The Wisdom of Happiness movie review by Movie Review Mom

MOVIE TITLE: The Wisdom of Happiness

The film was released in theaters back in October 2025, but is now being released on streaming platforms in September 2026.

RATING: Not Rated (Family-Friendly Documentary, but take note of the “Tips for Parents” section below.)

LENGTH: 1 hr. 30 min.

Movie Review Mom GRADE: A-

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IN A NUTSHELL:

The Wisdom of Happiness is a heartwarming, deeply inspirational documentary featuring an intimate, direct-to-camera conversation with His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso. Executive produced by Richard Gere and Oren Morkda, and directed by Barbara Miller and Philip Delaquis, this cinematic portrait serves as a gentle reminder that true, lasting joy comes from within, rooted in compassion, self-love, and our shared human connection.

With disarming clarity and deep humanity, the Dalai Lama invites us to imagine — and help create — a world where compassion is activated as our strongest force for change, and happiness is within reach for everyone.

Many years ago, I got to meditate with the Dalai Lama…along with 10,000 others at the California Governor’s Conference for Women! We all sat in an indoor arena and watched Maria Shriver interview him. After he humorously answered all of her questions, he led us in a special meditation. He was so cute and charming, as he would interrupt his own meditation to tell us a joke or interject a funny insight. He was absolutely delightful and wise. It was an amazing experience!

TIPS FOR PARENTS:

Language: None! Completely clean and wholesome.
Violence/Scary Elements: Brief historical archival footage touches on exile, destruction from war, geopolitical conflicts, and environmental challenges, including beatings and bloody violence.
Sexual Content: None.
Age Recommendation: Appropriate for all ages, though younger children may find the talking-head/interview structure a bit slow or boring. It’s best suited for tweens, teens, and adults who enjoy thoughtful, reflective documentaries.
We see a baby animal being born.

THEMES:

Universal compassion and kindness
Managing negative emotions like anger and fear
The interconnectedness of humanity and planet Earth
Inner peace as the foundation for global peace
Self-love and overcoming self-doubt
Oneness
Inner strength

THINGS I LIKED:

Up Close and Personal: The film feels like an intimate, one-on-one audience with the Dalai Lama. His infectious laugh and warm, radiant personality shine right through the screen!
Practical Wisdom: Rather than complex theological jargon, the Dalai Lama offers simple, actionable advice on dealing with everyday stress and toxic emotions.
Gorgeous Visuals: The archival footage is fantastic. The cinematography is absolutely gorgeous. Together, they complement the spoken message beautifully, giving viewers a chance to slow down and breathe.
Universal Message: You don’t have to be Buddhist to appreciate this film. Its message of love, tolerance, and empathy applies to people of all faiths and backgrounds. While he talks about a variety of topics, such as war, suffering, greed, communication, politics, and global warming, his main message is about conquering our emotions so we can be filled with compassion. He strongly believes compassion leads to peace of mind and true happiness.
The film flows gently and peacefully, just like the Dalai Lama himself. Nobel Prize winner, the Dalai Lama, is currently 90 years old. In this beautiful documentary, we learn more about him and his Buddhist philosophy on life and happiness. There are some serious truth bombs among his messages. Enjoy!
He shares how he felt so much unconditional love and compassion from his mother. You might be surprised to hear him say that he hopes for a female Dalai Lama someday because women have a greater sense of concern for others than do men.
English: It’s impressive and humbling that the Dalai Lama has spent many years trying to learn English. Sure, he has a heavy accent, but there are subtitles in the film that help you understand what he’s saying.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

Pacing: Because it relies heavily on direct-to-camera speaking and quiet meditation on ideas, viewers expecting a fast-paced narrative doc might find the tempo a bit slow. I read that some viewers actually fell asleep!
Familiar Territory: If you’ve read his books or watched previous interviews with the Dalai Lama, many of these core concepts will feel familiar, though they remain timeless and comforting. Some of his ideas about emotions and compassion feel repetitive, even though they are extremely important.
Can he relate? Being worshipped and idolized ever since he was a kid will make viewers wonder what he really knows about life and relationships. Because he doesn’t have the same financial concerns or marital problems that most of us experience doesn’t mean his advice isn’t applicable!

FUNNY LINES:

“I love myself!” (Said with a warm, cheerful chuckle when discussing how self-care and self-love are the starting points for loving others!)

INTERESTING LINES:

“Destruction of this planet is actually destruction of yourself.” – Dalai Lama
“We should take care of each other.” – Dalai Lama
“Compassion is the key factor.” – Dalai Lama
“Share together.” – Dalai Lama
“Any decision under strong emotion often becomes wrong.” – Dalai Lama
“The problem is when negative emotions develop, our whole mind is taken over and will not see objectively the reality. We really become slaves of our destructive emotions.” – Dalai Lama (SOOOO TRUE!!)
“The very purpose of our life is happiness, joyfulness.” – Dalai Lama
“Anger is destructive. Compassion is constructive. Anger and compassion cannot go together.” – Dalai Lama
“Whether or not we like it, we have to live together.” – Dalai Lama
“Through meditation, we can develop compassion.” – Dalai Lama
“So, according to my own experience, training of mind is the key factor for happy life.”