The Home Teachers

Kurt Hale and John Moyer's look into typical Mormon life shows humor in what most LDS people experience on a monthly basis. This comedy is life with physical humor on par with "Tommy Boy".

It is refreshing to see a movie that the whole family can enjoy and laugh at. The writer and director created a comedy without resorting to crude or morally debasing material.

This takes place in one day at the end of the month. Murphy visits these two bumbling home teachers every moment in everything they do as they attempt to visit 3 families.

A great ride!

I am LDS but my husband is not. We rented this video so that he could see how "peculiar" a people we LDs really are. He loved it! He thought that it was one of the funniest things he had ever seen. I also love "The Best Two Years" and "The RM" and hope to show these movies to him also. These videos can open up dialog about particulars of LDS doctrine and practices in a relaxed way with people who aren't LDS. I recommend them. YES, they are not the pinnacles of cinematic production--- they aren't meant to be. This movie was meant to be watched by the whole family and to both poke fun at LDS life and to praise it. The characters are flawed but recognizable and the situation is so typical to Mormons that the crazy antics of the main characters are really laughable. ;j

There's usually a lot of work that goes into making a film: writing a good script, finding talented actors to play appealing characters (and yes, bad guys can be appealing too), setting up a believable and entertaining plot and interweaving some kind of theme. The Home Teachers failed miserably at all of the above.

After the relatively charming Singles Ward, the general public seemed a little disappointed with Halestorm's next endeavor, The R.M. The cultural fluff jokes were overused and made Mormons look like absolute idiots. So, having no expectations for The Home Teachers, I knew deep down it would turn out to be tripe in the extreme. At least in this I was NOT disappointed. It's one of the worst films of the year, maybe even of the decade.

First of all, the two main characters were dreadfully annoying. Neither of them had any real redeeming qualities, and I would hate to know either of them in person. While the actors playing them did well at being obnoxious, I guess, most of the blame in this lies in the hands of the screenwriters. The script was an absolute joke. I must admit the most eye-rolling part was when the life-changing, attitude-altering home teaching visit involved burying a dog (called a "yapper" by Michael Birkeland's character in true Chris Farley fashion). Laugh-out-loud yes, but ridiculous and contrived as well.

The whole experience seems like Tommy Boy for Mormons gone terribly, TERRIBLY wrong. The comparisons and similarities were blatant, undeniable and shameless. A road comedy, involving one fat, sloppy, lazy oaf who talks loud and stupid, and a thin, uptight, self-righteous goody-goody, and a road trip involving a car being totalled and a deer.

The soundtrack was repetitive (any of the cuts from the first two films would have worked as well), the cinematography was mediocre, the acting was like something you'd see in a Stake Roadshow. Yes, I'm LDS, but that doesn't mean I have to support something that highlights the ridiculous Culture side of the church and totally demoralizes the actual Gospel. Some will like it, but unfortunately that's because Mormons are easily picked on and don't realize how stupid it makes us look. *sigh* Hopefully, as I've heard it said, Richard Dutcher will be able to pull us out of this one.

For real LDS cinema (and just good films besides!), check out God's Army, or Dutcher's masterpiece Brigham City, or even the update of Pride & Prejudice. Skip the Home Teachers. It will make you want to slam the door on YOUR home teachers next time they come over, regardless of what message these guys TRIED to stick into the story at the end.

Like all HaleStorm productions Home Teachers is a satirical, sometimes cynical view on Mormon life, but unlike "Singles Ward" and "The R.M." You do not have to know too much about the Mormon culture to find this movie funny. There is a lot of Chris-Farley-like screaming total destruction of things, slapstick humor as well as two great stand-up comedians in the leads, complementing each other perfectly. The standup quality of the two leads can best be seen in the outtakes on the DVD, where Jeff Birk especially does some bits that are totally out of his character, deliberately ruined the take, but are a lot of fun to watch now. So if You want a humorous look at the Mormon culture, or just watch a clean, stupid comedy, go for this movie. If You want a more serious approach and/or a brilliant thriller, go for Brigham City.

The movie starts off great, most of us can identify with the urgency to leave at the end of a 3-hour block of meetings.

Overall, the characters were OK, the Ned Flanders meets Tommy boy premise was apparent (although the toilet scene seemed contrived and unrealistic). Elizabeth Sands role as Gregg's wife actually made the Gregg's premise as the football-loving dead beat believable.

If the movie started with a bang, the echos had faded by the time the plot was established. By the time they were going to Vernal, I was looking at the clock, waiting for the credits.

Nice try, but the slapstick adventures have run their course.