I can remember exactly where I was when I stumbled across the 1996 film called The Sunchaser . (I was working as the overnight guy in radio at the time and found it channel surfing late one night while staying at a relative’s house.) It had an impact on me. “Offbeat” is the first word that pops to mind when trying to describe this unique film. It was directed by Michael Cimino, perhaps best known as the writer/director of The Deer Hunter, and stars Woody Harrelson as mega-yuppie physician Dr. Michael Reynolds along with Jon Seda as teenage inmate/patient Brandon “Blue” Monroe.
If I had to pick one central theme to The Sunchaser, it’s healing. While the two main characters are very different, they both are in need of it. Dr. Reynolds leads an extremely materialistic/country club type of lifestyle while “Blue” is a desperately sick teen from the wrong side of the tracks. Seda is very believable as a streetwise, angry young man who’s determined to live despite any number of cards being stacked against him. The two characters wind up on a purpose-driven road trip through the Southwest. The film also explores Native American and New Age spirituality as part of the overall “vibe” of healing.
This film never was going to be a blockbuster and it won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. It’s definitely offbeat, and might be described as disjointed in parts. Some will even say it’s predictable. However, the beauty of The Sunchaser may be its ability to show the common ground between the two main characters. They’re both flawed, but still have their likable qualities.
Who’s the bigger weirdo… The guy who believes in magic mountains or the guy who doesn’t? This affirmation is my favorite quote from The Sunchaser:
May beauty be before me.
May beauty be behind me.
May beauty be above me.
May beauty be below me.
May beauty be all around me.
Till next time, keep your Mojo on the Horizon.
Mojo Horizon 