There is nothing like the way people feel after they've seen 'The

The film producer Harvey Weinstein once said: “There is nothing like the way people feel after they’ve seen The Intouchables. They feel amazing. The word of mouth on this film is incredible. It’s intelligent-feeling good. You’re not insulted by the low-browness or stupidity of some of the humor. It’s so smart and terrific.” In this reflection, he speaks not merely of a movie, but of a rare kind of artistic joy — the joy that uplifts without deceiving, that entertains without degrading, that awakens the heart even as it makes us laugh. It is the joy of intelligent goodness, a harmony of humor and wisdom, of laughter and dignity. In a world where much that is popular is shallow, Weinstein celebrates a creation that ennobles even as it delights.

To call The Intouchables “intelligent-feeling good” is to reveal the deeper hunger of the human soul — the desire to be moved, not merely amused; to laugh, but also to be changed. This is the difference between the fleeting pleasure of distraction and the lasting joy of connection. The ancients would have said that this is the difference between hedone and eudaimonia — between the sweetness of the moment and the fulfillment of the spirit. The former fades with the credits; the latter lingers long after, lighting the soul like an eternal lamp. The Intouchables achieves this by uniting humor with humanity, laughter with love.

In this sense, Weinstein’s praise transcends cinema — it becomes a meditation on the power of storytelling itself. For stories that touch both the mind and the heart are the most sacred of all. They do not demand reverence; they earn it. They remind us that intelligence and emotion are not enemies, but partners in the dance of understanding. True humor, like true wisdom, makes us more human. When we laugh at the right kind of story — one that honors truth rather than mocking it — we are cleansed of cynicism, and our capacity for empathy grows. This is the laughter of the enlightened, the laughter of recognition and renewal.

Consider the ancient comedies of Aristophanes, or the tales of Aesop, whose fables used wit to convey eternal truths. Both entertained their audiences, yet behind their mirth was a structure of meaning. The laughter they inspired was not cheap, but transformative — it cleared the eyes of the spirit, allowing people to see virtue and folly more clearly. So too does The Intouchables, a modern descendant of that ancient art, remind us that laughter can be noble when it springs from understanding rather than cruelty. Weinstein’s admiration thus echoes across the ages: he honors the sacred tradition of joy with intelligence, of humor with heart.

There is also in his words a defense of dignity in art. He speaks against the kind of “low-browness” that treats the audience as fools, that panders to the basest instincts rather than appealing to the better angels of the human mind. When humor descends into vulgarity for its own sake, it diminishes both the speaker and the listener. But when it is rooted in truth, it uplifts. To laugh with wisdom is to honor life itself; to laugh without thought is to mock it. Thus, Weinstein’s praise becomes a call for artists and audiences alike to seek meaning in their mirth, to choose laughter that ennobles rather than laughter that numbs.

The lesson here is clear and timeless: do not settle for pleasure that leaves you empty. Seek instead that which stirs your heart and strengthens your spirit. Whether in art, in conversation, or in the way you live, let your joy be intelligent, let your humor be kind, let your laughter be illumination, not escape. For the joy that is mindful is the joy that lasts — the joy that teaches you how to live more fully, more honestly, more compassionately.

And so, remember this: the greatest works of art, like The Intouchables, are not those that merely entertain, but those that awaken. They remind us that laughter and love are not opposites, but reflections of the same divine truth — that to be truly human is to feel deeply, to think clearly, and to smile despite it all. Cherish the creations that make you both laugh and grow, for in them lives the secret harmony of life: intelligence joined with joy, wisdom wedded to warmth — the rarest and most radiant kind of happiness.