It has been a long time since I last saw a "Mormon" movie in a movie theatre. My last experience was so bad I actually walked out of the theatre and asked for my money back and have deliberately steered clear of any such movie since. This being said, when I received an email from the Stake Presidency regarding the recently released "Meet the Mormons" movie I paid little attention to it. Then I got a call from the missionaries, seems I had signed up to feed them on Friday night (I need to pay more attention to the sheets being passed around for signatures during sharing time so I don't forget about my commitments!), so while treating the Elders to some Texas Roadhouse I figured I would ask their opinion of the movie. They were adamant it was a great movie and worth my time to go see it.
And so it was I found myself at a movie theatre a bit farther from my house than normal to watch a movie about a people I am fairly familiar with. If you haven't seen the movie, are planning on seeing it, and don't want to know what it is about... stop reading now, while there aren't any real surprises/spoilers to share I figure I should at least warn the select few who read my occasional posts.
The movie is a documentary, so don't go expecting heart pumping chase scenes, mind blowing special effects, or fancy costumes. It is precisely what the title claims it to be; namely an introduction to 5 different "Mormon" families in different parts of the world. I was a bit worried the movie would be dull and would feel like an hour long church commercial, and while there was a bit of the commercial feeling at the start of it, after the second family I found myself enjoying the show. There was a very subtle spirit about this movie, the families were (I believe) very carefully selected to show how truly diverse the church is while also adding in a bit of the every day challenges most members face trying to live in this world without compromising on our standards. There are some inspiring examples presented and some heart touching scenes, and by the end of the movie I had to admit I enjoyed it. The movie would make a great family home evening event I think, although probably not as much for the little kids (it is a documentary after all) and I do recommend it. I have to admit is probably one of the best movies I have seen this year if you weigh it on spiritual scales.
