The Work and the Glory

Went with my family to see W&G. I haven't read the whole series but still enjoyed the movie more than I expected to. It was by far the best movie in its genre to date, but still not up to Hollywood caliber. The cinematography and sets was very good and some of the actors were really impressive--especially Joseph and Benjamin. Others did well although at times felt forced. But no cheesy acting which was a relief. Although one or two scenes felt a little too preachy for my taste, overall I thought the spiritual topics were handled tastefully. Especially those moments I would have most wanted to be handled respectfully--i.e. the retelling of the first vision. I'll likely go see it again.

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.

Gerald Lund's fictionalization of the origins of the Mormon Church gets its start in The Work And The Glory. His character creations, the Steed family move west from their farm in Vermont and go to the fresh area of Western New York and as fate would have it, settle on a tract of land near the town of Palmyra.

Where they hire Hyrum and Joseph Smith as laborers to clear the rather large plot of land they've acquired. Joseph is a figure of controversy in the community, he has said that at the age of 14 angels appeared to him and promised that some gold tablets telling the story of a lost North American civilization would be given to him and he would be given the ability to translate from the lost language of said civilization.

Joseph Smith as played by Jonathan Scarfe is a figure who has divided his community of Palmyra. Some see him as divinely blessed, others feel his inspiration is from an evil source. That division spills over into the Steed family.

As if that isn't enough the two older Steed brothers, Eric Johnson and Alexander Carroll are divided not only about Smith, but are also rivals for the local merchant's daughter played by Tiffany Dupont. Johnson starts running with some of the local toughs as well and he's alienated from his parents Sam Hennings and Brenda Strong. But Carroll believes that Smith is the real deal and Hennings is against Smith while Strong wants to see he gets an even break in the marketplace of ideas. It's what Carroll says their grandfather fought in the American Revolution for.

You don't have to be a believer in the Latter Day Saints church to appreciate a well written story that a well crafted piece of cinema was made from. You couldn't have shot The Work And The Glory in present day Palmyra as the place doesn't look anything remotely like it was during America's Era of Good Feelings. The makers of this film did a remarkable job in making Johnson City, Tennessee look like 1820s Palmyra with the Erie Canal running down the center of the town.

I'm sure this film is shown at LDS gatherings a lot and well it should as it brings their history alive and renders it understandable. And its good for us Gentiles who want to know about such things.

The movie was as great as the the book it was based upon. I sincerely hope they make the rest of the series into movies as well.

The Work and the Glory has beautifully captured the hopes, fears, and prejudices of that era, and woven them into a fictional account as only Gerald Lund can do.

The entire cast was wonderful, and they couldn't have picked a better actor to play Joseph.

Emotions run high in this film, and you'll find yourself laughing, crying, and wanting to shout for joy.

If you are looking for a great movie with good family values, this one is certainly worth seeing.

An enjoyable movie. The story is well told with very few exceptions, and the characters are moving and likable. Good sets, very good period work, and very good acting from all involved. Also nice creativity in directing the film. It generally felt like a quality cinematic work, and it did a good job of eliciting emotions and spirit.

I actually would've preferred another 20 minutes or so to help develop the characters a little further. The pace was good and the story engaging; there were just so much to tell, that at times one would've liked to see or know more.

I particularly liked the Joseph Smith portrayal - well and tastefully done.

I hope this one does well enough to warrant an even better budget for the next installment.