Though the novelist who inspired the film, Dan Millman, is not completely there in my book, he does have a message that moves people. He also enjoys a shot of whiskey once in a while - a personal touch from Nolte? And the plot, however fantastical it may seem, is based on true events. And yes, the author of the book on which the film is based does have a sort of informal cult following.īut the sage, played by Nick Nolte (“Hotel Rwanda,” “Affliction”), isn’t too outrageously Zen - he pumps gas for a living, for example, and his proverbial syntax is standard enough he’s more of a Mr.

And yes, the story is about a miraculous physical recovery through a triumph of mental and spiritual strength - a college gymnast’s shattered ankle rebuilds and is ready again for competition in just a few months’ time. Yes, there was a wise old sage named Socrates with supernatural powers who spoke in proverbs. Wax On, Wax Off: Scott Mechlowicz plays an injured gymnast who is nursed back to spiritual and physical health by a sage (Nick Nolte), who shows him the ways of the “Peaceful Warrior.”

The peaceful warrior