The Celestine Prophecy

The only extra of note here is a 25-minute making-of featurette, mixing on-set footage with the usual cast-and-crew interviews. Writer/producer James Redfield states that he had been approached by several studios wishing to turn his novel into a blockbuster movie, before he finally decided to do it himself, while his co-writer (and co-producer) Barnet Bain alludes ominously to the original screenplay's need for six or seven redrafts.

The lead actor Matthew Settle suggests his own recent 'restoration of faith' is reflected in his character's journey, and we also learn that when his co-star Thomas Kretschmann escaped from East Germany as a young man, he, like his character Wil, had to rely on intuition. These biographical titbits are apparently included to illustrate Redfield's claim to have "wanted actors that related to all this" – but perhaps Redfield did not quite have in mind Jürgen Prochnow's assertion that he likes his character Jensen, who is the murderous villain of the piece.

Perhaps most striking is the clear belief shown by Redfield and his wife/co-producer Salle Merrill Redfield in the ideas underlying the film. You might think that The Celestine Prophecy is just a substandard adventure thriller dressed up in spiritualist clothing, but for its makers, it would seem to be very much the real deal. Most viewers are likely to be less convinced.