Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Scott Mechlowicz | ... | Dan Millman | |
Nick Nolte | ... | Socrates | |
Amy Smart | ... | Joy | |
Tim DeKay | ... | Coach Garrick | |
Ashton Holmes | ... | Tommy | |
Paul Wesley | ... | Trevor | |
B.J. Britt | ... | Kyle | |
Agnes Bruckner | ... | Susie | |
Tom Tarantini | ... | Thug with Gun | |
Beatrice Rosen | ... | Dory | |
Ray Wise | ... | Doctor Hayden | |
Scott Caudill | ... | Thug One (as Scott 'Jesic' Caudill) | |
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Matthew Prater | ... | Thug Two (as Matthew John Prater) |
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Bart Conner | ... | Self |
Jimmy Bradley | ... | Commentator One |
Dan Millman has it all: good grades, a shot at the Olympic team on the rings and girls lining up for the handsome Berkely college athlete all teams mates look up to with envy. Only one man shakes his confidence, an anonymous night gas station attendant, who like Socrates, keeps questioning every assumption in his life. Then a traffic crash shatters Dan's legs, and his bright future. Now Socrates's life coaching is to make or break Dan's revised ambition. Written by KGF Vissers
I saw this movie at a screening,(ironically at UCLA) and I really liked it. The only part I didn't like about it was the odd editing they did to make UCLA look like Cal. Of course, I'm a Bruin, so maybe I could tell the differences more.
The movie itself was sad, but at the same time, inspiring. One of the best parts of this movie is the student-teacher relationship between Dan and Socrates, his mentor. This movie hits home because it almost portrays the classic American Dream and the many people who chase it. Dan Milliman, the main character, is living the good life: he's one of the best athletes on the team, popular with the girls, still gets excellent grades. In all, his life is perfect. Yet, in a strange way, he's not entirely satisfied with his life, and you can see that the way he is living isn't good for his well-being. When he meets his mentor, he goes through an entire mental cleansing that is portrayed with humor and poignancy.
In the end, the point of this movie is not whether he reaches his goal or not, but the process of going there, and thats what makes this movie worthwhile.