Reel Spirit: A Guide to Movies That Inspire, Explore and Empower (Paperback)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Raymond Teague's Reel Spirit is the ultimate guide to spirituality in the movies. Teague, a professional journalist and elder in the Unity Church, combined his love of the silver screen with his joyful personality to compile this compendium of more than 400 metaphysical films, from Cool Runnings to Ben Hur. Each movie's plot and primary characters are described, and Teague explains the spiritual lessons that can be derived from each film, regardless of whether or not its creators had a spiritual intent. Reel Spirit is also an excellent reference for parents who want their children to see films with positive values and minimal violence. --P. Randall Cohan

From Publishers Weekly

Spiritual people are just as subject as their secular neighbors to the Blockbuster Effect: the amazing incapacity, when confronted by a video store's thousands of titles, to pick out just one film to watch tonight. Teague aims to guide the perplexed toward "metaphysical movies" that demonstrate "basic spiritual principles"--specifically, the principles of the Unity Church, a development of Christianity with affinities to, though a longer history than, the New Age movement. (Unity teaching includes the ideas that "the essence of God is within each person" and "we create our world and experiences using God-energy.") Teague, who was a journalist before joining the Unity Church's publishing arm, provides short summaries of the plots of 150 movies, along with a page-long commentary on each film's spiritual themes. Short synopses point readers to an additional 250 movies. Teague covers a wide range of Hollywood's output, from the 1950s to the present, focusing mostly on films with a strong positive message, from The Wizard of Oz to the Star Wars series. But he doesn't stray very far from the beaten path: there is no mention of the spiritually charged The Shawshank Redemption, much less notable films that missed the American mainstream, such as Searching for Bobby Fischer or Babette's Feast. Teague's selections mirror standard box office hits so closely that readers may have a difficult time discerning where Hollywood ends and Unity begins.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 438 pages
• Publisher: Unity Books (Unity School of Christianity) (March 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0871592487
• ISBN-13: 978-0871592484
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.6 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,031,041 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars At Long Last!!! A really rewarding guide to films, September 15, 2000

By	Marilyn Stephan "Marilyn Stephan" (Ft. Lauderdale, FL USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Reel Spirit is a terrific guide to film! Buy it quickly and pop a copy into the car--you'll want to have with you every time you visit the video store! A must have for anyone who enjoys films that lift both heart and spirit.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Spiritual "Ahaaa!", March 29, 2000

By	Medini Longwell (Lee's Summit, Missouri) - See all my reviews

Reel Spirit recognizes spirituality and clarifies why so many movies appeal to so many of us the way they do. The insights are meaningful, and the writing is as engaging as an on-going dialog, conveying the delightful experience of going to the movies with a connoisseur who happens to be your best friend.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What comes after "Did you like it?", March 25, 2000

By	Bill Englehart (Overland Park, KS United States) - See all my reviews

Have you ever read one of those parenting magazines that says you should watch movies with your kids and then talk about what you've seen? If you're like me, you may be perfectly willing to do this, but don't know what to say. Reel Spirit provides some great conversation starters so that you and your family or friends can make moviegoing a shared experience. And if all those titles at the video store overwhelm you, use the book to identify good movies ahead of time!