The Celestine Prophecy (film)

The Celestine Prophecy
DVD cover
Directed byArmand Mastroianni
Screenplay by
Based onThe Celestine Prophecy
1993 novel
James Redfield
Produced byBarnet Bain
Starring
CinematographyR. Michael Givens
Edited byMaysie Hoy
Music byNuno Malo
Distributed byCelestine Films LLC
Release date
  • April 21, 2006 (2006-04-21)
Running time
99 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$1.5 million[1][2]

The Celestine Prophecy is a 2006 American film directed by Armand Mastroianni and starring Matthew Settle, Thomas Kretschmann, and Sarah Wayne Callies. The film is based on James Redfield's best-selling novel of the same name. Because the book sold over 23 million copies[3] since its publication and has thus become one of the best-selling books of all time, Redfield had expected the film to be a success.[4] However, the film was widely panned by critics and was a box office failure, with a total worldwide gross of $1.5 million.

Cast[edit]

Plot[edit]

Having lost his job as a middle school teacher, John Woodson (Matthew Settle) finds himself at a turning point in his life. He takes a vacation to Peru, where he spends his time exploring and searching for the ninth scroll, lost from a set of eight ancient texts, rumored to reveal the future of humanity.

Reception[edit]

Box office[edit]

The Celestine Prophecy grossed $1.2 million in North America[1] and $286,444[2] in other countries for a worldwide total of $1.5 million.

Critical response[edit]

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 4% based on 23 reviews, with an average rating of 2.4/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Adapted from the bestselling self-help tome, The Celestine Prophesy [sic] is indifferently directed and acted, and its plotting is virtually tension-free."[5] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 23 out of 100, based on 10 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".[6]

Film critic Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle called the film "clumsy -- not merely unconventional but awkward in its narrative development and dialogue", and added: "characters are sketched in shallow terms".[7] In his top ten list of the worst films of 2006, LaSalle called it a "misbegotten film, an awkward, undramatic effort", and ranked it third on the list.[8] Mark Olsen of the Los Angeles Times said "the movie is flatly acted and extremely ill-paced, lacking any sense of urgency, momentum or fun".[9]

Bibliography[edit]

  • Redfield, James; Joynes, St Leger; Joynes, Monty (2005). The Celestine Prophecy: The Making of the Movie. Hampton Roads Publishing Company. ISBN 978-1-57174-458-6.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "The Celestine Prophecy (2006)". The Numbers. Nash Information Services, LLC. Retrieved October 20, 2012.
  2. ^ a b "The Celestine Prophecy (2006)". Box Office Mojo. Amazon. Retrieved October 20, 2012.
  3. ^ Dubecki, Larissa. Addressed to the nines, picking up good vibrations, The Age, March 22, 2008. Accessed September 30, 2008.
  4. ^ Caine, Barry (April 28, 2006). "Looking for enlightment in all the wrong places". East Bay Times. Retrieved March 24, 2018.
  5. ^ "The Celestine Prophecy (2006)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved March 24, 2018.
  6. ^ "The Celestine Prophecy Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved March 24, 2018.
  7. ^ Mick LaSalle. Smarmy take on 'Celestine Prophecy' isn't very fulfilling, San Francisco Chronicle, April 21, 2006. Accessed September 30, 2008.
  8. ^ Mick LaSalle. From Bad to Worst, San Francisco Chronicle, December 31, 2006. Accessed September 30, 2008.
  9. ^ Olsen, Mark. The Celestine Prophecy, Los Angeles Times, July 21, 2006. Accessed September 30, 2008.

External links[edit]