The Other Side of Heaven (2001)

User Rating:

6.3/10   

Director:

Mitch Davis

Writers:

Mitch Davis (writer)
John H. Groberg (book)

Release Date:

12 April 2002 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Biography | Drama

Tagline:

An Epic Journey.

Plot:

John Groberg, a farm kid from Idaho Falls, crosses an ocean to become a missionary in the remote and exotic Tongan islands during the 1950's.

Plot Keywords:

Idaho | Missionary | Love | 1950s | Mormon

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Christopher Gorham	...	John Groberg
Anne Hathaway	...	Jean Sabin
Joe Folau	...	Feki (as Joseph Folau)
Nathaniel Lees	...	Kelepi
Miriama Smith	...	Lavania
Alvin Fitisemanu	...	Tomasi
Peter Sa'ena-Brown	...	Kuli
Whetu Fala	...	Asi
Apii McKinley	...	Noli
Paki Cherrington	...	Minister (as Te Paki Cherrington)
Jeremy Birchall	...	Edward
Ross Duncan	...	John's Father
Maggie Harper	...	John's Mother
Rick Leckinger	...	Photographer
Brian Richards	...	Crowd Member #1

Also Known As:

Eye of the Storm (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG for thematic elements and brief disturbing images.

Runtime:

113 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Tonga (Tonga Islands)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Malaysia:U | Singapore:PG | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

New Zealand

Company:

3Mark Entertainment

Trivia:

Deseret Book, the publisher of the biography on which the movie is based, never previously sold film rights to any of their books. Deseret Book is owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and John Groberg was one of the presiding elders of the Church at the time of the sale. There was, therefore, a great concern as to how the Church would be portrayed which had to be satisfied before the rights were sold. The deal was completed, in large measure, because several key members of the production team were active members of the Church.

Goofs:

Factual errors: The telegram to John Groberg uses the actual punctuation mark, the period, but also uses the word "stop." A telegram did not have punctuation marks substituting the word "stop" for the period. It would not have had both as did the telegram in the film.

Quotes:

John Groberg: Tomasi, why did you help us?
Tomasi: When I was a little boy, I was orphaned. Two missionaries like you took care of me, put me in school. I had forgotten about it until the minister told us to go rough up the Mormons. Then I remembered: I am one!
[takes a swig of alcohol]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The R.M. (2003)

Soundtrack:

The Lone Ranger

Nice story, limited audience

I really did enjoy this film, although it is certainly no cinematic masterpiece, however I do think it would be of fairly limited appeal to a non-Mormon audience. It is a fairly slow and simple story, done fairly simplistically, but not without its charms. To really appreciate it I suspect one would need to have some background knowledge of the key elements of the movie. I was certainly surprised to see it as a Disney movie and was mortified to see other posters suggesting that the advertising for the film was less than forthcoming on the true nature of the storyline. For what it is, its very entertaining and uplifting, but I would strongly suspect that this film will not appeal to a wide audience. My Vote 7/10 (although I unashamedly admit my own bias)