Ephraim's Rescue

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.

We loved the movie! Take your family and later you can talk about faith, sacrifice and service with them. Our ancestors had it hard no matter where they were in those days and this movie will increase your understanding. We talked about many parts of the movie and have thought deeply about the love and sacrifice portrayed by many of the characters in the movie. This is not a preachy movie but it does portray faith in God and working towards goals. The movie makers did a great job presenting so many different aspects of that time. We loved the credits too! It was good to know more about the characters and more about their loves. Support your local theaters that bring these movies for us to see!

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.

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.

Director T.C. Christensen said that when he made his pioneer handcart film 17 MIRACLES that he wanted to include the inspiring true story Ephraim K. Hanks but decided that it needed to be told in a film of it's own. EPHRAIM'S RESCUE is that film and indeed it did call for it's own telling. Darin Southam is excellent in the title role of a man willingly prepared to do the errands of the Lord. The catch-line for the film is "Decisions Determine Destiny" and Ephraim's life proves to be a wonderful depiction of how an ordinary man can be magnified to be an instrument for great good in the hands of God. Once again T.C. has created a script based on recorded entries found in pioneer journals and through fine directing, beautiful cinematography and stirring music created a film of great power and beauty. Many years ago President Heber J. Grant foretold of a time when the stories of the pioneers and the birth of the restoration would be told on the screens of the world. T.C. Christensen has certainly played a major part in helping to bring that vision to life. See this in a theatre if possible and look for it on DVD (hopefully in Blu-ray) down the road.