"I Am": A Movie Review

Last night, Mary and I joined some friends to watch a new documentary movie by Tom Shadyac, titled simply "I Am". Tom Shadyac has written and directed the films Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, The Nutty Professor, Liar Liar, and Bruce Almighty. He had a very successful life and was "living the American dream" until he had an accident in 2007 while riding his mountain bike that completely changed his outlook on life. During his long recovery, he went from despair that he would ever heal to finding a new reason to live. The movie "I Am" is the result of that journey; it asks the questions: "What is wrong with this world?" and "What can I do to make it better?" Tom interviews experts from many disciplines to find their viewpoints on these questions.

Thom Hartmann ("The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight") talks about how native cultures considered the desire to possess significantly more than you needed to survive as "a mental disease". Tom Shadyac recognized this in himself and has sold off all of his mansions and now lives in a trailer park (Watch out, Mayor Lund!). He also joined the faculty at Pepperdine University, to teach a class on his newfound understanding of who we are as humans and what we need to be happy.

The movie goes back to Darwin, to get a new perspective on the factors that are inherent in nature: how cooperation is even more significant than competition and how humans are "wired" to be altruistic. This is because human babies are more dependent than any other species. We could not survive without both nurturing and training from other humans for many years. Our brains have "mirror" neurons which cause us to experience acts we observe as if they were happening to us; thus, empathy is innate. We feel good when we make others feel good.

Yet, our society puts such a premium on competition -- "being the best" and "collecting the spoils of our success" '" that we have pushed the role and importance of cooperation to the background. This is partly because we feel separate from others and therefore are driven primarily by self-interest. We don't understand how our actions impact others. When we DO think about it, we are led to believe that humans are innately greedy and violent. Yet, Howard Zinn, a noted historian and author, says that war is NOT inevitable and definitely not natural for humans. This is clear when we look at the number of soldiers that commit suicide or are emotionally challenged for the rest of their lives, due to the "inhumanity" of war.

Instead of blindly following a few leaders, groups of animals naturally have developed democratic systems of decision making. A large heard of red deer was studied in the wild, to see how it was decided what watering hole to go to and when everyone had enough to eat. Instead of the dominant male leading the herd when he decided, the researchers found that each member of the herd "voted" on these decisions. Each deer would stop eating when satisfied and "point" towards a known local watering hole. When a majority was pointing towards the same place, the entire herd would begin walking in that direction.

Our nation-states are beginning to implement democracies, as more and more young people are rebelling against the dictatorial governments and demanding a voice. This is what we "know to be right" when we listen to our hearts. Any inequality in power or resources creates a pressure that will eventually cause an equalization. This is the way of nature.

Tom Shadyac knows that the message of this film is considered "crazy" by many, but insanity is continuing to think and act the way we have and expecting things to change for the better. We must re-connect with who we are as a species: that we are interconnected at a fundamental level; that the Golden Rule is wired into our brains and cooperation is our natural instinct.

Regardless of what you may now think about these ideas, I urge you to watch this film! Our modern science is developing a story of the human race that parallels the foundations of native wisdom and religious teachings. It is time that we incorporate this understanding into our lives and societies.

This film is only being shown in selected theaters and cities. Check this website to find a theater near you: http://www.iamthedoc.com/findatheater-date/. You can see a trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PeqB8JwpdE4 .