User reviews

It was interesting to see Ryan Reynolds in his first movie role. The film won a Genie Award, Canada's version of the Oscars, for Best Adapted Screenplay. I have to say it is a very typical Canadian movie set in Paris, Ontario.

This movie was filmed in my home town Guelph, On. lots of people i know were extras in it. I didn't even register that Ryan was in this movie until i looked up his listing of films that he accomplished. I haven't seen this movie in a really long time. Its kinda cool it was like his second movie that he did. i think hes gotta lay off the comedy its getting pretty old my opinion i don't know. Another crazy thing is that my youngest brother was like 2 when this was made and he can be seen in the background of the movie being pushed in his stroller. if i remember correctly the movie kinda stunk, but what can you expect from a Canadian film?

OM is an ancient Hindu mantra, or sacred chant, that originated in Eastern cultures, and is used all over the world in spiritual practices such as yoga. OM is also an acronym for "Ordinary Magic", a low budget, indie film about a teenage boy (Ryan Reynolds) who, after having lived in India all his life and having learned spiritual ideas taught in India, moves to Canada to live with his aunt (Glenne Headly). The boy thus transports his knowledge and practice of Eastern religion to a totally different culture. In the story, both he and the people with whom he interacts must deal with ideas and ways of living that seem strange.

Part of the film's plot involves a greedy developer (Paul Anka) who tries to force the boy's aunt to leave her ancestral home, to make room for condos. The resulting conflict presents an opportunity for the boy to apply the spiritual principle of "satyagraha", as a way to resolve the conflict. The film's message here is rather simplistic, but archetypal. It's a clash between East and West, of materialism and religion, of David and Goliath.

"Ordinary Magic" is an unusual film. Some Westerners will be put off by its none too subtle message. Others will find the message refreshing. Because of its low key style and contemplative screenplay, I personally found OM to be a welcome change from the usual, mindless junk churned out by the Hollywood peddlers of violence and gore.

When Warren Moore dies as a Canadian expatriate in India, he leaves a son Jeffrey who has been raised his entire life in India and who has been taught to follow Indian beliefs including Hinduism.

Jeffrey (nicknamed Ganesh by his father) is forced to return to Canada to live with Charlotte, his father's sister. Jeffrey's beliefs are as foreign and unsuited for Canada as his wardrobe.

Charlotte is not entirely able to take care of herself, let alone a teenager who is different. She has been ignoring legal notices for some time and is in danger of losing the family's ancestral home.

Jeffrey's fellow high school students and even his teachers quickly single him out as different. He is mocked for his different way of speaking but the students and faculty soon learn that Jeffrey has an inner strength that makes him different in positive ways as well.

Some students are more generous of spirit. Tom, the captain of the high school basketball team, and Lucy, a girl at the school, take an interest in him and befriend him.

Jeffrey finally gains acceptance and a bit of local notoriety when he starts to aid his aunt in the struggle to keep the family home. He explains the principles of satyagraha to her and they begin a hunger strike that end up changing the whole town.

This movie is a great story, well told. The movie has an honest, genuine,

life affirming quality ably served by the Cat Stephens music sprinkled throughout. Ryan Reynolds and Joe Roncetti are adorable as Jeffrey and Tom and Glenne Headly is very convincing as Charlotte.

This isnt necessarily so Canadian that someone from the United States couldnt get it. I saw this movie a few years ago, and have always remembered the face of young Ryan Reynolds, who I recognized recently on "Two Guys, A Girl and Pizza Place". His ability to be a boy WITH such abilities who must be so different from him in real life (the boy knew intense yoga and meditation) was quite the feat and young Reynolds handles it quite well. Although the plot may seem a bit hokey, strong performances of Glenne Headly and Reynolds carries it off well.

Some movies start slow in the beginning and you lose interest quite fast. Ordinary Magic kept me captivated from the get-go and reminded me of how easy it is to loose priceless memories of your home and growing up. The way Jeffery shows his compassion for his town,home and his aunt is just the beginning of what one person can do as well as making fellow residents realize large corporations will walk over you and do what is necessary to get the job done. Even if this is a movie, it does hold truth even today with Isreal and government not corporations. Every time I see Ryan Renolds I remember Ordinary Magic. (It had that much impact on me).

I come very close to adoring this movie. Besides its thoughtful presentation of Hinduism in action, in the life of one young practitioner, it admirably portrays the sense of displacement the central character Jeffrey [Ganesh is his nickname] feels after his father dies and he realizes that, even though he has grown up in India and considers himself an Indian, he is viewed as a "foreigner" by most of the people in the village in which he has lived. He goes to Canada [to the U.S. in the book] to live with an aunt he has never known and to try to adapt to Western life. But, as it turns out, he is as much an eye-opener to his fellow students as the West is to him. Toward the end the film is a little too simplistic, in its presentation of Jeffrey's determination to put his Hindu beliefs up against a voracious development planner, but overall this is a feel-good movie with true heart and soul. The original novel, first called "Ganesh" and now published as "Ordinary Magic" as well, is a fine and worthy young adult book, intelligent enough for adults too.

I originally saw this movie as a purchased VHS because in the cast was the late Heath Lamberts, a Canadian actor and comedian whose work I had admired for decades. But as the plot unfolded (see your other commentators) I saw that it was based on a legal maneuver that was to replicate itself in the US some 10 years later, namely the condemning of private property by the state in order to transfer it to a private real estate developer. In the novel/movie the plot was foiled but in the US the outrage generated by the Supreme Court's allowing this to take place (originally somewhere in New Hampshire I believe) inspired a slew of laws, both federal and state, being proposed to prevent it from happening again. In fact an internet plot was hatched to form a private development company and then go to the town council of the home of Justice Souter (I believe) whose swing vote in the 5-4 decision allowed it to pass, and propose a development which would have allowed that city to condemn Justice Souter's very own home for that purpose. I don't know how that all turned out. Bravo to Ryan Reynolds in a fine teenage career-starter. But wasn't Paul Anka's name left out of the list of credits? Did I miss it?

This morning I was flipping through the channels on television and came across this film which had started only about 15 minutes before.

I was immediately interested in watching the film and put aside my plans to go out until the film had finished. I was completely riveted to the screen by handsome young Ryan Reynolds and his extraordinary performance as Jeffrey. Mr. Reynolds Indian accent seemed very realistic to me, and I was very impressed with his dedication to the role, even going so far as to learn some of the Yoga the role required him to do.

In some sense the storyline was familiar (David versus Goliath), but it is a wonderful film with good performances by all including Glenn Headley as Jeffrey's aunt and an over the top performance by singer Paul Anka as the manipulative land developer who will not take no for an answer when Jeffrey's aunt refuses to sell her house.

Eventually Jeffrey teaches the townspeople and his aunt some lessons in acceptance and in standing up and fighting for what you believe in. This film will give you hope about the good in people and will leave you feeling very nice at the end.

This movie has the formula that many afternoons' specials use, where the displaced kid knows more than those around him.

Ganesh is a young Ryan Reynolds.

Glenne Headly plays charlotte It is the interaction between the two characters that makes the focus of the movie.

The title is the redeeming factor. The movie presses upon you the lessons of magic. That it is real and works in ways not planned. At any moment, they could have lost their house. Due to process and time, people had time to reflect on what they were doing. Therefore, magic does not have to be supernatural. Especially ordinary magic. Similar to miracles, it is not a supernatural process that is a miracle; it is that the process happens when you need it.

This is a film from Canada that proves our neighbors to the north can be just as preachy as our very own Hollywood. Basically, Jeffrey is an annoying little snot, raised in India and sent to Canada after the death of his father. Jeffrey moves in with his aunt, who is presented as a free spirit but basically comes across as a flake. Evil developers want the aunt's house so Jeffrey leads a nonviolent protest and basically brings enlightenment to the world. Or at least Canada. Jeffrey is played by Ryan Reynolds, an actor who projects such an air of sainthood that most viewers will probably want to beat the living Hell out of him.

The is a graphic female male seen on a television main character turns on tv in kitchen. Another seen main character is righting a letter to a fiend while there is very graphic sexual moans from next room can he herd.