I AM is the fascinating journey Tom Shadyac took after his near death experience. After sustaining a concussion following a cycling accident, he contracted post-concussion syndrome, a complex disorder with a variety of symptoms. He wasn’t sure if he would live or die for roughly two years. Neither Western medicine nor alternative therapies worked; however, the syndrome eventually disappeared for unknown reasons.
Success has embraced Shadyac, especially as a writer and director, with films such as Ace Ventura, Liar Liar, Bruce Almighty, Evan Almighty, Dragonfly, and Patch Adams as part of his artistic success. The “good life” was his! But fate brought him a serious situation, and more questions than answers.
Emerging from a life-changing experience, it was only natural for Shadyac to step in front of the camera and embark with a small crew to document his personal search for change in the world. I AM brings to life in a gracious, positive, and magical way the journey that transformed his life and started with two questions, “What’s wrong with the world?” and “What can we do about it?”
From the very beginning I AM has lit a fire in the hearts of people who have watched it. It was not a big screen extravaganza, but rather a small-budget personal story of a seeker who asked deep questions, talked with people he admired and sought their perspective, and changed his life. The movie has created a huge following on Facebook and Twitter, and not a day has gone by that doesn’t bring comments, from all walks of life, extolling how I AM touched their heart and telling friends to find it and see it!
When I AM opened in Telluride, the audience response was nothing less then incredible, with an 18–20 minute standing ovation, said a surprised Shadyac! When asked what the audience had told him was the single most important reason they loved his film he responded, “Everything in I AM already exists in their own hearts. I AM simply serves as a reminder of what they have known all along.”
Compassion, harmony, and a deep heart connection are key elements that are part of the global conversation I AM has started. Hope for humankind is underscored by scientific research, and provides evidence that supports what seers, sages, and saints have been telling people for centuries.
Bringing it to a Wider Audience
Shadyac on a very low budget managed to astound people globally, however getting a spot on Oprah Winfrey’s show presented what seemed to be insurmountable obstacles.
When Shadyac had his team contact Oprah’s team early on to bring his movie to her audience, he was told they didn’t “have a prayer” to get on Oprah in 2011.
Again, fate stepped in, this time in the form of Rosie O’Donnell. O’Donnell went to see I AM, and “flipped,” seeing it not only once that day, but many times! She called pal Winfrey and told her “she had to see it,” according to Shadyac. That began the talks between the teams and brought about the airing of I AM on Winfrey’s show New Year’s Day.
The way things have unfolded around this film are very interesting, and it is almost as if the cosmos seems to have “conspired” to support people seeing I AM in multiple ways. Shadyac has an informative website; people who see it are amazingly enthusiastic about it and share that in social media and personal conversations, and now Shadyac has formed a relationship with the global lifestyle media leader GAIAM, whose mission statement begins: “At Gaiam we know that positive change comes from within. Our focus on personal development, health & wellness and global consciousness shows us this path to transformation.”
Shadyac shared that I AM “shaped his focus, and I want to dive deeper and deeper into these subjects.” In the works is a book offer from Hay House Publishing, two upcoming comedies, one drama, and a possible talk show that centers around continuing the conversation started around the world by I AM.
“I AM” became available to the public through GAIAM on Jan. 3, a great way to start 2012!
Don’t miss this movie! Perhaps Chief Seattle was right when he said: “Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect.”
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