut down as thousands demand new state |
Iran forces kill three people in clashes in west |
Rival factions snub Hamas unity offer |
Nervous Saudis ponder whether to join protests |
No proof of drug industry sway on WHO in pandemic: report |
Angola stifling democracy protests: Human Rights Watch |
AOL to cut 20 percent of global workforce: source |
Facebook puts six on Forbes billionaire list |
Angry Birds creators Rovio raises $42 million |
Online game company Zynga to double India staff this year |
Samsung targets Nokia Symbian developers |
50 Cent joins Gaddafi performance regret club |
Deathly Hallows highest foreign earner of Potter series |
Book Talk: Diamonds inspire Tolkien grandson's novel |
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights

USD EUR - 1 year graph	VPN on MacOSX	BlogMeter 1.01