Where are the Great Mormon Movies?
by Kieth Merrill
“To the members of the Academy, thank you.
To the many who gave so much to make this film a possibility, I am deeply indebted.
But a very special thanks.
To my mother who taught me to believe in God
To my father who taught me to believe in myself
And to my best friend, my wife, who helped me live by what they taught me.”
That was the speech I gave at the Academy Awards over 20 years ago. I accepted the Oscar. I kissed Raquel Welch. I became a member of the Motion Picture Academy of Arts and Sciences and my life would never be the same. I have no complaints. The adventures of my life as a “celebrated” Mormon moviemaker have been magnificent.
That said, I am humble and grateful and feel a responsibility. Hardly a week has gone by since that brief, bright, blinding moment of glory without being asked a question. “When are you going to make a great Hollywood movie about the Book of Mormon.” Not a day has gone by since I began making films that I have not asked the question of myself.
For twenty years I have carried the prophetic vision of President Kimball on the front page of my planner. If I have lived by a creed or been inspired by a vision, this is surely it. He said:.
For years I have been waiting for someone to do justice in recording in song and story and painting and sculpture [and film] the story of the Restoration, the reestablishment of the kingdom of God on earth The full story of Mormonism has never yet been written nor painted nor sculptured nor spoken [nor filmed].
It remains for inspired hearts and talented fingers yet to reveal themselves. They must be faithful, inspired, active Church members to give life and feeling and true perspective to a subject so worthy. Such masterpieces should run for months in every movie center, cover every part of the globe in the tongue of the people, written by the great artists, purified by the best critics. Our writers, our moving picture specialists, with the inspiration of heaven, should tomorrow be able to produce a masterpiece that would live forever.
Can we not find equal talent to those who gave us A Man For All Seasons, Dr. Zhivago, and Ben Hur? My Fair Lady and the Sound of Music have pleased their millions, but I believe we can improve on them.” (From Ensign Article quoting address given to BYU faculty and staff 1967-68)
I have always believed President Kimball was speaking to me. Watching my life as a Mormon moviemaker unfold from the inside out, I have increasingly allowed myself to hope that I am among those foreseen with “inspired hearts and talented fingers.”
A Sense of Destiny
I am not alone in my desire to be part of the vision that the prophet saw. I am but one of many in a growing worldwide community of Latter Day Saint artists who look to this prophetic promise as a mandate for their idealistic aspirations and finest expectations.
Has the “tomorrow” foreseen by President Kimball come? Have “inspired hearts and talented fingers” manifested themselves? In some areas of song, story, painting, music and sculpture the answer is a resounding yes. The list of Mormon artists who have achieved national and even global recognition is impressive. But where are the great Mormon movies? Where are President Kimball’s “film masterpieces” that “should run for months in every movie center and cover every part of the globe”?
I was ordained a Seventy by Boyd K. Packer in 1977. Among the conditional blessings bestowed that day was the promise that, “The Lord will provide a way through the means generally regarded as commercial that your message may be heralded across the world.” The expectation of that promise left me with a sense of destiny.
That destiny has driven me with faith. Faith has sustained my quest to answer the endless question of when and if we will tell “our story”-the story of Christ as only we understand Him, the story of the restoration and the story of Lehi’s monumental journey.
Some who know me well enough to share my fantasies of destiny point to Legacy and more recently, The Testaments and say, “you have done it!” Not so. I LOVED making these films. I am humble and grateful the First Presidency entrusted me with the opportunity to write and direct the first and only 70-mm films produced by the church, but these films do not fulfill the prophetic vision of President Spencer W. Kimball.
Legacy and Testaments were created for a different purpose in accordance with a different vision. They are focused in their perspective. They are limited in their exhibition.
The opportunity to tell our story in films for broad commercial audiences–masterpieces that play in movie centers around the world— goes far beyond a 500 seat theater in Salt Lake City, the visitor center in Washington DC and video copies sold through LDS distribution.
The Jews are masters at presenting their culture, traditions and beliefs through the medium of feature motion pictures. Exodus, Fiddler on the Roof, Yentl , Schindler’s List, Sunshine and many other classic films come immediately to mind.
When are we ready? When do we become skilled enough and wise enough and objective enough to use the marvels of mass media to enlighten, inspire and entertainment?
An Official Attempt to Make the Movie
Many have tried. The church itself has attempted to produce a commercial feature length motion picture about the prophet Joseph Smith. Early in that effort, I received a letter from LDS Audio Visual setting forth the proprietary interest of the church in developing any film about the prophet Joseph Smith. The letter requested I abandon any plans I might have to pursue such a project. I presume the letter was sent to other LDS producers who have shared the dream to tell the story of the restoration.
The Joseph Smith film project was pursued with diligence. It was given the full backing of the church. While intended to be developed in low profile, this clandestine project became generally well known among LDS filmmakers and was followed with interest. An experienced and talented LDS producer wrote the script. He had access to the LDS historical department. He consulted with a well-known churchman who has made Joseph Smith and his teachings a life study.
The project was taken to Hollywood and several years of great effort were expended to get the film produced as a commercial feature film. The project failed. The Joseph Smith feature film project was abandoned. Rumors rattle around that the project has been passed to another producer inside LDS audiovisual. I don’t know the facts. Rumors fly around Utah’s Mormon film making community like bats in a cave.
While all of us appreciate the desire of the church to have strong influence if not control over any commercial film produced about the prophet Joseph Smith, it may be that it was this very control that encumbered the “official” movie to the point of extinction.
It is my own strong belief that the church can not –and should not–be in the motion picture business. President Kimball did not seem to suggest that the “masterpieces” telling our story on movie screens around the globe would be created “inside the system”. With the apparent demise of the “official” effort to produce a film about Joseph Smith, I assume the ban is lifted. I believe it is time once again for those ‘inspired hearts and talented fingers”–wherever and whoever they may be–to pick up the gauntlet, renew our determination and ride forth into the fray. Upward and onward.
Still Provincial
Some hail the arrival of “Mormon Cinema”-thanks to the talent and tenacity of Richard Dutcher [God’s Army]–as a pivotal milestone in “telling our story”. But “Mormon Cinema” remains provincial by President Kimball’s global standard. These musings are not about making movies marketed to Mormons but the classic dream of a “Hollywood” feature film that “tells our story” and is released to commercial theaters.
Insiders await the completion and release of Eye of the Storm; an independent film based on Elder John H. Groberg’s book of the same name. It is being produced and directed by Mormons. We are hoping for its great success. It will be interesting to see if it attracts major distribution and global recognition.
Tomorrow Lies Before Us
President Kimball’s “tomorrow” lies before us. If we take literally the words, “every movie center, every part of the globe.. the tongues of all the people” it is clear the Mormon Movie Masterpieces “that will last forever” are yet to come.
How long before tomorrow? While making The Testaments I thought I saw the first light of the Kimball dawn. I thought I heard the clarion call.
There is a surprising number of Mormons involved in the motion picture business. Their talent and experience is sprinkled across all categories of production both behind and in front of the camera.
Every Mormon who has ever seen a movie and read the Book of Mormon has imagined these epic tales on a giant silver screen. Some glibly note of course the endless battles and blood- letting in the ancient American conflicts between good and evil would be R-rated and Mormons couldn’t go. Yet Mormon found a way to portray the horror without horrifying us.
Every Mormon moviemaker has heard the same questions I have heard a thousand times, “When are you going to make a movie about the Book of Mormon?” “When are you going to do a movie about the prophet Joseph Smith? There is a surprising number who have written scripts and a few who have gone looking for the gold necessary to pay for such an epic. Still, it remains undone.
Depictions of Ancient America in our recent film, The Testaments, give us only a tiny taste of what is possible. But one thing seems clear, it has accentuated an appetite for more, bigger and better among the audience and among the filmmakers.
The questions increase. In the shadows of prophetic destiny The query grows louder. “Why have we not produced the great Mormon movies, “masterpieces that will live forever?”
I believe I have the answers, but I am not the only LDS filmmaker who feels the burden of the challenge imposed by President Kimball’s prophetic vision of what can be.
In preparing my answers for you I decided to ask my colleagues in the community of Mormon Filmmakers “why have we not done it and if we ever shall?” Their response was fascinating. I found optimism and pessimism. I found encouragement and despair. I solicited candor with the promise of anonymity.
Next week, I will share their answers. I will quote directly from a group of highly respected and experienced Mormons who make their living in the motion picture business.
In the meantime I would love to hear from you. If you have ever wished to see “our story” on the silver screen what is your perspective? Is it possible? What would you like to happen? What are you willing to do about it?
Send your comments to
ki**********@me**************.com
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2001 Meridian Magazine. All Rights Reserved.
