Saturday's Warrior

As somebody who grew up watching this movie, knows practically every song and can pretty much act out the entire script, this might be a bit biased, but please bear with me. The movie is about family above all. A brother promises his sister before he is born that he will make sure that she is born into their to-be large family. But when he's born, the veil is pulled over his mind and he forgets. The movie follows many subplots involving the other kids in the family as well as the parents and some of the kids' friends. But the main focus is on the older brother as he strays from the beliefs of his family and how he finds his way in life. True, the movie plays out like a community theatre project, but that doesn't make the film any less than any high-budget blockbusters out there.

It's a good family movie, and has many opportunities for children to ask their parents about some of the topics involved: religious beliefs, family problems that the characters are faced with, peer pressure, and romantic relationships, to name a few. You may love it (like me), you might hate it, you may or may not agree with everything, but at least give it a try.

I'll admit first of all that I loved the play. I saw it twice with different casts (one was the original). I had the soundtrack and played it all of the time when I was a Mormon missionary in the 80's. I still remember the words to all of the songs.

I caught the video of this the first time a few years back on the BYUTV channel and was hooked again. Yes, the acting has problems at times. Yes, I only give it a seven (because the original stage play was a ten and the second touring company was an 8). Yes, the special effects are kind of hokey. It does, however, have the ability to reel you in and make you care about the characters.

My son loves this video and sings along with all of the songs. He loves Kessler and Green.

I recommend this as a good FHE flick. Avoid, however, Starchild. It was the sequel that did not transfer well to video and has real sound problems.

This movie should be called "plan 9 from joseph smith." i think its weirdness is underappreciated. the playwright seems to have read paul ehrlich's "the population bomb (1968)," and crafted a musical response made especially for mormons. the whole point of the play is that having as many children as you can is part of "heavenly father's" (god's) plan. and anything that stands in the way of having more babies is very bad. get it?

This version was filmed in 1989, which is confusing. it's utah, so it looks and feels like 1983, the play was actually written in 1973, and of course, the theology is part 1840's, part battlestar galactica. some of the action takes place on earth and some in the "pre-existence, an aimless romper-room where annoying kids wait to get their bodies so they can come down try not to slam the door on the missionaries, losing their shot at celestial glory.

it is as stagey as they come, but don't let the poor theatrics spoil your appreciation for this demented mormon universe where the 'cool kids' are all into population control, (presumably) counseling their parents not to have any more children!! having big families was, at the time the play was written, the cultural norm in the lds community, and more importantly, considered part of God's plan. the church has since done a 180, and have made family planning a choice of the parents, and large families are much less the cultural norm now. making the entire doctrinal premise of the movie for a modern-day mormon moot!

ahhh but it's really only as good as the music. there are some catchy tunes here that just won't let this movie die the 1970's death it was pre-destined for. the brother and sister sing some love songs to each other that make you wonder if maybe something else was going on there --wink. and the tough, cool kids make new kids on the block look like metallica. so cheers to all that! gather the family around, make some jell-o shooters and enjoy the show!

My kids definitely don't consider this their favorite movie, but they do enjoy watching it. It has always sparked in them the desire to think and dream of what more there is to this life than just getting up, going to work and then going to bed.

It has sparked some very good questions about religious issues and the meaning of the title.

I'm surprised how much they know just from watching this movie.

I'd say that this movie has some good songs, but a few are downright boring. I own the CD too and I burned only the good songs to a CD for my daughters because they couldn't stand the others.

My final comment is that if you are tired of your kids hearing about E.D., sex, herpes, sex, erections, sex, STDs, sex, Cialis, sex, sex, and sex during commercials and TV shows, this is a great movie regardless of your religion. I mean, I even have to mute the commercials in the middle of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition because I don't want my kids hearing, "If you have an erection for longer than 4 hrs. . . ". It seems that nobody stands up for decency any more. We just sit by cowardly and act as if it's no big deal.

People who aren't members of the LDS church will most likely not like this movie. People who are members of the LDS will quite possibly not like this movie either. In fact, the only people I know who do like this movie (and this includes me) are those who grew up watching it on Sunday afternoons and for whom it triggers a trip down memory lane and possibly some enthusiastic sing-alongs.

For those who didn't grow up on this movie, Saturday's Warrior has little to offer: mediocre acting, low production values, and a somewhat skewed view of LDS doctrine. (I know I'm not the only LDS girl who spent a lot of early childhood thinking, because of this movie, that someday I would meet the man I was supposed to marry and promptly receive divine affirmation that we had known each other in the pre-existence. That, however, is what we call "false doctrine.") The movie does have a few things going for it, however, including a sincere (if cornily delivered) message about the importance of family and of the choices we make, and some surprisingly catchy and/or compelling musical numbers with strong vocal performances.

The bottom line: if you're LDS, it might be worth a viewing, just to see what everyone's talking about—but take it with a grain of salt. If you're not LDS . . . maybe a whole salt lick? But whoever you are, if you do watch it, invite me over so I can sing along.