Once I Was a Beehive

I went with my 14 and 17 year old daughters, who, by the way, had just returned from camp. We all laughed and laughed. Not sure if guys will find the movie as funny because there are so many inside jokes related to the LDS girls' camp experience. The script includes inserting all the stereotypical personalities in a group of teen girls without being too cheesy. I felt like they captured the real dynamic of a disjointed youth group. The actors were all well chosen. Favorite line "And it's not true that there are no 'mean girls' in Young Women." What I liked the most about the movie was that the ending wasn't perfect. It didn't neatly try to solve the problem and wrap it up with a bow. I felt like the script handled the issues very realistically.

I am a film fanatic, so like everybody else I seek entertainment in the films I watch. But if it delivers a message or gives a lesson, I'll take it as an inspiration, no matter what category it belongs to.

I mean I belong to no religion, but there are many good things about them other than wasting time in the temples and churches for the fantasy things. So that is where this film comes in, even for the non- believers.

It might be about a Mormon related theme, that does not mean it is a propaganda or anything, but obviously that's how it looks like. In fact, it is a very enjoyable film, not just for the kids or the women, but anyone and mostly for the families.

Because it was not about the god stuff, it was about the human bond and having faith in each other to work together. In many parts, that's what the film characters express through the dialogues and makes us comfortable for further viewing.

The story was narrated from an atheist teen girl's perspective, but her condition of life had an impact for telling a beautiful and semi- emotional tale. It was a quality of the television product, mainly because it is PG rated.

The wonderful cast and shot in the nicest places. So just enjoy its contents as a human being with the emotions and ignore the religious stuffs if you think it is overshadowed by that. Because, because of watching it you won't turn a Mormon in an overnight.

6/10

Since most Mormon films seem to cater toward the Mormon audience, I was pleasantly surprised to see that this film, while having Mormon characters, is not necessarily geared toward a Mormon audience. While it is probably best enjoyed by Mormon girls and women who have attended camp, it could easily be enjoyed by anyone. There are very few specifically "Mormon" references so it is relatable to a wide audience. That being said, it is a low-budget independent film, so don't expect to be wowed. However the acting quality is good, the soundtrack is good, and the plot, while fairly predictable, was not quite the touchy-feely conversion story that you'd expect from a religious film. It reminded me of the 2012 movie "Amazing Love". This film is a fairly accurate (though satirical) depiction of a Mormon girls camp. And yes, we really do sing "Noah's Arky" and "Mormon Boy"! It's tradition!

I came across this movie on Netflix. It was really good, and really other than the 'Young Women" reference, it took me a while to realize it was Mormon. It seemed to be just strictly Bible - It's a really good movie to show how girls interact and that even grownups lose their tempers and have the same identity issues. We're all just on a journey. My only one "complaint".. they should have done a bit more research on service animals verses emotional support animals and where they are allowed. Although, Roxie is adorable and helps calm Phoebe - she cannot be called a service animal. She is not trained to do work or a task! She simply calms Phoebe by being near her. An animal that calms just by their presence is an Emotional Support animal and is NOT allowed anywhere the person goes. A service animal is NOT a pet and other people would not be petting her. I only bring it up because it is a huge issue now and this movie is just adding to that confusion.

You don't have to be a 12 year old girl to enjoy this film. My wife and I (50 years old) have watched this movie twice and we love it. Yeah, it's full of stereotypes and there's nothing especially groundbreaking here, but it's fun, wholesome, has some nice music, and is remarkably well produced for such a small budget film. I can see bright futures for several of the actors in this film as well.

Most of the reviewers feel compelled to mention Mormonism (many of the makers of this film are LDS and it was originally released to target LDS audiences in Utah) but rest assured if you're one of those folks that have unfortunately formed some weird preconceived notion of what that means, get over it! Yes, I think these characters and values do accurately reflect LDS members, but I can't fathom how this movie would be any different if you substituted any other church. And it's NOT a preachy church movie! Just characters with good and wholesome values who are having a great experience at Bible camp. Drat! Now I went and mentioned it too!

Just relax and have fun. Share it with your kids and grand kids. There are some wonderful messages here, especially for the young ladies.