The Work and the Glory

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.

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.

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.

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.