Meet the Mormons

This is written not to preach my religion. The goal of this review is the same as others, which is to inform, critique, defend and recommend a movie that I enjoyed. I enjoyed "Meet the Mormons" although not as much as other movies that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has produced. The church has been making feature length movies for quite a few years now and my first experiences were with "Mountain of the Lord" and then "Legacy" (which is where the Legacy theater in Salt Lake City gets its name from). Those shows and the two subsequent church-produced movies have been dramatized narratives taking place at least over a century ago while "Meet the Mormons" is a documentary set in the modern-day. It was planned to be exhibited for free in the Legacy Theater and other church visitors centers just like its predecessors but after non-LDS test audiences saw the movie and responded very well to it, the church did something it had never done before and released "Meet the Mormons" theatrically. I would hope that many people who are not members of the LDS church would take some time to see it so as to be better informed because that is the purpose of the movie

Most who have seen this movie are impressed with the cinematography and I echo that. I loved the shots establishing Nepal and Utah for example. My favorite story out of all six people highlighted was the Candy Bomber. I have only one bad comment to say on this documentary and that is the experience felt too much like an "I'm a Mormon" ad. I tend to favor dramatized stories made by the LDS church. The movie has a clear purpose and just like the church itself ever since 1830, that purpose is being misunderstood. The LDS church, as stated at the start of this documentary, desires all those who have questions about Mormonism to go to the source and ask those questions. Jeffery R. Holland, one of the leaders of the church, has stated clearly that "Meet the Mormons" is "not a proselytizing effort but informative" In a court trial, you never question the neighbor of the witness but rather the witness. Then it is up to the jury on whether they believe the testimony. In this case, the movie is the witness and movie audiences are the jury members. Some movie critics however, who can be likened unto lawyers, would rather be judges instead and dismiss the testimony of the witness because they think they know better. Very few professional critics have written about this movie and I personally think the reason is because most intentionally pass on seeing it. Those who did see it probably did so in order to bash it. Professional critics expected propaganda and that is what they came away with. Preconceptions about a movie usually don't accomplish any good. "Star Wars" fans were expecting an "Empire Strikes Back" out of "The Phantom Menace" and "Indiana Jones" fans were hoping for an experience similar to "The Last Crusade" when they went to see "The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull". They all ruined their own personal experiences because of their own high expectations. With "Meet the Mormons" it was the opposite approach with the same result; critics had low expectations and therefore didn't view the movie properly with an open mind. The dictionary defines the word "propaganda" as "derogatory information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote or publicize a particular political cause or point of view". Firstly, who was the film derogatory towards? Germans children, football players, Catholics, mothers? This film was respectful to all those it featured. Secondly, the movie wasn't misleading. Those who think that "Meet the Mormons" is propaganda have no respect for Dawn Armstrong and the love she has for her son Anthony for example. How can the church be biased with itself? Why would it "bear false witness"? Many were of the opinion that the documentary was short on informing the public about church history and controversies but once again, that is not the purpose of the movie. The LDS church has a website where these topics are addressed. I like how the movie dispelled myths that were showcased at the start on Times Square.

I would like to give a shout-out to Wynn Hougaard, my editing teacher at university, who was the editor and post-production supervisor of "Meet the Mormons". I am betting that church leaders aren't surprised by the criticism surrounding this documentary. As mentioned, misunderstanding about the LDS church is nothing new. The funny thing is that some people have a misunderstanding about the church's attempt to clear up misunderstandings. The movie is sincere. All the net profits of this movie are being donated to the Red Cross, which shows that money is not an ulterior motif for the production of this film. On its opening weekend, the movie was grossing $9,500+ per screen per day. Even though the top movie of that same weekend had more screens and obviously made more money, it did not have that good of a ratio. "Meet the Mormons" is one of the most successful independent films of 2014 and it is truly inspirational. I desire to make my life as spiritually successful as those of the six people who are showcased. I will say again that just like this review, the reason for this movie being made was not to preach. That is what the missionaries are doing.

4 Stars