Blockbuster finally had Peaceful Warrior in last night, so I was able to rent it to see it since it never came to any theaters around my area. For those who don’t know, Peaceful Warrior is based on Dan Millman’s best-selling book Way of the Peaceful Warrior which I read a few years back. Going into it, I’d already read that the movie only covered about half of the book and I’d seen that Nick Nolte was cast in the role of Socrates (not the ancient philosopher, if you’ve not read the book), so I had had time to brace myself for seeing a much sturdier Soc than my brain had conjured while reading the book (though despite my misgivings about his physical stature, Nick Nolte does a good job with the role).
The writers did a brilliant job of covering a vast amount of material relatively smoothly in the course of a two hour movie. Still, Way of the Peaceful Warrior is not the kind of book that can be covered in detail in a movie, so despite having cut the book in half and doing such a remarkable job in writing, the movie still reduces most of the books most profound thoughts to inspirational one-liners that one might stick in an email signature rather than change their life with. Anyone who has read the book will really enjoy how the writers incorporate so much into the movie, because they give you enough to recall the book. Those who’ve not read the book may enjoy it (though possibly get just a touch lost in a place or two), but you won’t get near as much from it as if you’d read the book. Book purists might not that the movie takes something out of chronological order, but a movie is not a book and if things have to be adjusted to make the story clear, I’m willing to concede that right to the filmmakers.
My biggest complaint was that, while the book is about Dan Millman, the human, overcoming Dan Millman, the movie seems to be about Dan Millman, the gymnast, overcoming his motorcycle accident injury. Had I not already read the book, I may have mistaken this film for just another inspirational sports film. I don’t know, it’s hard to know exactly how I would have taken the film if I hadn’t read the book already, but I think the film offers a watered-down and slightly different message than the book.
If you have read Way of the Peaceful Warrior, I would recommend Peaceful Warrior the movie. If you haven’t read Way of the Peaceful Warrior, then I’d highly recommend Way of the Peaceful Warrior, THEN Peaceful Warrior.