LDS cinema

Still from The Life of Nephi (1915)

LDS or Mormon cinema (informally Mollywood, a portmanteau of Molly Mormon and Hollywood^[1][2]) typically refers to films with themes relevant to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, though the terminology has also been used to refer to films that do not necessarily reflect Mormon themes but have been made by Mormon filmmakers. Many of these films are screened extensively within high LDS population centers such as Utah, Idaho, and Arizona and do not regularly reach mainstream viewers in other parts of the world.

LDS cinema films might be considered distinct from LDS Church movies like Legacy and Testaments, since they are commercial and not produced for teaching or proselytizing LDS doctrine. LDS cinema is usually produced and directed by Latter-day Saints. The films typically have LDS themes and are often marketed especially toward Latter-day Saints, though there has been an effort to "cross over" into more mainstream themes.

History

Films about Latter-day Saints are nothing new. The Church sponsored the production and release of the feature-length films One Hundred Years of Mormonism (1913) and The Life of Nephi (1914). Films about Mormons, especially lurid pulp fiction-inspired tales of hypnotic missionaries and Western pioneer stories, were a staple of the early silent, black and white film era. With films made primarily by LDS filmmakers for an LDS audience, the "LDS Cinema" movement is distinct from the broader use of Mormon characters in mainstream Hollywood films. The "LDS Cinema" movement began around 1999, when Richard Dutcher's company Zion Films released God's Army commercially. The film, which was produced on a budget of $300,000, grossed about $2.5 million at the box office and many more millions of dollars worth of video purchases. Observing the market success of God's Army, many other LDS studios began producing films.

Although God's Army dealt with the overtly religious subject of LDS missionaries, and many LDS comedies are sometimes incomprehensible to people outside the LDS Church, a growing trend moves toward making LDS-themed movies more broadly accessible. The acclaimed World War II movie Saints and Soldiers is perhaps the most successful crossover LDS film to date. More accessible films have been thought by some as likely to ensure larger potential markets. However, "accessibility" has not necessarily translated into greater box office earnings or critical acclaim than achieved by the more "insider"-oriented LDS Cinema films.

LDS comedies in particular have been panned by critics, who have branded most efforts thus far inaccessible and unfunny to those outside the intended market. Such movies have frequently been perceived as overly reliant upon the audience's extensive knowledge of LDS practices and LDS cultural norms.

MPAA ratings

One aspect of the culture of LDS cinema is heightened concern over MPAA film ratings. Many Mormons feel disinclined to view movies rated R, so LDS film producers risk greatly diminished revenue for exceeding a PG or PG-13 rating. One PG-13 film, The Book of Mormon Movie, Vol. 1, garnered its rating for depicting a decapitation that occurs in the Book of Mormon. Producers defended the scene as essential. Some critics leveled a common complaint about the MPAA – that it more harshly rates movies not from the major film studios. Nonetheless, producers re-edited the movie to earn a PG rating for DVD distribution. Another film, Saints and Soldiers received an R-rating prior to film festival screening. Producers edited the movie to receive PG-13 for commercial distribution.

Companies

• Excel Entertainment Group
• Feature Films for Families
• Halestorm Entertainment
• Living Scriptures, Inc.^{[citation needed]}
• Zion Films^{[citation needed]}

Films

Drama

• Brigham Young (1940) – Follows the story of Young's succession to the presidency of the Church, after founder Joseph Smith, Jr. was killed in 1844.
• God's Army (1999) – The first general release, modern Mormon cinema film, directed by Richard Dutcher.
  • God's Army 2: States of Grace (2005) – A sequel to God's Army, by Richard Dutcher
• Brigham City (2001) – A murder mystery, also by Dutcher.
• The Other Side of Heaven (2001) – Not by an LDS studio. Although special pains were taken to remove overt LDS references, it is often counted as LDS cinema because it was brought to fruition by an LDS producer, and is based on John H. Groberg's experiences in Tonga as a LDS missionary, as documented in his memoir In the Eye of the Storm.
• The Shadow of Light (2002) – Set in 1947, two young men break their truck in rural Utah. They go to the local bishop who helps them pick up work to pay the repair bill. They and the bishop's daughter get involved in solving a local mystery stretching from the late 19th century to the 1930s. A direct-to-DVD release.^[3]
• Handcart (2002) – A fictional love story surrounding the historical drama of the rescue of the Martin Handcart Company of 1856.^[4]
• The Book of Mormon Movie, Vol. 1: The Journey (2003) – An ambitious though critically panned film about the Book of Mormon.
• The Best Two Years (2003) – An LDS missionary's experience in the Netherlands, based on the play The Best Two Years of My Life.
• Saints and Soldiers (2004) – A World War II movie that has muted LDS overtones and significant mainstream appeal.
  • Saints and Soldiers: Airborne Creed (2012) – sequel
• The Work and The Glory (2005) – Based on Gerald Lund's LDS and historical fiction series The Work and the Glory.
  • The Work and The Glory: American Zion (2005) – sequel
  • The Work and The Glory: A House Divided (2006) – sequel^{[citation needed]}
• Return with Honor (2007) – A returning missionary killed in a traffic accident is given 60 days to finish up his life.^{[citation needed]}
• The Errand of Angels (2008) – The experiences of a female LDS missionary from Idaho serving in Austria.
• Emma Smith: My Story (2008) – The story of Joseph Smith's wife, Emma. Based upon the true story of her life.
• One Good Man (2009) – The experiences of a man who has been called to be a Bishop and must also deal with the normal stresses in life.^{[citation needed]}
• Joseph Smith - Volume 1: Plates of Gold (2011) – The story of Joseph Smith and the translation of the Book of Mormon.^{[citation needed]}
• Christmas Oranges (2012) – Based on the children's book by Linda Bethers.^{[citation needed]}
• The Saratov Approach (2013) – Based on the true story of two missionaries kidnapped and held for ransom while serving LDS missions in Russia in 1998.

Romance

• Saturday's Warrior (1989) – Popular release among Latter-day Saints of the De Azevedo and Stewart musical, directed by Bob Williams
• Jack Weyland's Charly (2002) – Based on the successful LDS fiction novel of the same name by Jack Weyland.^{[citation needed]}
• Out of Step (2002) – A young dance student leaves Utah for schooling in New York City. She falls in love with two different men and must choose between them.
• Pride and Prejudice: A Latter-Day Comedy (2003) – Modern adaptation of the Jane Austen novel Pride and Prejudice, set in Provo, Utah.
• Beauty and the Beast: A Latter-Day Tale (2007) – A modern adaptation of Beauty and the Beast, set in an unnamed land.^{[citation needed]}
• Anxiously Engaged (2007) – A cowboy from Montana working in London has a fiancée, but is required by her grandfather to first find someone to marry her older sister. This film was formerly titled Piccadilly Cowboy.^{[citation needed]}
• Midway to Heaven (2011) – Based on the novel by Dean Hughes; a widowed man tries to sabotage his daughter's relationship from a know-it-all man who drives him crazy, while trying to get a second chance in love.^{[citation needed]}

Comedy

Several comedies, mostly produced by Dave Hunter, have also been released. Because the humor of these films often relies on specifically Utah-centric Latter Day Saint culture, they tend to have a smaller audience than the other LDS sub-genres, even among Mormon viewers.

• The Singles Ward (2002) – The title refers to an LDS congregation (ward) composed only of single adults. A comedy with romantic aspects.
  • The Singles 2nd Ward (2007) – A sequel to The Singles Ward
• The R.M. (2003) – About the experiences of a returned missionary.
• The Work and the Story (2003) – A mockumentary about LDS cinema when Richard Dutcher (fictionally) disappears. Written, produced and directed by Nathan Smith Jones; co-produced by Miriam Smith.
• The Home Teachers (2004) – Slapstick comedy about polar opposite home teachers that "fulfill" their responsibility on the last day of the month. "Home teaching" is the LDS practice of a home teaching companionship – a holder of the Melchizedek Priesthood and a 14-year old teacher or older – visiting and teaching families in their ward each month.
• Baptists at Our Barbecue (2004) – Longfellow – consistently called "Longwinded" by the inhabitants – is a small town that is religiously divided equally between Baptists and Mormons. A newcomer becomes the tie-breaker. Rather than tilt the scales he decides to bridge the religious divide by organizing an all-faiths barbecue. Based on a novel by Robert Farrell Smith.
• Sons of Provo (2004) – Mockumentary about an LDS boy-band named Everclean.
  • Sons of Provo: Confidental (2005) – The "true" story about the break-up of Everclean (fictional).^{[citation needed]}
• Mobsters and Mormons (2005) – After testifying against his mob boss, Carmine "The Beans" Zindelli Pasquale and his family are put in the Witness Protection Program in "Happy Valley", Utah, resulting in significant culture clash.
• Suits on the Loose (2005) – Two escapees from a youth detention camp in the Mojave Desert assume the identities of two Mormon missionaries whose car they stole.^{[citation needed]}
• Down and Derby (2006) – Slapstick comedy about the lengths, and depths, to which some fathers will go to "help" their sons win the Cub Scout pinewood derby. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a strong supporter of Boy Scouts of America including the Cub Scouts programs, although no overtly LDS themes are present in the movie.
• Church Ball (2006) – In the last year of a basketball league, a church team does not want to place last again. The storyline centers around the juxtaposition between a desire to win at all costs and an expectation for sportsmanlike conduct in church sports.
• Scout Camp (2009) – The Fire Dragon patrol, and their scout leader spend a week at Camp Rakhouta.^{[citation needed]}
• Unitards (2012) – Three odd-ball high school students put on a guys-only dance team in order to bring back their school spirit.^{[citation needed]}
• Inspired Guns (2014) – Two Mormon missionaries begin teaching two members in the mafia in a case of mistaken identity.

Fantasy/Adventure

• Passage to Zarahemla (2007) – A time-travel/parallel universe adventure set in the rural area of Leeds, Utah wherein characters from modern times interact with Nephites and Gadianton robbers (tribes and groups mentioned in the Book of Mormon).
• One Man's Treasure (2009) – A group of missionaries re-open an area and find a journal with a clue that leads them on a treasure hunt.^[5]
• 17 Miracles (2011) – Based on the true story of the pioneers of the Willie and Martin handcart companies struggling to survive to head to the Great Salt Lake Valley while a multitude of miracles occur.
• Ephraim's Rescue (2013) – Prequel/Parallel to 17 Miracles. The story of Ephraim Hanks who joins the LDS church and miraculously saves the Martin handcart company.

Documentary

• American Mormon (2005) – A small film crew drove across the United States interviewing people about their perceptions of Mormons.
• New York Doll (2005) – A recovering alcoholic and recently converted Mormon, Arthur "Killer" Kane, of the rock band The New York Dolls, is given a chance at reuniting with his band after 30 years.
• American Mormon in Europe (2006) – Interviews with people in Europe about their perceptions of Mormons, and interviews with European church members.
• Happy Valley (2008) – Documentary about prescription and street drug abuse in Utah County, Utah.^[6]
• Sisterz in Zion (2006) – A group of girls who are LDS converts in New York City cross cultural boundaries at Especially for Youth (EFY) in Provo, Utah.^{[citation needed]}
• Nobody Knows: The Untold Story of Black Mormons (2008) – A documentary about the Black Mormon experience.^{[citation needed]}
• Journey of Faith (2006) – A documentary showing archeological path of the Book of Mormon in the Middle East.^{[citation needed]}
  • Journey of Faith: The New World (2007) – A documentary about Book of Mormon evidences in the Americas.^{[citation needed]}
• Finding Moroni (2010) – A documentary about Book of Mormon evidences in the Americas.^{[citation needed]}

Television

• The Joseph Smith Papers (2008–2009) – Documentary television series which documented the creation of, and work involved in, Joseph Smith Papers Project.
• Messiah: Behold the Lamb of God (2009–2010) – Seven-part documentary television series which focuses on the life of Jesus Christ.^{[citation needed]}
• History of the Saints (2010) – Documentary television series which focuses on the history of the Latter-day Saints after the death of Joseph Smith, including their exodus to Utah.

Box office

(*) Box office results courtesy of Box Office Mojo.^[7]

See also

• Christian film industry

Notes

Further reading

• Astle, Randy; Burton, Gideon O. (2007), "A History of Mormon Cinema", BYU Studies 46 (2): 12–163 

External links

• LDS cinema
• "LDS Cinema Gets Better and Gets a Bum Rating" by Thomas Baggaley
• LDS Film Festival