The Five People You Meet in Heaven (The movie)

[Amy Rose]

Hello everyone. When I was watching Extreme Makeover Home Edition tonight, I saw a commercial on ABC for Mitch Albolm's "The Five People You Meet in Heaven" the movie!! It will air on ABC on Sunday in 2 weeks at 8pm!!! From the commericial it looks really good!!! Just thought to give you all a heads up! Can't wait to watch it! :)
amy

[Gail]

If there is anyone left on here who hasn't read this book, I HIGHLY recommend it. It has remained on the best seller lists for over a year. The book is short and is an easy read. It is also very spiritual. Looking forward to seeing the movie. :)

[Jude]

LOVED the book -- very "quotable"! :) I hope the movie will do it justice.

Looks like Jon Voight will have the lead role, playing "Eddie", the amusement park maintenance worker.

I'm looking forward to it! :thumbsup:

[MNT2BE]

I was dissappointed with this book, but I loved "Tuesdays With Morrie".

And as an aside, the last time I saw John someone asked him what he thought of "The Five People You Meet in Heaven". He said he had not read it nor was he going to. He said (and I'm paraphrasing here) that Mitch Albolm had said some rude and very disparaging remarks either about him or to him. And he has a pretty thick skin....

[Sabine]

Loved the book :thumbsup: Can't wait to see the movie!

[chargeit2him]

Will be talking to the author this morning. They had a couple interviews with some stars asking what they thought heaven was like. Julia Roberts, Sean Connery.
Sandy

[Gail]

I saw the interview and I'm planning on watching the movie on Sunday. It is a 3 hour movie. Looks like it will really be good. Mitch Albolm believes that love lives on.

[Irish140]

I live in Michigan, and Mitch Albom has a nationally syndicated radio show here in Detroit, so I get to hear Mitch on a daily basis. He also writes a newspaper column in addition to his Sports columns and ESPN appearances(he's originally a sports reporter)...I guess you could say he's a true operational, multi-tasking, do-everything-at-once Gemini!

I used to love reading his columns...but I've been a little soured on him personally because of some of the comments he makes on his radio program. In fairness, he and I couldn't be more politically different, and I think that's got a lot to do with the fact that I turn him on every afternoon, usually end up screaming at my radio at something he says that I so totally disagree with, then proceed to change the channel over to Hannity's program. It's easier on my blood pressure. And I don't listen to him as much anymore, and it's also ruined my enjoyment of his columns. I wonder if I'm the only one he's alienated?

If the comments John heard about were said on Mitch's program,I wouldn't be surprised if they were inflammatory. I often wonder if Mitch really believes what he says 100% or if he just throws out comments meant to solicit emotional feed-back from his listening audience. You know, ratings are everything. Still, it's a cheap shot he took at John, in my opinion.

His newspaper column in the past has been so very often sensitive and thought-provoking. But he really is two people, I believe...and John must have felt his dark side.

One of the things I like about John Edward is that there just never seems to be any artifice from him...is that a New York thing? :) I mean, you never have to wonder where he's coming from...it saves time and energy. With Mitch, can he be that much of a paradox in real life? It would seem so.

Does anyone know what exactly was said?


Irish140

[Gail]

Watching it now. So far it's a great movie. At least in this case they've taken a good book and made it into a movie without trying to change the storyline.

[Amy Rose]

I'm watching it too---it's wonderful! Now I have to read the book! :)

[OtherSideTemp]

One of my all-time favorite stories and now one of my favorite movies, also. I absolutely loved the book when it came out for its simple yet profound message. An easy read? Sure. But a read with a message? Most definitely. I was looking forward to the movie for months, and was confident it wouldn't stray too far from the book since the author was also executive producer. Often, I dont like to see movies after I read the book because it ruins it for me, but most of what I envisioned was on the screen tonight, too. I was very impressed and very moved. Regardless of how he feels about John, there is no doubt he's created a spiritual masterpiece, in my humble opinion.

Oh, and if you haven't read the book yet, get it this week, sit down for a couple of hours and read it. You'll feel better when you do!

Temp

[Steluna]

...maybe I'd do better reading the book. By the way, Book-Page, free at most libraries, has John's last book as one of their recommended selections!

[ScubaCat]

I don't know what it was about this book. I picked it up in the book store several months ago and read through the first ten pages or so. I got nothing but bad vibes from it. I don't know why. :shrug: The story was simple enough. Even though I buy almost any spiritual book I come across, this one was not for me. I channel surfed past the movie last night and got the same vibe. Maybe some things are just not for everyone. I'm glad everyone else enjoyed it and got something out of it.

[czechchick3]

I'm with you ScubaCat. It seemed a little creepy to me. I'm not sure that the first person I'd want to meet would be someone who I had a part in their crossing, and then the fifth person to be someone I had directly effected in a horrible way as well. I'm sorry but I want my family first!

I guess I always thought of heaven as "soft place to fall into" and to me, this wasn't it.

[OtherSideTemp]

I agree with the last two posters in regards to the idea of heaven. I don't necessarily want to have to meet up with five people I didn't really know in life. I'd rather cut right to family. But I find the idea of meeting five people to be intriguing, nonetheless. When I looked deeper into the story, I realized that these five people were exactly the people Eddie needed to see. He was a depressed man, bitter toward life, who thought he meant absolutely nothing and had absolutely no purpose. And even though his history with a few of the people he met wasn't all that pleasant, he learned the greatest lessons from them-- that everybody has a place and purpose in the world, and that sacrifice is one of the best things you can do for someone else because it shows just how good a person you really are.

It's not for everyone but it worked for me! :)

Temp

[starlasue]

Well as JE always says, if you have lessons not learned here, you've got work to finish there ..... Eddie did get to his wife after he was purged of the baggage he carried over with him.

I enjoyed the movie and the books. I think the lessons in it are very good.

[Gail]

A very well known spiritual writer named Carolyn Myss wrote a book called "Sacred Contracts". This movie made me think of it. In her book she talks about us making contracts with other people before we come here. Those people contract to enter our lives at certain times to help us along our life path.

In the movie, everyone he meets seems to lead him to his life's work, being the man who keeps all the amusement rides safe. At the end, he enters his own heaven, filled with the smiling and loving people who were never killed or injured because of what he did for them.

[Beth]

I have to agree with Scubacat and Czechchick. I had to turn off the movie half way through because I found the images of war and his abusive father too negative and disturbing. I have not read the book and would still like to read it. I'm glad that it sends a positive message in the end.

[doodledink]

You may enjoy the book more than the movie. The images of those more negative life experiences are not as vivid or explicit in the book (or perhaps in my mind). It's been a while since I read it, and didn't watch the movie, so I'm a little fuzzy on the details, but know that I did enjoy the book.

[MNT2BE]

Irish140,
I saw John tonight at Westbury Music Fair and someone asked if he had seen this movie. He responded that he hadn't and that he wasn't a fan of Mitch Albolm's. He said he had been a guest on his radio show and that Mitch was an A*S!

[Irish140]

I have an e-mail in to Mitch right now, asking him to respond personally to this issue.I'll let you all know if/when I hear from him.

I wrote in care of our Detroit newspaper...if I hear nothing...I will write to him at another address.

I figured the most fair and constructive way to find out is to just ASK HIM!

Mitch is a pretty cut and dried type of person. If he sees my message, I can't believe he won't have the grace to at least answer it.

I'll let you guys know when I know.


Irish140

[Dawn]

I saw the movie last night and I really enjoyed it. Very thought-provoking...the part where he met the young girl was so moving! Now I have to read the book.
:thumbsup:

[postal2]

I saw the movie the other night and really enjoyed it. At first I wasn't sure about it, but in the end I thought it was very good.
Love and Light, Gail

[funnyface4tyler]

My daughter saw the movie and called me and told me i missed something special....so i think a 23 year old who just lost her 13 year old brother this summer,thought it was worth me to look at....well i think it is worth watching or reading. Thanks Cyndi

[CarolynB]

This movie is on again tonight on The ABC Family channel right now (8 ET).

[Antsmom]

I too saw the movie, I didn't read the book. Some of it, I believe, whereas he says that there are no random acts. But I personally think that we 1st meet our loved one before us and we all get our life review. Which one comes 1st, we'll find out one day. But with the (5) people he met and how they linked, I personally think that everyone we link with effects each other. So I would certainly think that they are many more than 5 people. I think he was just putting in "key" people for certain crossroads at a particular time. I would impossible to cover a person's life in a movie here. I wonder what was said about John. Irish, if you find out let me know....

Also saw Dr. Phil today. Great show on psychic's. I can't believe how gullible some people can be. Some were like 30K in debt over stupid stuff 'psychic's' told them, putting hexes on them and stuff. Real psychic's and medium's do charge, but no where near 30K, and they don't hex people!

Much Love,
Veronica

[Irish140]

As of today, December 21st, I haven't received a reply from Mitch about his remarks and his conversation with John.

I first e-mailed him through his Detroit newspaper site, where he writes his columns. This was about a week before the first airing of his movie.

Then, once his movie was shown, I tried to e-mail him through his own website. Could not get through, I imagine it was full due to the popularity of being on TV.

I tried sending it again through his website a few days ago.And still it came back. So, unless he's accessed his mail through his paper, he hasn't seen it yet. I was going to go to one of his book signings a week ago, but I'm still feeling a little under the weather, due to sickness.

Either he's too swamped with other stuff, or he's choosing to ignore the question. Really, I wouldn't be surprised if he just hasn't seen it yet or hasn't found the time to address it. He's pretty much a regular guy who's a workaholic. Let's wait and see and give him some more time.


Irish140

[Believer]

I just saw this movie on abc family today. It was beautiful and had a very inspiring and spiritual message.

Regardless of how Mitch comes across as a person and maybe he is an a#$, his higher power obviously came through in this book/movie. Lets face it, we all have one.

The interesting thing is that I was just doing errands around the house and I couldn't decide what to do next so I flipped on the TV and the movie was just starting. I feel like I was supposed to watch it today.

Like the character Eddie, for most of my life I've felt stuck, like nothing I've done had made any difference. I know now, of course, that that's not true and I especially got that message when I had my reading with Mary Jo McCabe on Sept. 22nd last year.

I feel like watching this movie today was just a little reminder from the Guides
that I'm doing OK.

I don't think however, that you meet only five people.;) but it's a good title.

[VTFlowerGirl]

I read the book and loved it - if I remember right I read the whole book in just a sitting or two because I couldn't put it down. It was fantastic!

However, the movie creeped me out, and I too found some of the images disturbing - I can't watch that kind of stuff as it creeps me out and I have bad dreams. But I loved the book. Maybe someday I'll give the movie another try, but I was disappointed.

[JBannister]

Recently I found this book in a free-box at the local coffee shop.

I must admit that I wasn't crazy about the book. However, the message it seemed to contain - at least for me - I think is an important one. Throughout our lives we meet many people. Often people we may not think of as being an important part of our lives are ones who influence, and at times change, the course of our life.

Julie