What the Bleep Do We Know!? (2004) Rated PG13 Starring: Marlee Matlin, Barry Newman, and Elaine Hendrix Rating: out of

Using a story -- featuring Oscar-winning actress Marlee Matlin as a depressed photographer -- as a catalyst, the film feeds the viewer soundbites from a number of experts in quantum physics and spirituality to "explain" reality and its effect on human beings as well as human beings' effect on reality.

One experiment conducted by a Japanese scientist, Dr. Masuru Emoto, took samples of water from a Japanese river and took photographs of them under a microscope. The first photo showed what one would expect water under a microscope to look like. The second photo was of water blessed by a monk. Its molecular structure was altered. It resembled a snowflake, with a definite crystal-like shape. Similar experiements showed that positive thoughts directed at samples of water altered their shape in a similar way, although each individual thought had a slightly different result. To connect what this means to the story of Amanda, the photographer, a man approaches her as she looks at these photographs and says, "If thoughts can do that to water, imagine what thoughts can do to us." And, then the message of What the Bleep Do We Know!? becomes somewhat easier to digest and process.

The film then directs its attention to the human body and explains that our thought processes are actually based on addictions to the chemicals our brains produce in certain situations. If one is habitually angry, its because that person seeks out situations that will provoke anger so that the body will produce a chemical and feed the addiction. It's then proposed that if one can change his or her thought processes to more positive things, the brain will actually rewire itself to be addicted to more positive situations, therefore causing an altering of one's reality in a positive way.

What the Bleep Do We Know!? is an entertaining and enlightening look at the nature of reality that few of us ever really stop to think about. While I'm not sure how much of the film will stay with me as time goes on, I will definitely never stop thinking about certain aspects of it and its message. If you're open-minded and don't mind devoting an hour and 45 minutes to exploring knowledge, this is definitely worth a look.

Trivia: Most of the footage for the narrative story was shot in Portland, Oregon. Interviews were taped in Washington State; Washington, D.C.; San Francisco, Philadelphia, Connecticut, Arizona and Oregon. (Source: The Internet Movie Database)