Once I Was Engaged

This film is red meat for members and friends of the Church of Jesus of Latter-Day Saints, (Mormons). It features both the cultural and ecclesiastical lexicon of the faith, in a playful but respectful way. It shows how wholesome and clean-cut members of the church can be as they deal with the secular issues of planning a wedding on short notice, between two families who live 3000 miles apart and whose personal prosperity is lightyears apart.

Where to start? This film has the unfortunate trifecta of corny, cliche, and cringe. Hardly fertile ground for even well written plots to grab a foothold on one's interest. Unfortunately this script wreaked of one dimension caricatures masquerading as having depth.

The corny? Unlikeable main characters that have playdoh facial expressions and squeaky, nails on chalkboard voices. It didn't help that the yuckity-yuck fiancé's family somehow makes Andy Griffith seem less white bread.

The cliche? No Mormon trope went unused and it was exhausting to watch. Think Ned Flanders on Prozac. Most insulting was how Hawaii and Polynesians were used as props. There was no attempt to bring complexity into what could have been endearing characters.

The cringe? It's hard to describe. I'll put it like this, the Wayans brothers must've gotten their material for White Chicks from Utah Mormon actors because the faces, the voices, the relationship drama is pretty spot on. The only difference is the Wayans knew they were handing out cotton candy, whereas this movie actually believes it's serving a feast. Word to the wise, skip this meal it'll give you a stomach ache.

Casting: A 35 yr. Old (geriatric pregnancy) as a college student? From the first scene, I was wondering, how old is this "college student"? (IMDB = 35) It would be fine to cast the same people in a different setting, Not College. Or, get younger actors to portray kids.

New title: Mid-Singles Ward, it's finally happening! (It's never too late, a decade after the Mission and college = Love and Marriage)

A time waster movie. Not a great plot. But, may semi-entertain you if you don't have anything better to do. It's at least not offensive by any means. Just a little bland. Watched for free on Tubi.

Once I was Engaged was awesome!!

"Once I Was Engaged" hit all the right notes for me. It's funny, sweet, and surprisingly polished-it honestly felt like a big-budget film. The script was sharp, the acting spot-on, and the production quality elevated the entire experience.

What really stood out, though, was how the film balanced humor and heart. It had me laughing out loud one moment and then pausing to reflect the next. There were a few scenes that genuinely touched my heart.

The film definitely has a layer of humor that members (& friends) of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints especially will appreciate. The inside jokes and cultural references made it feel even more personal and familiar. I loved it!

I loved the acting, the writing, the casting, and the production.

I highly recommend it!!!

I looooved "Once I Was a Beehive" but this was TERRIBLE. Very cheesy and bad acting. I maybe chuckled once and rolled my eyes the entire time. Im annoyed I paid for this movie.