Once I Was a Beehive

I really enjoyed this film. Sometimes (seemingly) overtly religious films pander to their audiences to make a buck at the box office. Especially if they appear to appeal to the "teenager" demographic. BEEHIVE is not one of these films.

BEEHIVE dispels many Mormon myths head on, and in the wake of this transformation leaves you both laughing and crying. I appreciated that very much.

But what I enjoyed most about this film is there was no "happily ever after." Not everyone was converted. Hardship still existed. All the story plots did not resolve into a nice, trite ending.

However, you knew that the characters changed--that they were better people for what they had experienced, and they were now better equipped to go through other challenges in life. They had the ability to live with uncertainty, keep a smile on their faces, and move forward. For me, that was the hidden redemptive power in this film, and that is one of the biggest reasons I highly recommend it!

Paris Warner does such a good job as a basically good but somewhat rebellious teen who is conned into spending several days in the woods with a bunch of perky Christian girls. And she effectively acts as narrator as well. Although she has a naughty side, Lane tries hard to be good when she can and quietly illustrates what a good Christian should be without being "goody-goody", even though she doesn't have the faith her father did. It's hard to watch her cry and it is assumed the crying went on and on and on, but editing reduces what we see to a few seconds. It's enough to show Lane is really hurting.

Mila Smith is the real standout here, nerdy and quirky but quite appealing. Phoebe has difficulty with socializing and like so many smart people, can't stop herself from bragging and wondering why others don't know these things. But she's basically a good kid.

I don't remember the name Nedra but it's the only name left in the credits. The photo with "Diantha's Crossing" is definitely her. Barta Heiner is the other real standout, a motorcycle-riding tough old granny. But she's basically good and has the faith the others have. And she won't accept nonsense, and she blows that bugle too early.

Adam Johnson isn't around long but he impresses with his excessively optimistic attitude. And it is made clear later it is his faith that gives him that.

There are only a few scenes where the girls are excessively perky. Even though these girls are Mormons, they are pretty much like everyone else. Bree is in charge and won't let you forget it, and it most scenes she is just like girls who think they are better than everyone else because they are popular. The difference is she does pray and she does admit to having faith.

And on the subject of faith, I don't know whether Mormons are any different (I know they don't want that name used any more, but it was used in this movie). The strong faith messages of this movie could apply to any Christians. Yes, we are constantly reminded these girls are Christians and, yes, we are constantly reminded some of them are still behaving like brats and need forgiveness.

Working together is shown to be important, and each person has her own strengths. The movie really inspires as different people are willing to let each other do their best.

So much love and caring is shown in this movie, and it goes both ways. Lane and Phoebe needed help and ended up helping those they were with just as much. And not everyone has faith: Lane has been influenced by faith, I'm sure, but it will take some effort for her to have faith on her own.

I will say this: a game involved looking up Bible verses. Isaiah is not in that part of the Bible. Galatians, maybe.

I often find myself saying there is music for every taste in movies that I watch. That's not quite true here, but there is pleasant acoustic guitar music in the background a lot. I'm not in the target audience for this movie by any means, being male and probably as old as Nedra. The first song played during as the family drives through the gorgeous Utah mountains has the annoying vocal style of someone like Colbie Caillat along with acoustic guitar that is pleasant enough. I don't know that the family is actually listening to that, but later there is nice smooth jazz. Lane wishes her father would play something else, but I don't. Whether I like smooth jazz or not depends on the song, and this one was a good one. The girls sing corny Christian songs which, while not familiar to me, sound like they could have been camp songs decades ago. Later, as background music, there is annoying Contemporary Christian or worship music I personally could do without. It's not as bad as what in 2021 is called "adult contemporary" when it is secular. There are also some more pleasant songs that appeal to me, and I think one had a banjo.

Is this family friendly? I think it is, so why did someone feel the need to put a "TV-14-D" on this movie when I saw it? I may have heard a couple of bad words because these girls are not perfect angels. The most concerning scene was one involving a bear which was really tense and could have really ended tragically in a different kind of movie. And there are scenes with loss. Very sad scenes. All of this makes the movie somewhat questionable for some younger children. As a faith movie, this would be highly recommended.

I had a good time and I think you will too. I don't even think you have to be a teenage girl.

You don't have to be a 12 year old girl to enjoy this film. My wife and I (50 years old) have watched this movie twice and we love it. Yeah, it's full of stereotypes and there's nothing especially groundbreaking here, but it's fun, wholesome, has some nice music, and is remarkably well produced for such a small budget film. I can see bright futures for several of the actors in this film as well.

Most of the reviewers feel compelled to mention Mormonism (many of the makers of this film are LDS and it was originally released to target LDS audiences in Utah) but rest assured if you're one of those folks that have unfortunately formed some weird preconceived notion of what that means, get over it! Yes, I think these characters and values do accurately reflect LDS members, but I can't fathom how this movie would be any different if you substituted any other church. And it's NOT a preachy church movie! Just characters with good and wholesome values who are having a great experience at Bible camp. Drat! Now I went and mentioned it too!

Just relax and have fun. Share it with your kids and grand kids. There are some wonderful messages here, especially for the young ladies.

I can't stop thinking about this film and all the individual talent that came together to make it. Maclain Nelson writes and directs an eloquent script that guides audiences through the delicate subject of death and adolescence, with an excellent pulse on todays young culture. Joel Remke's cinematography stands out, as his work holds the best of a feature and an indie film's attributes; be that his choice in dolly shots, playful angles, organic zooms and movements. There are scenes of Utah that are forever forged into my mind, thanks to this cinematography. Composer Michael Lee Bishop and the sound department brought their many talents to this film. This heartfelt journey was smartly orchestrated by editor Kristi Shimek. Her comical cuts and emotional rhythm to the film where refreshing, and made all the difference. There was a scene in which the audience was quietly crying and while Paris Warner's performance was lovely, it was clearly Shimek's editing that held the audience in tears. Mary Pickford is quoted for saying, "Make them laugh, make them cry, and back to laughter. What do people want to go to the theatre for? An emotional exercise." As far as acting goes, actress Paris Warner is a natural. Whatever she is doing, keep with it, because her tender and raw performance has a way of pulling you in, scene after scene. Such a talented cast, I wish there were more time to show off the campers's personalities. Actresses Kaley McCormack Allie Jennings have a bright comical future ahead of them.

I came across this movie on Netflix. It was really good, and really other than the 'Young Women" reference, it took me a while to realize it was Mormon. It seemed to be just strictly Bible - It's a really good movie to show how girls interact and that even grownups lose their tempers and have the same identity issues. We're all just on a journey. My only one "complaint".. they should have done a bit more research on service animals verses emotional support animals and where they are allowed. Although, Roxie is adorable and helps calm Phoebe - she cannot be called a service animal. She is not trained to do work or a task! She simply calms Phoebe by being near her. An animal that calms just by their presence is an Emotional Support animal and is NOT allowed anywhere the person goes. A service animal is NOT a pet and other people would not be petting her. I only bring it up because it is a huge issue now and this movie is just adding to that confusion.