LDS Documentaries and Direct-to-Video Films Recommended
By Thomas C. Baggaley

LDS Cinema is currently in a state that might be described as the calm before the floodgates open. In October of 2002, five films with LDS characters and produced by LDS filmmakers were playing in the theaters. Currently, the only such film in theaters is “The R.M.”, which is playing in 4 dollar theaters in Utah. That will soon change, as theatrical releases are scheduled for August 7th (in Houston) for Suddenly Unexpected, August 29th for The Work and the Story and September 12th for The Book of Mormon Movie, Vol. 1: The Journey. Three other films also have tentative fall releases scheduled, but no official release date has been announced for any of them. And that’s not even counting “The Legend of Johnny Lingo” produced by Jerry Molen (producer of The Other Side of Heaven) and John Garbett (son-in-law of the original Johnny Lingo screenwriter) which is scheduled to be released in about 100 theaters in the Salt Lake City, Atlanta, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Phoenix/Mesa and Las Vegas areas on August 29th as well, but doesn’t actually include any LDS characters (to my knowledge) even though the 1969 BYU-produced short film has certainly become an important part of Latter-day Saint culture.

It sounds like a very interesting fall. But in the meantime, what is a reviewer of LDS film to do? Well, response to my list of Christmas films several months ago was so positive that I’ve decided to open up the archives and recommend some of my favorite LDS documentaries and direct-to-video films.

Documentaries

LDS filmmakers have actually been among the leaders in the making of documentaries for a long time, most especially for projection in IMAX theaters. LDS filmmaker Kieth Merrill won his Academy Award for his feature documentary film, The Great American Cowboy and was nominated for another for his recent IMAX-format film, Amazon. His pioneering IMAX film, Grand Canyon-The Hidden Secrets, was the first film inducted into the IMAX Hall of Fame, and is the most successful documentary of all time. It is also currently listed as one of the 25 most successful independent films (of any genre) in history, having grossed over $400 million worldwide. The list doesn’t stop with Merrill, of course. If I were to include all of the major documentary and film projects that people like very successful LDS cinematographer Reed Smoot have worked on, the list would be very long indeed.

To make this list a little easier to deal with, I have decided to limit my list to only those documentaries that deal with LDS subjects. This is in no way intended to be an exhaustive list of all the best such films. Is just a list of some recommendations. Take it for what it’s worth.

American Prophet (1999) – Excellent documentary about Joseph Smith, Jr. by Lee Groberg and Heidi S. Swinton with an original soundtrack by Merrill Jenson and Scott Cardon which aired nationally on PBS. It featured narration by Gregory Peck and is now available on video. Although made mostly by members of the church, it takes an even-handed approach, featuring interviews with church leaders and historians both inside and outside of the church. Probably the most complete and informative documentary ever done on the life of the prophet.

Forgotten Voyage (2002) – Another excellent documentary – this one about the Mormon pioneers who traveled west – not across the plains but around the southern tip of South America on the Brooklyn to California. LDS filmmaker Scott Tiffany wrote and directed this film which has won numerous awards.

Lehi’s Land of First Inheritance (2002) – The Book of Mormon Archaeological Foundation has begun producing a series of documentaries citing evidence that the lands spoken of in the Book of Mormon were in fact located in southern Mexico and Guatemala. Of course, the documentary also shows plenty of footage of these actual landscapes and the ruins that have been found there, making it very interesting to watch. Each documentary is hosted by a different LDS guest celebrity. This particular one is hosted and directed by Chris Heimerdinger, author of the “Tennis Shoes Among the Nephites” books and focuses specifically on the place where the filmmakers contend Lehi and his family must have first landed after sailing across the ocean from the old world.

One Hundred Years of Mormonism (1913) – Most people are not aware of this, but the first feature-length documentary ever made was about Mormonism. It was also, according to the best information I have been able to find, the sixth feature film ever produced. Prior to its debut in 1913, the only documentaries had been short films, about 10 to 15 minutes in length. In its dramatization of historical events, the film cast Brigham Young’s actual grandson Frank Young in the role of his grandfather. Frank Young went on to serve as cinematographer for over two dozen films. The film received favorable reviews in the Deseret News and it is noted that it was made with the cooperation of the church officials of the time. So how do you get a copy of this classic? I wish I knew the answer.

Anything by Carole Mikita – Since I’m including documentaries you might have trouble finding copies of, I might as well include Carole Mikita’s several documentaries which are broadcast on KSL-TV in Salt Lake around general conference. For some it has become something of a tradition to watch her excellent 30 and 60-minute documentaries between the morning and afternoon sessions. Unfortunately, most of these are not available on video, but if you ever have a chance to see some of them, they are highly recommended.

Direct-to-Video Films

Roots & Wings (2002) – I recently reviewed this film, but it is seriously one of the best short direct-to-video LDS-themed films I have seen. When I reviewed it before, it was a difficult find, but now it is available on both video and DVD from a number of sources.

Pioneer Miracle (2003) – Another film I recently reviewed, but T.C. Christensen’s film is also worth mentioning again.

Only Once (1998) – This film, directed by Southern Utah-based LDS filmmaker Rocco DeVilliers, can be found in the same DVD package as Christmas Mission (1998 – directed by Michael L. Schaertl) which I recommended in my list of Christmas films. In some respects, this film is even better than “Christmas Mission.” It is the story of two teenagers who meet, fall in love, and then do something “only once” which causes the girl to become pregnant, and it manages to teach its moral lesson – that serious actions have serious consequences – without ever feeling preachy or heavy-handed. Simply a well-made film that tells an excellent story.

Eliza and I (1997) – A recent (unscientific) poll on LDSfilm.com has been asking what type of films visitors to the site would like to see more of. The winner (at least to date) has been “More films by Richard Dutcher specifically.” (For the latest poll figures, see https://members.hostedscripts.com/poll.cgi?user=pdhunter&poll=18.) Those who have been waiting anxiously for another Dutcher release since “Brigham City” came out (has it already been 2 years?) might be interested in checking out Eliza and I, which Dutcher directed before God’s Army thrust him into the spotlight.

Johnny Lingo (1969) – Okay, you’ve probably already seen it, and although it’s a BYU production, it doesn’t actually have an LDS characters or specifically-LDS themes. But with the feature-film remake coming out soon – this time based on the entire story, not just the small part we all know – you might think it a fitting time to check this film out again and remember why it has become so ingrained in Mormon culture. And just in time, it’s available again on video and DVD pretty much anywhere you can by LDS videos.

The Phone Call (1977) – I don’t know if it was because I was in youth orchestras as a teenager and the main character, Scott (played by Marc McClure who also played Jimmy Olsen in the Christopher Reeve versions of the Superman movies) played bassoon and talked about playing the “electric bassoon” in a rock band some day – although he hadn’t worked out all the details yet – but this was one of my favorite church videos to watch as a youth. This is also a BYU production, and although you’ll get a good laugh from the outdated clothing, you’ll also get some good laughs from the not-so-outdated humor.

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Newly Released to DVD – Brigham Young: Frontiesman

This doesn’t qualify specifically as a direct-to-video release, but I just got my copy of the newly released DVD version of Brigham Young – also released previously as Brigham Young: Frontiersman. Starring Academy Award winner, Dean Jagger (who later joined the church) as Brigham Young, along with Vincent Price as Joseph Smith and Tyrone Power and Linda Darnell at the height of their careers, this film was a really big deal when it was originally released in 1940. Its $2.7 million budget may not seem like a lot today, but it was one of the highest budgets for a film produced that year. Jagger’s performance as Brigham Young is marvelous. At first, members might feel a bit awkward because of the historical inaccuracies and at the portrayal of a prophet who is self-doubting and even seems to feel that he is deceiving his own people at first, but the film comes around to suggest that despite his doubts, he had been inspired by the hand of God all along, and really the portrayal of Brigham Young and in fact most of the Mormon characters is a strong, sympathetic one. In the end, the story, even though somewhat historically inaccurate, is an enjoyable one, the acting is excellent and film overall is well-done.

One thing to understand about this film is to realize that, much as was the case with many films of the period, this film was not just about the Mormon pioneers of the 1840’s, it was also about the Jews of the 1940’s. The connection for audiences of the time was clear and many who saw it realized for the first time that religious persecution had occurred right in the United States. All in all, it’s a good film and represents a bit of Mormon film history as important as any film, including God’s Army. The DVD is an exceptionally good value in that it helps to give a greater sense of the place this film holds in history. Extras include commentary by Brigham Young University’s James D’Arc, script excerpts, a Movietone Newsreel about the historic Salt Lake City Premiere, a letter from Vincent Price about his experience portraying Joseph Smith and production and publicity galleries from the film’s original theatrical release.

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