The Meaning in Movies

After journalist Raymond Teague’s home burned to the ground in Fort Worth in 1985, he took a year’s leave from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and moved to a small town in Arkansas with his wife and 10-year-old daughter. Without the cultural advantages of big city life, they gathered around the television set to watch movies on their VCR--more than 900 films in all.

“We started noting that movies were helping us to explore life,” Teague said. “They were inspiring and also empowering in terms of letting us know we have capabilities and power within ourselves that can help determine what life is going to be like.”

Because movies had helped him, he thought they could help others in the same way. He chose films that spanned cinematic history from 1916--and D.W. Griffith’s “Intolerance,”--to 1999. They watched everything from the blockbusters to the B-rated, all available on video.

The marathon movie watching resulted in a family film guide, “Reel Spirit: A Guide to Movies That Inspire, Explore and Empower” (Unity House, $24.95, hardcover, $14.95, softcover).

“I wrote the book to provide a guide to spirituality in movies,” Teague said. “I don’t just look at the so-called religious movie or those that are overtly spiritual, like ‘Gandhi.’ I look at movies like ‘As Good as It Gets,’ that people might not think of as spiritual, but nevertheless have meaningful and inspirational content.”

Teague’s book analyzes movies based on the three categories of the title. Take “The Sixth Sense,” for example. Although it isn’t included in the book, it is a hugely popular movie that would certainly fit into those three categories, he said.

“It explores the nature of reality and the meaning of life and indicates to us that there is more going on than we usually acknowledge--that there is life after this life and that there is an interconnectedness that goes on among beings or spirits past what we call the grave,” he said.

In fact, all the movies included emphasize life-enhancing and thought-provoking lessons beyond their entertainment value. Questions are posed to stimulate discussion about the characters and situations.

Teague left the newspaper in 1997 to became associate editor of Unity House. Founded over 100 years ago as an educational movement, Unity is non-denominational, as is his book.

“It’s not dogmatic and not denominational--but [is] designed to help people connect with whatever they want to call that God sense,” Teague said.

You can meet him at Borders in Thousand Oaks on Tuesday, where he will discuss and sign his book.

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Special Events in Ojai: “Village of Tales, the Ojai Storytelling Festival” will be held Friday to May 7, featuring concerts, workshops, student programs and open mike performances. More than 20 events will take place in four downtown locations. For more information, call Brian Bemel at 646-8907 or visit https://www.performingarts.net/ptgo.

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HAPPENINGS

* Tuesday: 7 p.m. The First Tuesday Contemporary Book Group will focus on “Billy Budd” by Herman Melville. Borders, 125 W. Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks, 497-8159.

* Tuesday: 7 p.m. Raymond Teague will discuss and sign “Reel Spirit.” Borders, 497-8159.

* Wednesday: 9:30 a.m. Story time, with stories about bugs. Ventura Barnes & Noble, 4360 E. Main St., 339-9150.

* Wednesday: 7 p.m. Meet to talk about your writing, share ideas and discuss publishing. Writers of all genres welcome. Ventura Barnes & Noble, 339-9170.

* Wednesday: 7 p.m. Sara L. Ambarian, author of “A Bride’s Touch,” will speak at the monthly meeting of Small Publishers, Artists, Writers Network. She will discuss marketing by target mailing and by Web site. For more information, contact Carol Doering at 493-1081 or by e-mail at cdoering@gte.net. Borders, 497-8159.

* Wednesday: 7 p.m. Teen and adult actors from the Charles Davis Actors Workshop will showcase their talents in scenes from television, theater and film. Borders, 497-8159.

* Wednesday: 7:30 p.m. The Friendly Book Discussion Group will focus on “The Red Badge of Courage” by Stephen Crane. Grant R. Brinhall Library, 1401 E. Janss Road, Thousand Oaks. For more information, contact Jules Miesler at 373-1228.

* Thursday: 7 p.m. Call ahead for title of featured mystery. Mysteries to Die For, 2940 Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks, 374-0084.

* Friday: 7 p.m. A spooky story time about monsters and the mayhem they create. Ventura Barnes & Noble, 339-9170.

* Friday: 7 p.m. Paul Bishop will discuss and sign his latest mystery, “Chalk Whispers,” at Mysteries to Die For, 2940 Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks, 374-0084.

* Saturday: 4 p.m. Camden Joy will discuss and sign his second novel, “Boy Island.” Borders, 497-8159.

* Saturday: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Storytelling for children, music featuring Mary Wilson and John Hyland Smith. Book Mall, 105 S. Oak St., Ventura, 641-2665.

* Saturday: 7 p.m. Irene F. Day will discuss and sign “The Moroccan Cookbook.” She will discuss her travels as well as her exotic recipes. Ventura Barnes & Noble, 339-9170.

Note: Friends of the Blanchard Community Library will hold a book sale at the library’s upper parking lot from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, 119 N. 8th St., Santa Paula. Auction at 10:30 a.m. Call 525-1221 for details.

Information about book-signings, writers groups and publishing events an be e-mailed to anns40@aol.com or faxed to 647-5649.