Ephraim's Rescue

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.

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.

They say it was based on the true story of a man who lived in the latter half of the 1800s. Kind of the biographical movie, but largely inspired from the real incidents rather than story from one man's perspective. The story narrates from the two sets of actors that they come together at the end. One from the Utah, American and other from British pilgrims.

The theme was related to the religious and a man with the healing power. Few scenes are hard to accept as it makes no sense when it comes to the reality of life on the earth. As a fictional movie about human spirit it is a lovable movie and I liked it, but as a real perhaps no one buys it. Because it is like the adult version of what kids believe, Santa and fairies.

It might be a B stream movie, but the quality was very good with the decent performances and great musics. The thing is, the true story and its logic totally demerged from my perspective. Who knows if you are a man of god, a religious type, then you may going like it.

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.

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.