(Also known as At Sachem Farm)
(c) 1998. One of my very favorite movies of all time, Uncorked is a must-see, 5-star movie for anyone who struggles with Life Purpose and not allowing themselves to do what they love. One of my MasterMind Partners lent me the movie and told me I must watch it. She had been watching every night before she went to bed for weeks. I can see why. Here’s the trailer link: Uncorked Trailer
Filmed on a farm in California’s Simi Valley this romantic British comedy directed by John Huddles and filmed in part by Mark Vicente (who also filmed the Celestine Prophecy and What the Bleep Do We Know) is one of the most enlightened and enjoyable movies I’ve seen. Sometimes we don’t know what we are good at and think we can’t make money at what we love, but this movie shows how the Universe and often our own family conspires for our good in helping us to release the gifts from our souls that are most aligned with what the world really needs.
As one reviewer writes about the film: Why does a holy man sit alone atop a mountain? Answer: To gain perspective. Which in the end is what this film is all about– finding the right perspective on life; figuring out what it is you were truly meant to do or be. And it points out nicely that the wisest among us are often the very ones we are prone to ignore or dismiss. Uncorked (“At Sachem Farm“), is a small film that in the end has a substantial message that is profound. Some people found it slow in the beginning, but all reviewers loved the movie by the end.
Rufus Sewell plays Ross, the bungling entrepreneur who lives with his uncle Cullen (Nigel Hawthorne) and brother Paul (Michael Rodgers). He is trying to sell his family’s last asset, a fine wine collection, to keep the family farm going and to purchase the mineral rights to a manganese mine which he thinks will bring in millions of dollars. He is in love with Kendal (Minnie Driver), a successful businesswoman, who is in love with Tom (Gregory Sporleder).
Minnie brings her friend Laurie (Amelia Heinle) on vacation to Sachem Farm and is secretly trying to set her up with Ross so she won’t have to marry him. Ross sees Laurie as a potential mate for his brother Paul who is something of a hermit and prefers to live in the forests and fields that surround the farm, cultivating gardens out of the wilderness. Laurie is an old soul who falls in love with Ross the minute he connects to the music within himself.
Everyone around Ross knows that playing his guitar IS his life purpose, but he’s convinced that he needs to act “responsibly” and make money in various ways to keep the farm going, his uncle cared for and to provide funds for his brother’s passion which is the garden. He’s so busy doing what he’s doing, he’s lost touch with reality and living in the present.
Nigel Hawthorne plays Uncle Cullen, Ross’ very eccentric, subtly flamboyant, calculating, whimsical uncle who looks like he could be the leader of an ashram he’s so calm and centered. Uncle Cullen has special-ordered a twenty cubit high pillar which arrives after Ross has left for town one day after his uncle Cullen has nearly driven him mad. Cullen subsequently takes up residence on top of the pillar, without any intention of ever coming back down. “The world needs more people doing nothing. I think the world could use a few more people capable of sitting still instead of scrambling around trying to do things.” he tells Ross who is aggravated that everyone around him seems to be doing nothing to help him with his plans to purchase the mineral rights to the manganese mine that will set them up for life.
Cullen, who is managing those around him in his quirky way from on top of his pillar, asks Kendal to come visit him after several days of contemplation. He has a job for her and it involves Ross’s soul. She is afraid of heights so hires a lift truck to raise her up to the top of the pillar. As he hands Kendal a shopping list that will cost her $20,000 to fulfill, she looks at it and says, “This will cost a fortune!”
He replies, “Money is only a form of congealed energy. Aren’t we lucky you’re loaded.” He says with a coy smile. “Let’s pool our resources. If you do this for me, I’ll give you what you want—Tom.”
To get Tom to get his life back into perspective, he surprises him (I won’t tell you how and ruin the movie for you.) Ross watches the event from the house and later asks his uncle, “What have you done to Tom?”
“His karma was constipated. I gave him an enema.” Cullen simply replies.
At one point in the movie Cullen says to Ross, “Have you ever wondered why all these things you’ve been doing are so hard for you? Could it be that you are not supposed to be doing them?”
There are two guitar solos in the movie. Mr. Tang (Keone Young) plays the first solo and it is one of the funniest scenes I’ve seen, one that I laugh at still, but the best solo part of the movie is when Cullen conspires with Lori to get Ross to play his guitar which has been in storage for over two years. “I’ll talk to your brother Paul (Michael Rodgers) if you play the guitar for us.” Lori said to Ross.
When the music from within is finally release with passion, it can change the world.
When you listen to Ross’ solo, you will know this to be so. I was caught up in the beauty of the music so much so that I’ve replayed that particular scene more than twenty times. I simply must order the CD! And I realized that I need to be more pointed in financially supporting those who share their gifts to the world instead of giving mindlessly to people and things that are not given to the world with love.
The movie ends with Ross talking about his story. He says, “It’s so easy to lose perspective on your life. It’s also not as hard as you think to get your perspective back. I thought I was here to save my family. It turns, out my family was really here to save me.
This will be one of my most favorite movies for a very long time.
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