Finding Joe can teach you how to slay a dragon

One thing I learned from Patrick Takaya Solomon‘s film, Finding Joe is that you should do at least one thing to make a fool of yourself every seven days. This will help you find your bliss.

Well, that shouldn’t be a problem. I do at least seven foolish things a day so I think I am right on track for “finding my bliss” as long as I can get the image of Daniel Franco from the first season Project Runway incessantly saying that out of my head.

Finding Joe borders on the line of a self-help book and documentary film. What makes it palatable is the use of the writings and philosophy of Joseph Campbell, who is THE man when it comes to American mythology. He’s the dude that brought “The Hero’s Journey” to the forefront. If you don’t know what the hero’s journey just watch any successful film like Star Wars or The Matrix or read any great novel. His philosophy, simply broken down, says that a hero leaves familiarity, goes on an adventure, encounters obstacles and then comes back home enlightened and a better person.

Solomon uses this philosophy and, with an Up With People-esque soundtrack, applies it to real life; encouraging people to find the hero in themselves in order to live the life they were meant to live. He succeeds in uplifting the audience — and me for that matter. And when something gives me hope and eclipses my cynicism, then that means it is probably worth something — nay — it is definitely worth something. It will push you to get off your butt and get happy.

It was almost in the school of “new thought” but the use of pop culture figures like Deepak Chopra, Mick Fleetwood, Rashida Jones, Tony Hawk, Catherine Hardwicke, Laird Hamilton, and Akiva Goldsman made it not so The Secret-y.

At the screening I attended, Solomon conducted a Q&A with the intimate audience after the screening. The one thing he admitted is that he did aim this film at younger audiences. This would explain the vignettes featuring boys illustrating the concepts of Campbell-ology such as slaying dragons (metaphor for fear) in order to reach their bliss. This pulsates in today’s “Born This Way” zeitgeist, but with less razzle dazzle and more sophistication.

That said, the movie may be good for kids, but adults can benefit from slaying their inner-dragons as well.

Finding Joe is currently playing in select theaters and opens in the San Francisco Bay Area on Friday, October 14. Visit findingjoethemovie.com for more info.