Return with Honor – A Missionary Homecoming
Story and photos by Kjirstin Youngberg
Finally, a film written by a church member, with a plot and story about the Church, where you can take your Evangelical, Jewish, or non-Christian friends, certain everyone will leave the theater happy to have experienced it. Return with Honor defines tolerance and love in a way no other gospel-topic film has achieved. It’s as good a film as any in theaters today, and better than most. In other words, you won’t have to spend the next six weeks apologizing to those to whom you recommend it.
This film won the Founder’s Choice Award for best feature film at the New York Film and Video Festival, and of the hundreds of actors featured, Javen Tanner, who is LDS, walked away with the highest honor he could receive – Best Actor award. The film also won a Gold Remi at the Worldfest International Film Festival in Houston, so more than the usual Latter-day Saint film-going crowd has been favorably impressed with this movie.
[Insert introductions2.jpg here]: Introductions at the world premiere (L-R) Michael Amundsen, Director, actors Raymond Zeiters (Corbin), Joey Jalalian (Ally Benson), Javen Tanner (Rowe McDonald) and Writer/Producer, Tracy Garner. Tayva Patch, who plays Rowe’s mother, Trish McDonald, was not present at the premiere, but is a prolific LDS actor (currently known to LDS audiences as Lucy Mack Smith in two church films now playing in the Legacy Theater in Salt Lake City).
Michael Amundsen, editor for many mainstream film projects including Witness and Midnight Run, has done a masterful job with this cast and content, shot on location in only fifteen days at under $300 thousand. Released in just 23 theaters, it has made more than $88,000 in 2.4 weeks, which means people aren’t listening to reviewers who have put it down, and that word-of-mouth is picking up.
Audiences like it, and they are telling their friends and going back to see it a second and third time, which is a good thing. This film is deeper than it first appears, and moviegoers find more substance with each viewing.
Movie posters as displayed at the world premiere of Return with Honor.
Rowe McDonald (played by Javen Tanner) is a recently returned missionary with a fiance, Ally (Joey Jalalian) who has waited for him. He has his life working out the way he always knew it would. His well-ordered existence will be rewarded, he will be sealed to the girl of his dreams, and they will be blessed in their righteousness – or will they? He has just survived something few people come back to talk about, and all she can think of to discuss are their wedding plans.
This compelling tale will bring more laughter than tears, but you are guaranteed both.
Writer Tracy Garner spent twenty years crafting a masterpiece of contrasts. His characters are believable and so well acted, you find yourself empathizing with each one as you relate to different times in your life when the characters could have been you. This story portrays a message our general authorities reinforce at every general conference, yet it manages not to preach at all. In 103 minutes, we learn what our Savior taught about why we’re on this planet in the first place.
A young fan gets an autograph from Javen Tanner, who played Rowe McDonald in the film.
Garner himself plays a role in the film, which in most cases is probably an ego thing. This time, it was a money-thing, as he tried to save everywhere possible to produce the best film. He succeeded in both regards, well cast as the swarthy Scottie, a bar owner who controls Rowe’s mother (aptly portrayed by Tayva Patch).
There are some continuity issues as in all low-budget films, but nothing is too distracting. Garner used one very cheesy line (you’ll know it when you hear it) but it honestly fit the character, and Tanner was able to pull it off, which speaks volumes about his acting ability.
Joey Jalalian is a gifted young woman with a lifetime of acting experience, starting as a child making up roles to play with her sister and cousins growing up in San Jose, California. She portrays Ally as someone who knows her own mind, and can’t figure out why her intended has changed, seeming to put her last in his life. The actor, though older than she plays, is convincing as a self-absorbed BYU co-ed who jumps to conclusions on circumstantial evidence like so many of us seem prone to do before hearing others out.
Extra kudos to actor/musician Raymond Zeiters, whose offbeat character, Corbin, pulls everything together for a satisfying conclusion.
Chris Merritt, right, has been passionate about music since his first performance, at age seven. He has written more than 800 original pieces. Chris is the singer and songwriter of the Return with Honor theme song.
This film is best seen on the big screen to truly capture the nuances of life, death, and understanding why everything happens for reasons usually beyond our control, but all in our best interest. If it doesn’t come to a theater near you, be sure to pick up the DVD later for your personal collection. It’s one you won’t be content to watch only once.
It is rated PG-13 for strong themes; bar scenes (the word “hell” is used by one of the ruffians) a car accident (nothing visible but can be frightening for some younger children) and adult content (discussions about domestic violence, though none is seen).
I give it four stars in a five star system.
Director Michael Amundsen (left) and writer-producer Tracy Garner (center) join other actors signing posters after the World Premiere at the Gateway Theater in Salt Lake City in September.
