IN A NUTSHELL:
The movie begins in 1838 right after Joseph Smith and other religious leaders surrender to the Missouri Militia under threat of extermination and end up in Liberty Jail, a very ironic name for a prison with horrible conditions. Joseph and several other leaders in the church were held there for 155 days while members of the church outside the prison walls were terrorized by mobs. The film is based on actual recorded accounts.
Those who are not members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will most likely be unfamiliar with this part of church history and the people involved in the telling of it. It's not the preachy movie you might be expecting but feels more like a Western with surprising heart.
TIPS FOR PARENTS:
Kids might be bored quickly. So will some adults.
Shooting with guns.
Talk of mobs eager to kill people
THEMES:
Blinded by hate
Justice
"The loudest voice is that of public opinion." - Shawn Stevens
Obeying the law vs. following your heart
Perspective
THINGS I LIKED:
Some beautifully artistic details with camera work by Jeremy Prusso and direction by Garrett Batty.
I love Jasen Wade in any movie he does. He's always the best actor in any cast. In this film, he plays Samuel Tiller, the jailer, and it is from his point of view the story is uniquely told. You've probably seen him in movies like 17 MIRACLES, SAINTS AND SOLDIERS: AIRBORNE CREED, THE COKEVILLE MIRACLE, although he has been in many more LDS films.
I appreciated Corbin Allred's accurate portrayal of Porter Rockwell's high-pitched voice. Most people will recognize him from his roles in the movies THE SARATOV APPROACH and SAINTS and SOLDIERs AIRBORNE CREED. Did you know he was actually in the movie ROBIN HOOD MEN IN TIGHTS ?
The scene when the wives visited their husbands in Liberty Jail was very touching and even got me teary-eyed.
I recently heard Carrie Wrigley speak and sing at BYU Education Week, so it was fun to see her in this movie, even for just a brief moment.
The music is absolutely lovely, scored by Robert Allen Elliott.
I always love it when information is shared with the audience at the end of the movie to explain what happened next with the real people portrayed in the film. I only wish more had been offered with this movie.
The cast includes Larry Bagby, Adam Johnson, Corbin Allred, Brandon Ray Olive, Shawn Stevens, Brock Roberts, Cyrus Daniels, Eric Wood, Morgan Gunter, Carrie Wrigley, and the fantastic Jasen Wade.
Emily Jacobson did a nice job with costume design. Sometimes period pieces can look more like costumes than authentic clothing to set the tone.
I noticed that a Kickstarter fund was used to get this movie going. Isn't it amazing what can be done when we all pitch in?
If you're a fan of GENTRI: The Gentlemen Trio, you'll love seeing Casey Elliott in the movie as Hyrum Smith.
Sidney Rigdon is portrayed as a self-serving coward. In fact, many of these men held captive in Liberty Jail are not represented in the best light, like most LDS films usually do. Instead, the movie captures their lowest moments as they struggle with their faith. That is what makes this movie powerful, different, and insightful.
THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE:
Brandon Ray Olive did a fine job as Joseph Smith, although he looks less like the Mormon prophet than I've ever seen in any other movie about him. He is not a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint, but I'm told he was very careful to portray Joseph with respect and kindness. You might have seen him before in LOGAN LUCKY, NCIS, CSI, or HBO's MOSAIC.
Some movie-goers will hope for lots of action and may be disappointed that it's one of those "talking" movies.
Lots of disgusting and humorous talk and display of feces.
Some of the acting isn't very good.
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