LDS cinema

Still from The Life of Nephi (1915)

LDS or Mormon cinema (informally Mollywood, a portmanteau of Molly Mormon and Hollywood[1][2]) usually refers to films with themes relevant to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 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, gained 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 awards a higher rating to movies not produced by 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.

Selected notable companies

Selected filmography

Drama

Romance

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 subgenres, even among Mormon viewers.

Fantasy/adventure

Documentary

Television

Box office

Title Year Studio Actors Director Budget Gross
The Best Two Years 2003 Halestorm Entertainment K.C. Clyde, Kirby Heyborne, David Nibley, Cameron Hopkin, Scott Christopher, Michael Flynn Scott S. Anderson $400,000 $1,163,450
The Book of Mormon Movie, Vol. 1: The Journey 2003 Halestorm Entertainment Noah Danby, Kirby Heyborne, Jacque Gray, Bryce Chamberlain, Jan Gardner, Ron Frederickson Gary Rogers $1,500,000 $1,680,020[6]
Brigham City 2001 Zion Films Richard Dutcher, Matthew A. Brown, Wilford Brimley, Carrie Morgan, Jongiorgi Enos, Tayva Patch Richard Dutcher $900,000 $852,206
Charly 2002 Jeremy Hoop, Randy King, Heather Beers Adam Thomas Anderegg $950,000 $813,685
Forever Strong 2008 Lonesome Highway Productions Sean Faris, Gary Cole, Penn Badgley, Arielle Kebbel, Sean Astin, Neal McDonough, Olesya Rulin Ryan Little $719,556
God's Army 2000 Zion Films Matthew A. Brown, Richard Dutcher, Jacque Gray, DeSean Terry, Michael Buster, Luis Robledo, Jeff Kelly, John Pentecost, Lynne Carr Richard Dutcher $300,000 $2,637,726[7]
God's Army 2: States of Grace 2005 Zion Films Lucas Fleischer, Jeffrey Scott Kelly, J.J. Boone Richard Dutcher $800,000 $203,144
The Saratov Approach 2013 Three Coin Productions, Saratov Films Corbin Allred, Maclain Nelson, Nikita Bogolyubov, Alex Veadov Garrett Batty $ $2,146,999[7]
Inspired Guns 2014 Pitch White Entertainment Shona Kay, Dashieli Wolf, Jarrod Phillips, Rick Macy, Charan Prabhakar, Christian Busath, Alix Maria Taulbee Adam White $175,000
The Other Side of Heaven 2001 Walt Disney Pictures Christopher Gorham, Anne Hathaway Mitch Davis $7,000,000 $4,720,371
The R.M. 2003 Halestorm Entertainment Kirby Heyborne, Daryn Tufts, Will Swenson, Britani Bateman, Tracy Ann Evans, Merrill Dodge, Michael Birkeland, Maren Ord, Gary Crowton Kurt Hale $500,000 $1,111,615
Saints and Soldiers 2003 Excel Entertainment Group Corbin Allred, Alexander Niver, Kirby Heyborne, Lawrence Bagby, Peter Aste Holden Ryan Little $780,000 $1,310,470
Saturday's Warrior 1989 Fieldbrook Entertainment Erik Hickenlooper, Cori Jacobsen, Davison Cheney, Bart Hickenlooper Bob Williams
The Singles Ward 2002 Halestorm Entertainment Will Swenson, Connie Young, Kirby Heyborne, Daryn Tufts, Michael Birkeland, Lincoln Hoppe Kurt Hale $500,000 $1,250,798
The Work and the Glory 2004 Excel Entertainment Group Sam Hennings, Brenda Strong, Eric Johnson, Alexander Carroll, Tiffany Dupont, Jonathan Scarfe Russell Holt $7.5 million $3,347,647
Meet the Mormons 2014 Excel Entertainment Group & Intellectual Reserve, Inc. Jermaine Sullivan, Ken Niumatalolo, Carolina Muñoz Marin, Bishnu Adhukari, Gail Halvorsen, Dawn Armstrong, Jenna Kim Jones Blair Treu $5,883,132 (all proceeds donated to the American Red Cross)

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Hyde, Jesse (21 June 2003), "Let's hear it for Mollywood", Deseret News
  2. ↑ Hummel, Hummel (6 November 2005), "Mormon filmmakers hoping Utah can be a wholesome Hollywood", The Seattle Times (AP)
  3. ↑ Films by Latter-day Saint Filmmakers Comparison of Box Office Receipts
  4. ↑ Happy Valley
  5. ↑
  6. ↑ Box Office Mojo:Book of Mormon Movie
  7. 1 2 Box Office Mojo yearly box office stats

Further reading

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