The Sensei

Plot synopsis:
A Woman Warrior returns home. A Boy struggles to become a Man. Two destinies entertwine. The Master will give the final lesson. And the entire town will be changed by...The Sensei."You have a right to defend yourself against hatred"The story centers around McClain, a homosexual teenager who recently lost his lover to a lynch mob in a small, rural town in Colorado. Afraid for his life, he frequently tries to enlist in martial arts classes at a local dojo, only to have his applications mysteriously (read: deliberately) vanish. To further matters, the local minister turns the sermon at an Easter mass from the passion and resurrection of Christ to matters of Sodom and Gomorrah at the very sight of McClain and his mother entering the church to join in the ceremony. In the dojo's defense, they turn young McClain away not directly because of his sexual orientation, but because they fear losing their students over the matter. In fact, the family that runs the dojo has had some acceptance issues of their own to deal with, not just because of being Asian, but actually because of being multi-ethnic, with Irish, Asian, and even Filipino members and relatives. They're also of mixed faiths, with the grandparents devout Buddhists and one of their sons a Christian actively involved with the local church. The family has a very proud tradition of teaching the martial arts throughout the generations, a tradition that sadly is not open to the women of the family, as we learn when we are introduced to Karen O'Neil (played by the film's director D. Lee Inosanto), a black sheep of the family who returns to town to settle a small matter which is revealed later on in the film. McClain is cornered in the locker room after gym class and savagely beaten by the school bully, recently suspended from the football team (a move that lost him his scholarship, and the respect of his ex-convict brother). Desperate, McClain's mother approaches Karen and asks him to teach her son some fighting moves, in the hope he might have a fighting chance at defending himself. Karen is reluctant at first, but agrees to private lessons (emphasis on private, as Karen was denied her black belt thanks to the family's proud traditions), wherein she forms a strong and lasting bond with McClain. The lessons are put to the test when a fight breaks out in the school cafeteria, instigated by the bully (out on bail and awaiting a court hearing). McClain is able to subdue the attack, only to earn the scorn of the bully's older brother, who blames McClain for his brother's now-repeated incarceration. Things go south for Karen when her family finds out she's been teaching McClain, with her older brother the most (and, it turns out, only) disapproving, and she considers leaving town. McClain is devastated by her decision, and his attempts to outrun the pain sets him in the sights of the bully's intoxicated brother and his motley crew of hicks and hillbillies. Karen manages to come to the rescue in time, and the two just barely manage to hold their own against the brutes. As a result, everyone is hospitalized, but a small misunderstanding about bleeding wounds drives a wedge between McClain and Karen, leading him to think she's just as homophobic as everyone else. Karen's family arrives (even her disapproving older brother, now mellowed a bit) and Karen reveals the reason she came back has to do with her husband's death. She tells McClain that her husband, a boxer she'd previously said died of cancer, in reality had AIDS and passed it on to her (hence her concern over getting too close to McClain after she's severely wounded in the fight). What follows is how all these revelations are reconciled by the families, friends, and community at large.

Tags: good versus evil

Review:
Great Film.
I highly recommend The Sensei.
I was afraid at first that it would be a cheesy Karate Kid with a gay kid as the lead, but it was so much more than that.
The movie dealt with many levels of prejudice, including sexual orientation, race, gender, religion, and HIV.
It was touching while sending a powerful message.
The depiction of the victimization endured by the lead character was realistic and horrific.
Some parts of the film weren't quite as polished and smooth as a major production movie, but it is an independent film.
For anyone who has dealt with any sort of prejudice or hatred, this is a movie that will make you feel strong and hopeful.
For anyone who doesn't understand what GLBT youth have endured, be it 20 years ago or today, this is a movie that will open your eyes..
Finally -- A relevant martial arts film I can show to my students.
I am a martial arts instructor in Boston, MA.
I just watched this movie with a group of my adult students.
I was very pleased with the film, it's ambition, and Ms. Innosanto's vision to make a martial arts movie that represented the best the martial arts have to offer.
The film gracefully takes on some very tough subjects: racism, social phobias, bullying, the challenges of family dynamics, and more.
Well written and beautifully shot, this is a great film for anyone looking for a martial-arts-themed movie that goes beyond its genre of "punching and kicking" to get at the "battles" of real life.
I loved this movie, and strongly recommend it to anyone interested in martial arts, community activism, and social change.
Remarkable effort -- I would strongly recommend this film be used as a tool for teaching respect and tolerance in martial arts clubs, religious organizations, social groups, and even schools!.
Highly recommend.
This was a great movie, it really depicted the way things were in the 80's.
The story was a amazing it is so easy to get lost in the script.
The ending really does bring the movie together.
It movie gets better every minute, you spend the whole time wanting to know the characters and what is going to happen to them.
It is an amazing movie, I can't wait until the movie is out on DVD so I can have my own copy that I can watch whenever I want.
It is truly an amazing film, it is defiantly one of the bet movies that I have seen in a long time.
I would love for this movie to be show in the theaters in a wide release or at least in a limited release..
Moving film.
Both my husband and I saw "The Sensei" in Seattle, WA on 10/24/08.
We were touched by the emotion in the film and think the casting was excellent.
We appreciated that there were parts of the story that were NOT shown and left to the viewers imagination - that doesn't happen very often anymore.
We are bombarded with gore and detail - not in this film.
The ending was beautifully done and could have even been a bit longer.We also enjoyed the art in the film - especially "Karen's" art.
The only downside to this film was that there were several parts that were just too dark to be able to really see what was going on.
Some of the outdoor night scenes were especially tough to decipher.Congratulations for a job well done.
We will watch for it on DVD..
Incredible movie.
This movie was remarkable...
it made me go through such a wide range of emotions.
I loved the entire movie, because the emotion was palpable and Diana was a shining star.You should really consider this film for you next movie night, because it will give you everything that you want out of a movie.
This wasn't your typical "Gay" movie, because it went further than most movies do, it goes into the real story about what went down during this period in our history as LGBT people.
This was a sad story that has the possibility of inspiring everyone that gives it the chance.
Make sure that you think twice before moving past this one..
definitely worth watching.
I found this movie surprisingly good,Some unexpected twists, rich story line, good acting.
This is not a martial art movie, this is a good movie set in a martial art background.
Its difficult to decide which is better diana lee's acting or her martial arts both are top grade.
Louis Mandylor is quite touching with his role.
Generally good acting from everyone.
The fight scenes are the most realistic i have seen in a very long time.
None of the one person beating up 20 people that has become tiresome this days in martial art movies.It also shows the rich character and morale fiber which is what the martial arts is about not just hammering people to a pulp like MMA tries to portray..
a strong message.
this martial arts film is also a film about about prejudice,hypocrisy,intolerance and violence.those are some weighty issues.and the film doesn't shy away from them.in fact,it wades right into them head-on.there is one scenes that depicts someone being savagely beaten.the worst of it isn't shown,but is is implied and you do hear it off camera.this is no fluff piece bu any stretch of the imagination.it's well done and doesn't sugar coat anything.but you get to see some touching moments as well.it would be wrong to compare this to The Karate Kid.they do both have similarities but this one has a much stronger message whereas in my opinion The karate Kid was more focused on the entertainment aspect.when you go into his film,expect to be jarred.for me,The Sensei is an 8/10.
Hard hitting in more ways than one.
This film doesn't pull any punches when it comes to calling its characters out on their prejudices.
It's title applies to many concepts beyond the simple idea of a martial art mentor as in Karate Kid. The cast is strong and clearly committed to this project that had its challenges in getting completed because if its tenacious story.
I have seen this movie at film festivals in New York and Dallas and saw many men and women be entertained, amused and deeply moved to tears as I was.
It is sometimes hard to watch the truth on screen and I wouldn't bring a youngster to see it though teenagers are exactly the age that does need to be exposed to this subject.
I also really enjoyed the extra features on the DVD because the cast speaks so honestly about why they did this project, about what it meant to them.
Their feelings about the subject seem to have inspired their acting which required many of them to play ugly characters, when the interviews reveal they are the opposite in real life..
An amazing story that should be heard by all..
I just finished watching The Sensei starring Mike O'Laskey.
It's a great movie with an amazing story!
It tugged at all my heartstrings.
Growing up in a super religious family, I related to so many emotions the character Mic portrayed.
The montage at the end hit me the most.
It's the part of the movie that I think Mic felt happiest.
He has amazing personality traits I feel we share in common: nurturer, protector, kindred, and accepting.
I used to work at a kids summer camp as camp counselor.
I loved interacting with them and tried to be the best role model possible..
Flashbacks are a tool, not a weapon.
I appreciate the thoughts behind this film.
It makes points, if you can find them, that need to be seen and said and realized and remembered.Following the story takes strong dedication as the numerous flashbacks injure the story and misdirect the message.Diana Lee Inosanto and Michael O'Laskey II are good but not exactly convincing and they should be.
Their fighting is more convincing than their acting.Sab Shimono and Emily Kuroda delivered realistic performances but they were mostly in the background.McClain's female friend needs acting lessons.I admire the take on hate, ignorance, and discrimination.This is definitely the opposite of a Hollywood movie, but that shouldn't kill it.
Regardless of the flaws, it's worth watching two or three times to see what's happening.
The ideas were worth making into a movie..
Questions?.
I was a extra in the movie as one of the young martial arts kids in the movie.
I was with the crew a lot of the movie and i saw a lot of the things that happened.
It was also a lot of work.
One day i was there we had to retake on scene like 6 times.
It was a lot of fun to meet all the characters in real life and to be with people that are in other films such as Michael O'Laskey who has been in 3 other movies and has been a character in Power Rangers, Star Trek, Otward Bound, and The Mr.Show.
All in all he was a very interesting guy.
If you have any question on the movie or anything you would like to know that you have not found on this website give me a call or text at 970-520-9107..
A very moving tale, well written..
This was one of the best movies of the decade as a drama.
Well told, well written, beautifully acted, nice twist.
An inspiring tale for many audiences and worth any persons time every second of the movie.
The transformation of characters engages the audience as the script progresses.
The martial arts in the scenes are well filmed and appear to be very realistic.
Seeing a female Martial Arts Teacher is inspiring for women of all ages and breaking stereo-types on many levels of race, sex, and sexual orientation.
The strength of the movie comes through on so many levels and is heartfelt.
It is the type of movie that I would recommend to young and old alike..
I had expectations for this film, as I went to see it with members of my dojo, including my Sensei.
It explored and broke boundaries in film and in the martial arts.
Dealing with AIDS not in a metropolitan area but in a small town, racial barriers, genders in the martial arts (an issue that is still very prevalent), and sexuality are all here.
Though the film takes place in the 80's, it has a timeliness to what is happening in the US today.
Problems aren't completely solved here.
But The Sensei gives us an idea of where we can start to go without turning into a Lifetime movie.
And it does look great.
Made by people who give a damn about what they're doing, instead of worrying about the paycheck..
A Movie that reaches out to my soul and shakes it to pieces..
Once in your life you come across a movie that you feel that was made just for you and no one else!
That movie reaches out and grabs your soul and shakes it to its core.
The Sensei is that movie for me.
I have never experienced a movie that touches more chords in my life at one time than this movie.
I too am an HIV+, openly gay, martial artist who struggles to attain his black belt and more importantly to find his way in not only the martial arts community but through life to find the happiness and peace the martial arts is supposed to help the practitioner attain.
Even writing this review I become choked up thinking about the all that both characters have gone through with their families, communities, and themselves.
I may be a bit prejudiced in favor of this movie but I believe that EVERY martial arts instructor should show this movie to their students.
The martial arts action is also quite real in its movement and outcome as the main fight scene indicates.
But it is not the physical battles that make this movie worth watching; it is the use of the martial arts to help the characters deal with and overcome their mental and spiritual struggles.
One of the best movies ever written.