What Would Happen In A Feature Length Cinema Movie Of My Life?
@arthurchappell (44941)
Preston, England
December 9, 2015 2:11am CST
The title would probably be simply The Arthur Chappell Story. Casting would involve me at various ages in my life, from child actors to middle aged figures – I’d want top flight actors. I can picture David Morrisey (The Governor in The Walking Dead) as me as I am now, but he’d need to gain weight and wear a balding wig.
My Mum could be played by Helen Mirren, with Liam Neeson as my Dad, but he would get killed off early in a dramatic, sad scene. My Dad died alone in a café in Manchester in 1977, of Coronary Thrombosis, instantly, and probably painlessly. I was phoned up at school with the news, and my life was thrown into chaos. Neeson could squeeze a best supporting nomination out of that, surely?
Then there’s Guru Maharaj Ji, the charlatan mystic who’s cult, Divine Light Mission, sucked me in when I was in my deepest pit of self-despair. The cult is now known as The Prem Rawat Foundation. Bollywood actor Om Puri would be great in this role.
There could be the pretty girl role too, possibly played by Emma Watson, for the seductress who drew me in, knowing full well that she’d dump me in an Ashram dependent on a sect that taught me to fear my own thinking for four and a half years, before my rather easy non-dramatic escape and slow painful reversion to atheistic Humanism beginning in late 1985.
All the big action would be in the middle of the movie – the cult stuff – the new independent me story is my degree study, and struggles to get regular work, and my writing. It’s not as visual as the descent into Hell, and even following my false-messiah round the World to literally kiss his feet. After that, in visual terms, my life is anti-climax, though we haven’t seen the ending yet. I’m still improvising my way towards that one.
The poster taglines – Brainwashed! And ‘There’s one born every minute’.
Hopefully the World will only see me in 2D. Me in +3D and Imax doesn’t bear thinking about. Besides, there’s bound to be a new James Bond on in the same Multiplex.
Arthur Chappell
8 people like this
9 responses
@arthurchappell (44941)
• Preston, England
9 Dec 15
thanks - I am scripting it into a possible radio play based on my talks to ex-cult member groups at present
2 people like this
@JudyEv (382811)
• Rockingham, Australia
9 Dec 15
@arthurchappell It should make a great radio play.
2 people like this
@Jessicalynnt (50523)
• Centralia, Missouri
9 Dec 15
I dont think I'd want to watch a movie of my life, let alone put it out there for others to see lol
2 people like this
@arthurchappell (44941)
• Preston, England
9 Dec 15
I'm betting you would make for a great movie @Jessicalynnt
2 people like this
@arthurchappell (44941)
• Preston, England
10 Dec 15
@Jessicalynnt oh my movie will have me rescuing orphans, dealing with terrorists and curing all known diseases too naturally
2 people like this
@Jessicalynnt (50523)
• Centralia, Missouri
10 Dec 15
@arthurchappell perhaps, especially if I could do the whole "based on true events" but then make it like whatever I wanted! lol
2 people like this
@rocky1980 (530)
• Chandigarh, India
9 Dec 15
I liked the poster tag line, although this title also suitable for A film on a 'Jihad'. Om Puri is a good choice for Guru Maharaj Ji's Role. I'd like to hear the climax.
2 people like this
@arthurchappell (44941)
• Preston, England
9 Dec 15
it is scary for any ex-cultist to see how easily we could have become jihadists - their recruitment and indoctrination is often very similar
2 people like this
@Auntylou (4262)
• Oxford, England
10 Dec 15
@arthurchappell It is apparently much easier to convert an already religious person into a different faith, than to deal with an athiest
@softbabe44 (5815)
• Vancouver, Washington
9 Dec 15
You should be your own director.
2 people like this
@arthurchappell (44941)
• Preston, England
9 Dec 15
I wouldn't mind - I did direct my radio play
2 people like this
@softbabe44 (5815)
• Vancouver, Washington
10 Dec 15
@arthurchappell That's real good keep up the good work.
1 person likes this
@WorDazza (15826)
• Manchester, England
9 Dec 15
Blimey! That would actually make a good film.
A film of my life wouldn't be anywhere near as interesting as that!!
At least I wouldn't have to cast an actor to play my Dad during his 30s and 40s. All I ever saw of him were his legs sticking out from under the car!!!!
2 people like this
@arthurchappell (44941)
• Preston, England
9 Dec 15
sometimes that kind of minimalism makes a character work well though no doubt you would have wished to see more of your dad
2 people like this
@arthurchappell (44941)
• Preston, England
9 Dec 15
@WorDazza sounds quite a character - my grandfather thought of himself as a car mechanic but he was useless - he came to my house once and though my mum was out her car was still there. I explained to him that it wouldn't start so she had gone to work in a taxi. He insisted on trying to fix it for her and got her keys for it - he managed to set fire to her engine then went home leaving me to explain to her how her car engine was burnt out instead of just not going. 'Your dad' was all I needed to say.
1 person likes this
@WorDazza (15826)
• Manchester, England
9 Dec 15
@arthurchappell I did tend to speak to him a lot, usually while handing him the relevant tools, so there was plenty of communication, just not actually face to face!!!!
2 people like this
@Auntylou (4262)
• Oxford, England
10 Dec 15
I had a friend who followed that "guru" years ago. Glad you survived all that brainwashing
@arthurchappell (44941)
• Preston, England
9 Dec 15
thanks - it was a long time back but very much the biggest turning point in my life too - a real history defining moment for me
1 person likes this
