Soul's Code

Nick Nolte in a major spiritual cinematic release? Whodda thunk it? But the one-time action hero ("Farewell to the King," "Extreme Prejudice," "North Dallas Forty") and DUI'd party animal pulls off the role of a modern shaman disguised as a service station custodian with convincing presence. The movie's not really about him. The central character is based on Dan Millman, a real-life UC Berkeley gymnastic prodigy, whose over-the-top ego lands him in a hospital with a shattered body. His rehab parallels an inner evolution and devotion to living in the Now.

Karma points: The film's soundtrack and website are our favorites in this category. A perfect loop for inducing meditation, that signature track scores the scene in which Millman's character experiences a post-traumatic enlightenment.

Try it yourself: Peaceful Warrior

No. 7: Seven Years in Tibet