Watch The New Age

The New Age is a 1994 satirical comedy-drama film directed by Michael Tolkin, who also wrote the screenplay. The movie features an ensemble cast including Peter Weller, Judy Davis, Patrick Bauchau, Adam West, Patricia Heaton, and Rae Dawn Chong. The New Age is a film about a couple named Peter (Peter Weller) and Katherine Witner (Judy Davis) who live in a wealthy neighborhood in Los Angeles. Peter is a successful producer in the film industry, and Katherine is a former housewife who has found enlightenment in new age beliefs. The couple maintain a luxurious lifestyle that is all about keeping up with appearances.

The story begins with Peter and Katherine's lives taking a dramatic turn for the worse when Peter loses his job. They are soon forced to confront their financial situation, which exposes the cracks in their marriage. They soon find themselves disconnected from their former social circle and find themselves drawn to the world of new age spirituality.

The film is a satire of the new age movement with its emphasis on self-help and spiritual transformation. It parodies the beliefs and practices of the new age community, often exaggerating and absurdifying them. One example of this is a scene where a new age guru gives a seminar on how to achieve "authenticity" by drinking urine. It also pokes fun at the hypocrisy and self-absorption of the wealthy.

Peter and Katherine become entangled in a world of crystals, yoga, organic food, and spiritual healing. They attend workshops and seminars, becoming increasingly alienated from their old life. However, as they find themselves becoming increasingly disconnected from reality, they discover that their new age beliefs are not enough to save them from the harsh realities of life.

Throughout the film, Peter and Katherine's relationship becomes increasingly strained. They struggle to reconcile their new beliefs with their old lifestyle and are forced to confront the fact that they have been living a lie. The film portrays their search for spiritual fulfillment as a kind of collective madness or hysteria. It suggests that their new age beliefs are nothing more than empty gestures and that the search for spiritual fulfillment is, in itself, a form of escapism.

The New Age is a visually stunning movie, with beautiful Californian landscapes and bright, colorful interiors. The film’s production design is extravagant, reflecting the glamorous lifestyle that Peter and Katherine live. It contrasts their luxurious home against the gritty, harsh realities of Los Angeles.

The film’s satirical tone is enhanced by the use of voice-over narration. The narration is done by Peter and Katherine, often contradicting each other's perceptions of events, which adds to the film's satire of new age spirituality. The characters that they meet are often caricatured, parodying the eccentricities of the new age movement.

Peter Weller and Judy Davis give impressive performances as the central couple. They portray the desperation and frustration that come with financial collapse and existential crisis effectively. Davis delivers a strong performance as a woman who has found enlightenment but is still trying to navigate her relationship with her husband. Weller, on the other hand, plays a man who is completely lost and has no idea how to solve his problems.

All in all, The New Age is an engaging, thought-provoking, and humorous look at the pitfalls of the new age movement. The film's satirical tone is effective in exposing the ridiculousness of the practices of the new age movement while maintaining an engaging storyline. It is well worth a watch for anyone interested in examining the nature of spirituality, new age beliefs or the value of self-help concepts.

The New Age is a 1994 comedy with a runtime of 1 hour and 52 minutes. It has received moderate reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 5.7 and a MetaScore of 61.