Not all of today's movie stars are blue. Despite the box-office-busting performance of "Avatar," there's still room for normal flesh-colored actors.
Taking his place among them is best-selling author, motivational-speaking pioneer and PBS champion fundraiser, Maui resident Dr. Wayne Dyer.
While Dyer has shared his hopeful messages with Maui audiences for years, often in free presentations for Unity Church, this big-screen treatment is something new.
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Dr. Wayne Dyer’s “Wishes Fulfilled” screens at 7:30 tonight at Kaahumanu 6 with an encore screening Feb. 4. Tickets are $15. For more information, visit www. Consolidat ed Theatres.com.
Titled "Wishes Fulfilled," it was filmed in 2009 at an "I Can Do It" conference in Tampa, Fla., where he gave the keynote address.
Blending psychological insights, spiritual teachings and a generally postive attitude, the 2 1/2-hour presentation is based on "the law of assumption, the power of the mind and imagination," he explained during a recent phone interview.
His recent writings have included a modern interpretation of the ancient wisdom of the "Tao Te Ching," but this lecture is based on the teachings of 20th-century mystic Neville Goddard, or as he referred to himself, Neville.
"He was like a 20th-century Emerson," says Dyer of the pioneer in the "New Thought" movement. According to Neville's spiritual-psychological outlook, "Everything that exists in the world first existed in the imagination."
Dyer advises following Neville's lead by imagining the outcome you want, - "put in your imagination something you want to create" - then working backwards to make it become real.
It's like a metaphysical exercise program, "being able to make the subconscious mind work for you.
"The last five minutes are the most important of the day," he goes on, about focusing one's energies in a positive direction.
These views and methods are familiar to readers of his dozens of best-selling books, or to audiences who have heard his uplifting presentations on Maui, often presented in the MACC's Castle Theater.
He has also delivered variations on the theme in pledge-drive presentations for Public Broadcasting. What's new this time is the delivery system.
By showing it in a movie theater, attendees will be part of a live audience. It will approximate the experience of actually being part of the workshop. The $15 ticket price includes a free download of Dyer's program "Putting the 'Excuses Begone!' Paradigm into Action to Work in Your Life."
Presenting his message in this forum "is a brand new thing they're doing around the country," he says. "The audience you're getting is the audience that goes to the movies."
While he has cut his schedule of live motivational speaking appearances back from around 90 a year to about six in major metropolitan areas, now he can "appear" in smaller venues across the U.S.
"And this doesn't have the disadvantage of all the pledge breaks."
"This newest influx in alternative programming is the next frontier for movie theaters," according to Rachel Gibson, Consolidated Theatres' promotions and events manager on Oahu.
Along these lines, Kaahumanu 6 showed home UH football games live this year. Elsewhere across the country, Bill O'Reilly and Glen Beck are going beyond Fox News to bring their messages to movie screens. An upcoming episode of Garrison Keillor's "Prairie Home Companion" will be simulcast on movie screens.
Ironically, the advances in technology make it possible for Wayne to get his message out there to more places while holding still in Kaanapali.
"I can sit in my apartment and do online seminars on Skype," he says. "I don't have any goals for myself. I don't see myself moving anywhere. I see myself doing yoga and swimming."
His daughter Sky, a singer well known to Maui audiences, will sing a couple of songs at the beginning of the Kaahumanu screening.
Wayne isn't planning to make any sort of live presentation himself but don't be suprised if the guy sitting next to you in the audience looks a lot like the guy on the screen.
* Contact Rick Chatenever at scene@mauinews.com.
