Laughing at Ourselves: The Singles Ward Debuts
by Jonathan S. Walker
The Mormon film movement has taken a turn for the (less) serious. Everything about the “world premiere” for The Singles Ward was loose and informal. I walked into Jordan Commons in Salt Lake City right into a teeming group of people. A large folding table like you’d find in your local ward building was set up to hock some wares. They were selling shirts and movie posters-or would at some point. No money was changing hands as yet.
I asked where I could get some press materials and soon had one of the stars of the film running about asking where he should put me. I was discarded in the press room.
Soon, I was sitting down with Kurt Hale. Hale co-Executive Produced, co-Wrote, and Directed The Singles Ward. He’s not taking the premiere too seriously and doesn’t waste any energy thinking too hard about it. He’s even flippant about his film. He won’t be coxed into a discourse on the philosophy of the media and refuses to think of his film as anything more than entertainment.
He embarked on this project a year ago and actually started production less than six months ago. The whirlwind movie making seems to fall into line with the craziness of his final product. It seems to also fit in with the kinetic energy of the other co-Executive Producer-who also holds the sole Producing credit-Dave Hunter.
This duo won’t stop and think long enough for a joke to grow stale or even to wonder about their “art.” Hale makes it clear that he is a businessman making art, not an artist dabbling in business. Business drove him to insert dozens of cameo appearances into the film. And business makes him take pride in the fact that he seems to be the only one doing Mormon comedy.
That keeps him flush with hope. He knows of seven or eight Mormon films that are currently being made. I ask him whether he’s afraid that they will saturate the market. He looks like he’s going to say no and then tersely says, “Yes.” But, no one else is doing comedy, so he feels safe to continue his projects. He has no plans to tackle drama. His next two films are already lined up. Next up is RM and the one after that will be Church Ball. He jokes that the latter title will probably have to be Rated-R.
Speaking of ratings, he admits to asking the MPAA ratings board to give Singles a PG rating instead of the G rating it probably deserves. The businessman in him figures nobody will go see a G-rated live action film. The MPAA guide says that “Mild Thematic Content” justifies the film’s PG rating.
Hale made The Singles Ward for members of the church and has no desire to take on any heavy-hitting issues. He says he has no agenda with the film. Non-members should find it humorous even, though they may not understand the cultural jokes. However, if you “want to know about the church,” he warns. “Call the missionaries.”
The Singles Ward pokes a lot of fun at the idiosyncracies of the church and finds humor in over-simplifying behavior. It mocks shallowness, culture, and the seemingly simple moral universe of the average member, but does not cheapen worship, testimony, and religion. Indeed, the film’s theme deals with what a testimony is, how it is manifest, and what it does when challenged by reversals of fortune.
The film aptly points out that dating in the church stands in stark relief from dating outside the church. Mormon singles don’t just date for enjoyment or companionship, they date to size each other up as possible eternal companions. But, in The Singles Ward the differences don’t end there. Every Mormon character in the film is pushed to the limit of absurdity: the dweeb who aggressively seeking a mate with bluntness, the overly perky assertive female, the very holy Elders’ Quorum president, and the list goes on and on…and on.
At the center of this personality cyclone sits a couple of balanced people, our protagonists Jonathan Jordan (Will Swenson) and Cammie Giles (Connie Young). Jonathan had his very young marriage turn sour when his wife was evidently not as converted as he thought. He turned away from the church feeling the stigma of a “recalled” Mormon. That is, until he came in contact with Cammie, the ward activities chair. He fell for her, but she couldn’t see past his shell of insincerity.
With its $425,000 budget, Singles may not have the gloss of a Hollywood comedy, but many Mormons will find it just as entertaining. All premiere audiences are overly charged. They want to be entertained; they will it. They applauded each new cameo-which accounted for some twenty interruptions. Jonathan’s monologues seem too often and forced at first, but that fades and the story pours out.
With all of this fun, Singles does manage to show some meaningful change in Jonathan’s character. While the film is intentionally light on doctrine or thought, it does have it’s moments of reflection and poignancy. Bracketed by the gags and jokes is a story of a man struggling to find his testimony. In that search, there’s room for friends, prayer, and the value of a good eternal companion.
After the screening was over, Dave Hunter and Kurt Hale got up to offer a few words. Hunter couldn’t hide his emotions behind the jokes as he thanked key people and expressed his love to his wife. Hale joked that the investors were “still here, which is good.” Referring to the soundtrack, he said, “We apologize if you’re offended, but we think we did a great job with the hymns.” You could say they spiced them up.
All in all, the Mormon film movement is going very well. The current string of films certainly can compete for our money and our attention. God’s Army was a fantastic start both in revenue and in breadth. Brigham City made for a good quick follow-up. Other Side of Heaven brought a whole new level to the field. And now, Singles introduces us to Mormon comedy in film.
Hale and Hunter had fun making this movie and hope that you will have fun watching it. If you do, they’ll have fun all over again.
2001 Meridian Magazine. All Rights Reserved.
