Search - Ambition to Meaning: Finding Your Life's Purposes, expanded version on DVD

Really enjoyed this movie

Dawn Dixon | Carthage, MO United States | 01/13/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I think Hay House did it again and put out another meaningful movie. I enjoyed every minute of it. Don't buy this movie for great acting but for the message. It is a message I have heard Dr. Dyer talk about before but the scenery is lovely and I believe he gets his point across. I think it is a message you can never hear enough. Ambition to Meaning will be a movie like "You Can Heal Your Life" which I will watch many times over. If you are a Dr. Dyer fan or a Hay House fan I don't think you will be disappointed."

Potential to be life-altering

Leslie J. Estes | Colorado | 02/22/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I recommend the two-DVD, Deluxe edition, rather than the single DVD sold here. The first DVD is the "movie" (which is more of a docudrama) and is 2 hours long. The second is a supplemental disc containing about 2+ hours of interviews, additional movie footage, and music. Both DVD's are excellent and you may find they are worth a few dollars more for the set, as compared to the single DVD version that is available here. The second DVD contains the taped interview with Dr. Dyer that the movie was ultimately written around. It goes into depth into areas sometimes only touched on in the movie itself. However, if your more of a cut-to-the-chase-type, then the single DVD should work just fine for you - it's the one I've watched the most, and continue to go back to time and again.

The movie follows the stories of various guests checking into a beautiful resort along the California Coast: a young family; a wealthy couple with a troubled marriage; and my favorite, an ambition-driven director, wonderfully played by Michael Deluise, whom I remember as a frequent guest star on the Gilmore Girls. (Some trivia here - he is also the son of Dom Deluise.) The director and his small crew are filming a docudrama starring Dr. Dyer (played as himself).

All of the key characters in the film experience what Dr. Dyer describes as a "quantum moment". It opens the door to transformation for them as they recognize and begin to live "the music inside" that Dr. Dyer teaches we were all born with but too often push aside while we are busy living our lives. One of the key points in the movie: what if we come to the end of our life and discover it was all wrong?

The three stories (as well as some additional, interesting character development) are expertly woven throughout the movie and accompanied by voice-over's from Dr. Dyer. His deep, soothing voice always seems to hit the mark and works perfectly within each scene that it is added to. (Not too much, not too little.) The dramatizations are used to illustrate Dr. Dyer's timely teaching (mostly Taoist) of transformation from a life of ambition into a more meaningful life; a life that can be just as successful and full of prosperity and ambition as you desire but with greater significance through a deeper, spiritual motivation. It is a wonderful departure from the usual "live-audience seminar" format of most personal growth DVD's.

The narrative and story lines used as a way to exemplify the ideas presented here remind me of another Hay House production also directed by Michael Goorijan "You Can Heal Your life" starring Louise Hay, and of another docudrama, not related to Hay House or Goorijan, "What the Bleep Do We Know?" (I recommend the "Quantum Edition" only, as you can edit out the sometimes tasteless dramatizations & it offers hours of additional interviews). Although both of these are excellent DVD's and highly recommended, "Ambition to Meaning" is so expertly written, directed, acted and produced that it has raised the bar and taken this genre to a whole new level. The cinematography of the Monterey Coast is absolutely breathtaking. The tranquil original musical score is worth noting as well. Especially nice are the original piano pieces played by "Joe, the Janitor" mid-way through the movie. (Don't ask... you just have to see the movie - it really does work.)

I have watched "Ambition to Meaning" countless times now and continue to learn something new and unexpected about myself with each viewing. This is not a "spiritual addiction" response as a previous commenter asserts of another reviewer of the Deluxe Edition who also said they have watched this movie repeatedly. But rather it is to be encouraged if you wish to explore your true purpose in life - or just want to make sense of life's struggles and challenges. Also worth pointing out is that I am a Christian and find these teachings well attuned to the teachings of Jesus. I believe, whatever your faith, you will find the movie inspiring if not life-altering.

"Seek and you shall find, knock and the door shall be opened to you". God bless all who watch this DVD in the spirit it was intended. You will be all the richer and wiser for it."

The potential to be life-altering

Leslie J. Estes | Colorado | 02/22/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a two-DVD set: the first DVD is the "movie" (which is more of a docudrama) and is 2 hours long. The second is a supplemental disc containing about 2+ hours of interviews, additional movie footage, and music. Both DVD's are excellent and worth a few dollars more for the set, as compared to the single DVD version that is also available. The second DVD contains the taped interview with Dr. Dyer that the movie was ultimately written around. It goes into depth into areas sometimes only touched on in the movie itself.

The movie follows the stories of various guests checking into a beautiful resort along the California Coast: a young family; a wealthy couple with a troubled marriage; and my favorite, an ambition-driven director, wonderfully played by Michael Deluise, whom I remember as a frequent guest star on the Gilmore Girls. (Some trivia here - he is also the son of Dom Deluise.) The director and his small crew are filming a docudrama starring Dr. Dyer (played as himself).

All of the key characters in the film experience what Dr. Dyer describes as a "quantum moment". It opens the door to transformation for them as they recognize and begin to live "the music inside" that Dr. Dyer teaches we were all born with but too often push aside while we are busy living our lives. One of the key points in the movie: what if we come to the end of our life and discover it was all wrong?

The three stories (as well as some additional, interesting character development) are expertly woven throughout the movie and accompanied by voice-over's from Dr. Dyer. His deep, soothing voice always seems to hit the mark and works perfectly within each scene that it is added to. (Not too much, not too little.) The dramatizations are used to illustrate Dr. Dyer's timely teaching (mostly Taoist) of transformation from a life of ambition into a more meaningful life; a life that can be just as successful and full of prosperity and ambition as you desire but with greater significance through a deeper, spiritual motivation. It is a wonderful departure from the usual "live-audience seminar" format of most personal growth DVD's.

The narrative and story lines used as a way to exemplify the ideas presented here remind me of another Hay House production also directed by Michael Goorijan "You Can Heal Your life" starring Louise Hay, and of another docudrama, not related to Hay House or Goorijan, "What the Bleep Do We Know?" (I recommend the "Quantum Edition" only, as you can edit out the sometimes tasteless dramatizations & it offers hours of additional interviews). Although both of these are excellent DVD's and highly recommended, "Ambition to Meaning" is so expertly written, directed, acted and produced that it has raised the bar and taken this genre to a whole new level. The cinematography of the Monterey Coast is absolutely breathtaking. The tranquil original musical score is worth noting as well. Especially nice are the original piano pieces played by "Joe, the Janitor" mid-way through the movie. (Don't ask... you just have to see the movie - it really does work.)

I have watched "Ambition to Meaning" countless times now and continue to learn something new and unexpected about myself with each viewing. This is not a "spiritual addiction" response as a previous commenter asserts of another reviewer who also said they have watched this movie repeatedly. But rather it is to be encouraged if you wish to explore your true purpose in life - or just want to make sense of life's struggles and challenges. Also worth pointing out is that I am a Christian and find these teachings well attuned to the teachings of Jesus. I believe, whatever your faith, you will find the movie inspiring if not life-altering.

"Seek and you shall find, knock and the door shall be opened to you". God bless all who watch this DVD in the spirit it was intended. You will be all the richer and wiser for it."

Watch this DVD again and again and again

Kathy Fisher | Roy, WA USA | 05/07/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I loved this film (documdrama) and the messages behind it. Dr. Wayne (one of my personal favorites) is being interviewed throughout the movie, as part of the "plot" highlighting the stories of several people trying to find purpose in their ego-driven lives. Each needs to reach a crisis point, a dark-night-of-the-soul (Dr. Wayne calls it a "quantum moment"), before they can change direction ... from ambition (morning of life) to meaning (afternoon of life). The expanded two-DVD version has more interview with Dr. Wayne as well as additional scenes from the movie and other special selections."