The Work and the Glory II: American Zion

My family and I recently saw "The Work and the Glory: American Zion" in California and am so very glad to say it is better than anything I've seen in a long while. I don't see why so many people have to pigeon hole this film as a Mormon film. It happens to be a very well done film about the 1830's and it happens to be about Joseph Smith and the Steed family. The camera work and the acting is more than excellent. I thought Jonathan Scarfe as Joseph Smith was good and Sam Hennings as Ben Steed was as good as it gets. So please people get over the religious talk and lets look at this film as a entertaining movie that is very well done for the whole family to see. We can't wait for the third film to come out. Thanks

I liked the first installment in this series, better than this movie, the second installment. The first was the story of the (fictional) Steed family set against the backdrop of the founding of the LDS church.

This movie can't seem to make up its mind about whether it's a story about the Steed family with a backdrop of LDS history, or if it's the early history of the LDS church using a fictional family to flesh out a story.

Although there were plenty of conflicts in the movie, they seemed disjointed. I didn't see an overall flow or development. I haven't read the books, but it seemed like the screenplay just didn't flow right. I kept wanting the filmmakers to focus more on the Steeds as the main characters to tie it all together into a good story.

The acting was pretty good. Sets and costumes had good production values. Directing and cinematography were overall good. But there were a few scenes that were awkward, like a play where actors are brought on stage, say their lines and leave.

Though it contains much LDS (Mormon) history, this movie is not sponsored by the LDS church. There are a few cheesy pro-family lines that you might expect from The Waltons or Little House on the Prairie, but the movie does not preach religion and does not proselyte. One of the main themes of the movie is the importance of family in the midst of conflict and upheaval, so the cheesy lines are in context, and can be excused.

I also agree with a previous commenter that this is probably the best and most human portrayal of Joseph Smith that I have seen.

If you're expecting great movie making, you might be disappointed. I'd rate this movie a B- or C+.

I recommend: 1. If you're LDS and want to support Mormon cinema, go see the movie in the theater.

2. If you're not LDS, and are curious about Mormon history, go see the movie.

3. LDS or not, if you're looking for a really GREAT movie, then save your box-office money, because, IMO, this movie isn't worth first-run ticket prices ($8+) as far as movies go. But I will buy this movie for my Mormon movie collection when the DVD comes out on Ebay.

4. If you have a family of 3 or more, just wait for the DVD. No sense in spending $25 to see this movie, when for the same price you can get the DVD or VHS.

Bottom line: Yeah, it's worth watching on video with friends and family, whether you're LDS or not, but not what I consider first-run box office.

The riveting depiction of the history of the Mormon church continues via these screen adaptations of Gerald Lund's novels. The founding of the Mormon church clearly fomented intense, irrational hatred from the very beginning, especially vividly exposed in this episode. Some have wondered why? Because they were different? Because they banded together? Sometimes there is no rationale or justification for hatred -- it's just there.

The Mormons apparently wanted nothing more that to be left to themselves and their beliefs. Yet the raw emotion of fear and loathing caused men to perpetrate unspeakable acts of depravity. More so than against any other religious movement in America -- The Amanas, the Quakers, the Mennonites weren't driven out, pillaged, murdered and burned out by the mob! Hang your head in shame America!

This movie portrays this horrendous American period vividly, without exploiting the violence for the sake of shock-value. (We know what happens when hot tar is painted on bare skin without having to actually see it.) The fact that it happened, with the complicity of the government, (Missouri Lieutenant Governor Lilburn W. Boggs) is shocking enough. (The State of Missouri has only just recently apologized to the Mormon Church for the outrages committed against it.) This episode takes the Steed family from New York, to Ohio, then to Missouri, driven out each time because intolerant Americans refused to allow them their constitutionally guaranteed religious freedom and the government refused to do anything about it.

The first movie was dream-like, ethereal, almost idyllic. This movie is not any of those things. This move is gritty. Oh the movie is still very well filmed, acted, scripted and produced. But it is utterly gripping from the first frame to the closing credits. Not a bit preachy or condescending, just good. Much better than most of what Hollywood is cranking out these days. If you are a patriotic American, prepare to be angry that such things happened in our history -- shame on us. Let us resolve that such things will never be allowed to happen again.

The quality of the acting in this film fluctuates all over the place. In some scenes (especially confrontations between the Joshua, Nathan, and their dad), I was riveted by the intensity of the incredible acting. Other scenes, however, had me nearly laughing at the ridiculousness of the actors'/actresses' attempts at playing their characters. Other things I liked: Faster pace than the first movie. Depth of the conflicts (it's not complete good vs bad; both parties were genuinely hurt by the past). Incredible camera work. Changing points of view during the voice-over narration. Other things I disliked: The music score didn't fit the scenes. Awkward dialogue at times. A lot of things didn't carry over from the first film.

This second installment of the series based on the "Work and the Glory" books far exceeds the first effort. The music, cinematography, story line, acting and general "feel" of the movie are all great. I have not read the underlying novels, so I have no idea how or if the story details in the movie mirror the books, but I can say this: this movie is moving, inspiring, and dramatically (though slightly fictionally, since the main family is fictional) portrays a slice of true American history.

I do not believe the movie is preachy, at least not about Mormonism. I think most Americans (and others), who take for granted such notions as a free press and upright civil authorities who can be trusted to uphold the law, will easily recognize how different such things were back then.

Mormon history buffs will be a bit disappointed that some of the details were glossed over or left out. My only complaint is that, in an attempt to make this movie appeal to non-Mormon audiences, some of the more dramatic mythic stories from Joseph Smith's time, though alluded to in the movie, are not satisfyingly portrayed.

Not for young children, this movie gets a 9 from me; just a bit more coherence in the story line and some other such movie "polish" would have garnered a 10.

Bravo to all involved! And thanks for a family-friendly, beautiful, moral story that all who see can connect to.