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September/October 2007 Living Now
Déjà Vu Explores Love and Commitment

by Stephen Simon

In Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, one of the most underappreciated films ever in spiritual cinema, the central theme emphasizes our ability and desire to retain our memories of loving another person. If a relationship ended badly, or if the memories were just too painful, would we and should we erase that memory entirely if we were given such an opportunity to do so? Just hit delete. If we did so, and we met that person anew, would we fall in love yet again? In essence, then, are our soul mates hardwired into our system so completely that any attempt to convince ourselves otherwise is the ultimate fool's errand?

Henry Jaglom's brilliant 1997 film Déjà Vu asks those kinds of questions, and is that kind of love story. It challenges us to look at our belief systems in a very frank, and some might feel, challenging and even controversial way. At the core of the film, it holds up a mirror to all of us who are in a relationship, shining a powerful light on the very underpinnings of that relationship.

What happens if you meet the person of your dreams, the one you've always known was out there somewhere, and that person is with someone else? And, to add an Olympic degree of difficulty, so are you. Déjà Vu posits just that question, and weaves it into a brilliantly conceived and deeply spiritual love story.

Stephen Simon, co-founder of Spiritual Cinema Circle, directed and produced the film Conversations with God. Déjà Vu is available through www.spiritualcinemacircle.com or 800-556-0129.