The Other Side of Heaven
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Movie Reviews of The Other Side of Heaven
Movie Review: Pure love
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a beautiful movie. This past week I attended a symposium given by Elder John Groberg and his wife. This movie was written about Mr Groberg and his Wife Jean's experience. They are wonderful people. Their love story is truly inspiring. In todays world where love means short throw away relationships, one night stands, and marriages that quickly end in divorce it is really refreshing to see a movie made about a true love story. Their love lasted through his mission and all these 40 or so years that they have been married. Their love is still going strong.
I too have experienced this kind of love. My husband waited for me as I served a mission for the church of Jesus-Christ of Latterday saints. Our love grew stronger every day as I was going through similar experiences. We married shortly after I came home. Now, after children and the events of life we are still happy and in love. True love is saving and can last forever.
My husband also served a 2 year mission for this church. I can tell you it is not easy to leave all of your friends and family for 2 years relying only on letters as communication. We serve missions because we want to share the joy that comes from this truth. There is no deception about it. Why else would we pay our own way, leave our families, and go half a world away for 2 years? The answer is love. We serve missions because we love you. As stated in the beginning God loves his people everywhere. So next time you see a mormon missionary be kind.... they are far from home and are here merely to share joy and the love of God.
I feel compelled to respond to a few of the criticisms of this movie. First of all... to the person who said it was unbelievable that this man would refuse the sexual offer from the islander girl.... I want you to know that Mormon Elders and Sister missionaries all over the world keep themselves chaste. Perhaps as unbelievable as it is in this day and age We as "Good faithful mormons" in our youth save ourselves for marriage and the one true love. Also, to the young man who wanted the relationship worked up for sensational reasons, let me say it is a true story. This young mormon couple had a very simple and pure love. They are chaste and virtuous. This movie was never meant to be titillating entertainment.
Secondly, There has been criticism of the islanders playing Tongans. I do understand that one. However, How many movies are made of French people with really sad American accents trying to sound French. Or Mexicans acting as Spaniards. Since I studied 7 years of French and spent a year and a half in Paris it drives me crazy to hear a fake accent. I guess the best excuse is that it was a low-budget film.
Third, I do think it is rather silly how Disney used Anne Hathaway as the star of the show as if the mission were all about her. However, we can't judge the film just because Disney wanted to use Anne Hathaway for Propaganda. That was Disney's decision.
Fourth, I don't see a problem with the contents. Those things happened to him on his mission. My mission definitely wouldn't be G rated either, nor PG for that matter. I saw a lot of dirty stuff on those city streets.
Lastly, we cannot judge this film by rating it's sensationability. It is a true story. It is not meant to be an action packed SPY Kids movie or Harry Potter.
Mormons are a good beautiful people. Many movies have been recorded of many different faiths. It's about time there is some positive coverage of the LDS people.
Movie Review: Would recommend to anyone (except virulent anti-Mormons)
Summary: 5 Stars
If viewers missed the first 15 minutes or so of the movie, I doubt any other than members of the Mormon Church would necessarily realize that it is about a Mormon missionary (except, possibly, for the give-away white shirt and tie). It could just as well be about a Catholic priest or other Christian missionary in a strange land, having to learn the language on the fly, knowing nothing about the people or their customs, who overcame all these and numerous other obstacles to learn to love the people and their customs. It was not a "Mormon proselyting/propaganda piece" at all. How to present a story about a missionary (of any faith) on a proselyting mission without at least some "preaching" is a mystery to me, but that is one objection I have seen in various venues. I would agree with and can find little to add to the preceding reviews that found the film inspiring, uplifting, and even enlightening. Having read the book (after seeing the movie), I can say that virtually everything in the movie was right out of the book. I heard comments coming out of the move that it didn't follow the book for various reasons:
* "In the book the big storm happened first, on the way to the islands." The book presented the big storm (referred to in other reviews as "the perfect storm") in the first chapter (hence the original title of the book, "In the Eye of the Storm"), but it should have been clear that this was something that actually happened some time during Elder Groberg's 3-year mission experience, not enroute to Tonga. I presume that its location in the movie was closer on the timeline to where it actually occurred.
* "I didn't like the way the so-called Mission President talked to (Elder Groberg). No Mission President would talk that way." Nonetheless, that scene depicted the pretty much as it was portrayed in the book. Of course I have no way of assessing the voice inflections, etc., but since Elder and Sister Groberg were, as I understand it, present on the set for a good part if not all of the filming, I am sure it was pretty accurate. He also apologized the next morning for his attitude the previous day.
For anyone interested, other deviations from the book were as follows:
* As with "The Lord of the Rings," if you put everything in the book into the movie it would be twice as long-some things had to be left out.
* The location was confined to one island, Niuatoputapu, rather than the several that Elder Groberg actually was stationed on at various times or that he visited, and incidents that actually involved several different persons and islands were limited to a few characters from the island of Niuatoputapu. This probably to keep the cast of characters from being totally confusing to the viewer as well as to keep production costs down (it's no "Midway" or "Pearl Harbor," after all).
* The actual "preaching" and, for those who would call it that, "Mormon propaganda" were in the book, mostly in the form of scriptural quotes from the Bible as well as the other Mormon scriptures. For the most part, any "preaching" done in the movie was worded in such a manner as to not raise the ire of the non-Mormon Christian. Unfortunately there are those who would find reason to complain no matter what was said or done once they discovered that it was a movie involving a Mormon.
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Movie Review: Can't say enough good!
Summary: 5 Stars
Isn't it a shame when the 'dirtiest' movies get the best ratings? What is wrong with having a good wholesome movie that the entire family can watch? "The Other Side of Heaven" is a movie that the parents, todlers, and the teenagers can watch together. There aren't any scenes that you have to fast-forward through because it is too 'grafic' for you 10 yr old to see, and you don't have to turn on the tv gaurdian on so the lauguage is half-way decent. There were many camplaints that the movie was not at all realistic. Before you judge the movie on those coments, ask yourself this, is "Space Jam," "Men in Black," or "Armegedon" all realistic. People seemed to like those movies. The fact that it's a "Mormon" movie, that others seemed to think that that needed to be pointed out, does not make it any different than other movies produced or based upon other religions. When it comes to a great movie the race or religion any movie is based upon or produced by does not make a difference in the quality of movies. Whether you choose to believe that every point in this movie is "fact" no one can deny that this is a WONDERFUL movie! Being a teenager it is hard going to school and every other word is foul, and then going to the theater and the so called "clean" movies have swearing and sex scenes. What is our world coming to that we have to judge a movie because Elder Grober (the protagonist) doesn't have sex with the "fine island girl"? I guess I am just trying to point out that there isn't anything that is justifiable to criticize this movie about. It was a wonderful movie full of adventure, heatache, love, humor, and uniqueness. I picked out the 5 star rating for this, but I would give it 10. How many movies can you say that about? I guarentee that this will be the movie that your family will want to watch over and over until you have the lines memorized. I cried, I laughed, and I held my breath. This movie has something to offer to every living person. It speaks to the heart the mind, and to your soul. You will be comepletely uplifted even after you turn the tv off. I don't know Elder Groberg personally (he was the person whose mission this movie was based upon it is a true story) but I can relate with him because I know what it is like to find out who you truly are. He found himself on a small island. That is what this movie was trying to get across, being able to change your world for the better, and finding who you are.
Movie Review: "Find Your Life by Losing It"
Summary: 5 Stars
Based on John Groberg's autobiography "In the Eye of the Storm," this story of a Mormon missionary's years in the Tongan islands is exceptional. With a strong faith-based message, it has a mix of heroism, pathos, and a good deal of humor that is truly funny because of its natural and real nature. "The Other Side of Heaven" gives us the sense of what it might be like to arrive in a strange land and adjust to the drastic changes in culture, language, diet and living conditions, and the loneliness of being thousands of miles from home. Born in Idaho, John attends the Brigham Young University, and the film starts out in 1953, with him playing the trumpet for a dance, where we meet his true love Jean. There is narration throughout the film of their letters over the course of the 3 years they are separated, and his devotion to Jean is one of the factors that help him endure the many hardships he faces.
Written and Directed by Mitch Davis, with a cast that includes non-professionals, the cinematography by Brian Breheny is often spectacular; filmed in Rarotonga (Cook Islands) and Auckland, New Zealand, the seascapes and sunsets are glorious, and the lovely score by Kevin Kiner adds to the beauty of the film. Christopher Gorham is wonderful as John; he has just the right blend of innocence, sincerity, and strength to carry the many aspects of the drama, and Anne Hathaway is good as Jean. Also outstanding are Joseph Folau as Feki, John's friend and assistant, and Paki Cherrington as the minister. Some have labeled "The Other Side of Heaven" as "Mormon propaganda," but there is little mention of Mormonism in the film, instead it's a story of great human courage, man's ability to adapt and recover from devastating events, and a love that endures. The film ends with photographs of the real people in the story, and what became of them in later years, and it is a nice finishing touch to a film that is excellent family entertainment. Total running time is 113 minutes.
Movie Review: Review from a Polynesian (Tongan/Samoan) viewer
Summary: 5 Stars
I loved this movie!!! My father is Tongan and my mother is Samoan (the first island Elder Groberg landed at the beginning of his journey). Even though I was born and raised here in the US, I have been exposed to my Polynesian roots and love and embrace both cultures of who I am (Polynesian side and American side).
I have to say that my family and I LOVED this movie. It is refreshing to watch a beautiful movie without all the sex, violence and vulgar material that permeates our society today. This movie is about True Love on so many levels - the love between Elder Groberg and his future bride Jean, the love between the Tongan people and Elder Groberg and the love between Our Lord and his children. No, I'm not Mormon, I'm actually an Assembly of God Christian, however that does not overshadow my appreciation for this movie.
The depiction of the people of Tonga is accurate. They are a lighthearted and loving group of people who love to laugh and find joy in the simple things of life. They are all about respect and honoring one's family. The scene of the first funeral brought back memories for me as it illustrated exactly how these kind people handle the departing of a loved one. When my dear Grandmother Siu passed away in 1994, my family and I traveled back to Vava'u (an island within the Kingdom of Tonga) to lay her to rest. The unmasked grief and crying as depicted in the movie was exactly how my grandmother's funeral was. The crying and grieving took place for 1 full day (24 hours - day and night) while different groups of people from all the villages on the island, came to pay their last respects.
Hats off to Disney for going out on a limb to bring the story of one young man's journey of faith and trials and tribulations of his mission to the big screen! Well done!