Ephraim's Rescue

As with other TC Christensen films, it tells and portrays Mormons as Mormons want to see themselves. His earlier film, 17 Miracles, has the same problem that everyone has Tide-clean clothes, perfectly shaved and groomed Schick faces, and nobody sweats, houses are perfectly painted like an early Disney movie. The acting is really community theater level.

Obviously as a film, this falls a bit flat. I get it. The female lead is lifeless, there's a horrible story flow and characters that are hard to connect with. BUT. As an LDS filmgoer, this thing is strong. If I weren't LDS this would get a 4/10. But because I am, and the experience I had spiritually while watching it, it gets the 7.

One of the strengths of the Mormon cinema is that they've been scrupulously accurate in portraying their pioneer days indeed the face of America in the 19th century. Ephraim's Rescue is the dramatization of one of the rescues of the handcart companies that journeyed to the American west to reach what the LDS folks term as Zion.

This story is narrated by its protagonist in old age. Darin Southam plays Ephraim Hanks who's a rather footloose and adventurous sort when we first meet him. Things aren't exciting enough on his Ohio farm so he's off for adventure even going east to Boston and then becoming a sailor for a few years. He returns to Ohio and hearing his brother has gone off with those Mormons, Southam makes a decision to do the same though his mother and sister.

He did it the way a lot of the early Mormons did it because horses were a premium and had to be tended. He walked to Zion as the LDS church saw what became Utah as.

When Brigham Young has heard that a handcart party from Great Britain where the church sent some of the first of those elders as missionaries it's Southam he sends as head of a rescue party as winter comes on.

The other track of this film is the story of that particular handcart party from Great Britain. Whatever you think of Mormon doctrine you cannot deny the incredible tenacity and courage of these people. One of them Thomas Dobson played by James Gaisford who because he walked instead of riding by wagon or horseback suffered some horrible injuries.

Part of Mormon lore is the healing powers that Ephraim Hanks is supposed to have. Their doctrine in fact when they refer to themselves as Latter Day Saints they're saying that the potentiality to be saints and prophets is not confined to ancient days.

Here's where a gentile (non-Mormon) audience might have swallowing the story of miracle cures that Hanks was supposed to have made. Still films like these have a built in audience of LDS members. And for those who want to find out about the culture Ephraim's Rescue will serve that purpose.

I had the chance to see this in theaters before it game out. It looks like it is going to be a movie that just tries to focus on getting people to cry, but that's not it at all. It has a lot of funny jokes, jokes were cleverly placed through out the show. A few parts it even ties spiritual scenes in with a joke which i think makes it so much more enjoyable. Not only does it have a lot of great jokes in it but it lets you relate to the characters. There is one scene including a river(wont tell you anymore to not spoil the movie) that i thought they tried too hard to make it suspenseful but all in all it was a really great show and i will be going to see it again.

Excellent, tear jerker movie. Amazingly well acted and well done. Really, really enjoyed this. The only thing that makes it an 8 out of 10 is that the snow was not deep enough and the breath of the actors didn't show when they were in the snow. I've read stories about Ephraim Hanks before but the director did an excellent job putting the stories I'd heard on the big screen. Tears rolled down my face....superbly done. I will be recommending it to all my friends and family and will be buying a copy when it comes out for sale. The lessons we can learn from this movie are so numerous - compassion, kindness, assisting others, trusting in God, having faith to be healed and faith to heal others. Just a lovely movie.