The Work and the Glory

My wife and I had just completed reading all nine volumes of TW&TG just a month or so previous to our taking in the motion picture. We are fortunate that we live in one of the few areas outside the Wasatch Front that is privileged to get these films for short engagements at one single Mega-plex here in west Houston.

I had read reviews here and elsewhere that had led me to believe the quality of the acting would be "below average," but I have to say that I cannot agree. No one is bucking for an "Oscar" here but the acting is at least on the level of your typical made-for-TV miniseries, the like of which were popular in the late-70s and 80s. Even some of the minor characters like that of "Will Murdock" were played quite believably; I did not note much in the way of "hammy" quality even in those scenes where you might expect it (crowd scenes e.g.) With minor changes the story was faithful to the first volume of Lund's "nonology," and although I thought the part of Joseph Smith Jr. was ably played the focus really was on the Steed family and friends and the reactions of those protagonists to what was transpiring.

They spent a good amount of script-time on the conflict between the family members--especially Joshua and his father--and I thought did a good job of efficiently moving the story along without the benefit of "backstory" that the novel affords.

I think I enjoyed most of all the seemingly accurate depiction of American frontier life in the 1830s (even though like the book, the dialog is glaringly "modern"), and the score.

The music's effectiveness was accompanied by a very good audio track that allowed a clear understanding of what was being said (even asides by "extras" during crowd scenes). The sound quality overall was just superb.

The camera work was likewise. I am amazed at how well-lighted even a low-budget film like this can be given current technology. There were a few scenes that were rather dim, but I thought this actually contributed to the feeling of being there at a time when coal-lamps were the source of light after dark. One scene of this type that comes to mind was that of Mary Ann Steed reading the concluding verses of the Gospel of John early on an Easter Sunday.

All in all, I quite enjoyed this film and will be sure to pick it up on DVD when it is released. I am quite critical of independent LDS films because I think too many of them fail to measure up to the standards set by the BYU Film Department/LDS Film Studios' official releases for the Church, most of which are about as good as they come.

I thought The Work and the Glory set the bar a little higher, and hope that the production company is able to realize a profit on the release so that we might possibly look forward to a continuation of the Steed saga in future releases based on the Lund series of books.

I am not a mormon, but have heard of this movie and wanted to see it. I thought it was beautifully done, full of texture and depth visually.

Not being a mormon, I was afraid it would not be interesting. But it was. I liked the story line, and the plots that were developed within the story. I thought the character of Joe Smith was played well, innocence within his mission.

But I thought the character of Nathan Steed was brilliant. He had intensity and made me really care about his love for Lydia and the conflicts in his family. Wow. I researched the guy, and he is a newcomer to the screen. I can't wait to see him in more films.

I also liked Joshua. He had a look about him that enhanced the conflicts in the story. I felt that the subtlety of their acting (his and Nathan's) made the story more real, and helped to enhance the uniqueness of the character of Joe Smith.

I have read 6 of the 8 books in The Work and the Glory series and have been awaiting this movie. I thought the photography was excellent and the music was moving. The acting was good although Joshua Steed rolled his eyes and huffed just a bit too much in the beginning. But his blue eyes make you forget the bit of over acting.The costumes were great.I enjoyed this movie very much I hope that it is successful enough to make a sequel.The movie stayed very close to the plot of the book so as not to disappoint those of us who couldn't put the books down.I don't know where they filmed it but the landscapes were gorgeous. I liked the shot of Lydia Mcbride's walking up the hill it was beautiful.I have had fun looking up the actors to see what they have been in. Mary Ann Steed or Brenda Strong was a surprise to know that she was Sue Ann Mishkie on Seinfeld. What a versatile actress she is.She did a great job as the mother of the Steed family.

I was so happy to see that the story line hardly changed at all! These books have been some of my favorite since I was in 5th grade. I thought that everything was wonderfully done. The actors outdid themselves, and it came together very nicely. In fact, it was so good, I had to go see it again.

I disagree about the movie being bland. The first book in it's self is not a climatic book. It is more of a character introducer. Photography was great, story line was great, acting was great, and I would recommend this movie to anyone and everyone! I think we can expect great things to come from these movies.

Religion as a subject for movies can be very tricky. On the one hand, some people often dismiss out of hand any movie that has a religious theme. They think of them as nothing more that an effort at proselytizing and preaching. Many people avoid these movies like the plague. However, on the other hand, over the years many movies with religious elements have been made which won wide acceptance. The epics such as The Ten Commandments come to mind, but also along the way there have been historical little movies that manage to be appealing to a wide audience in spite of their religious themes. Movies like Boys Town, The Bells of St. Mary and The Song of Bernadette come to mind. These are movies that inspire and uplift us, but also entertain us at the same time. The Work and the Glory is a worthy new entrant into this category.

The Work and the Glory can't avoid the subject of Mormonism. That is what it's about. So they just present the Mormon facts honestly and sincerely, without preaching, or excuses, or embarrassment. The movie is about the founding of the church by Joseph Smith as seen through the eyes of the fictional Steed Family. Their introduction to Mormonism and Joseph Smith causes family rifts and tensions that provide the dramatic action for the movie.

The movie is beautiful; with wondrous cinematography, a glorious soundtrack, solid acting by a professional cast and exquisite attention to period detail. (This period in US history is sandwiched between the American Revolution and the Civil War and hardy ever gets any attention. This movie transports you back to that age and time splendidly and effortlessly.)

The love triangle between the two Steed brothers and the wealthy merchant's daughter are genuinely and tastefully portrayed, but the real genius of the movie lies in its depiction of the almost reluctant person of Joseph Smith. The boy who saw the vision, and almost against his own will and at great personal peril, was selected to be the vessel for the founding of Mormonism.

He has a very human spirit and an accessible warmth that is very appealing.

There is nothing of the austere and pompous personality you would expect in a religious icon.

Anyone, Mormon or not, who wants to be enthralled by a beautifully staged, historically significant slice of Americana would do well to see this movie.

You shouldn't let your prejudices, pro-Mormon or anti-Mormon color your experience. Just let the movie wash over you and take your breath away. It's worth it.