The Other Side of Heaven (2001)

User Rating:

6.3/10   

Director:

Mitch Davis

Writers:

Mitch Davis (writer)
John H. Groberg (book)

Release Date:

12 April 2002 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Biography | Drama

Tagline:

An Epic Journey.

Plot:

John Groberg, a farm kid from Idaho Falls, crosses an ocean to become a missionary in the remote and exotic Tongan islands during the 1950's.

Plot Keywords:

Idaho | Missionary | Love | Mormon | 1950s

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Christopher Gorham	...	John Groberg
Anne Hathaway	...	Jean Sabin
Joe Folau	...	Feki (as Joseph Folau)
Nathaniel Lees	...	Kelepi
Miriama Smith	...	Lavania
Alvin Fitisemanu	...	Tomasi
Peter Sa'ena-Brown	...	Kuli
Whetu Fala	...	Asi
Apii McKinley	...	Noli
Paki Cherrington	...	Minister (as Te Paki Cherrington)
Jeremy Birchall	...	Edward
Ross Duncan	...	John's Father
Maggie Harper	...	John's Mother
Rick Leckinger	...	Photographer
Brian Richards	...	Crowd Member #1

Also Known As:

Eye of the Storm (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG for thematic elements and brief disturbing images.

Runtime:

113 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Tonga (Tonga Islands)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Malaysia:U | Singapore:PG | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

New Zealand

Company:

3Mark Entertainment

Trivia:

The BYU scene was actually shot in New Zealand. Film-makers hired almost every swing club in the country to appear as extras. Anne Hathaway and Christopher Gorham do almost all of their own dancing. Anne was kicked in the head during one sequence. She was nearly knocked out.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: Elder Groberg has a Book of Mormon beside his bed. This particular Book of Mormon has the phrase "Another testament of Jesus Christ" on the cover. This phrase did not appear on the Book of Mormon until the mid 80's.

Quotes:

John Groberg: Tomasi, why did you help us?
Tomasi: When I was a little boy, I was orphaned. Two missionaries like you took care of me, put me in school. I had forgotten about it until the minister told us to go rough up the Mormons. Then I remembered: I am one!
[takes a swig of alcohol]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The R.M. (2003)

Soundtrack:

Rip it Up

Has A Very Wide Appeal; Uplifting and Touching

Exceptional artistic and historic care blend with charming cinematography, to render a visual experience that transcends into an emotional one. Not just one church's story. A universal story. Youth against the world. Virtue against violence. Anyone can relate to this film. It combines all the elements.

You get a light-hearted view of one young man's experience in a remote and unusual part of the world, at a time when the world was just about to start shrinking. There are family values. Individual challenges. Real-life stresses hurled from nature and cultural contrast.

The photography is utterly charming in its balance. It is not a slow film, any more than "Castaway" was a slow film. The difference between these two films is that one pits a single man against the world and against himself, while the other pits a young man against an utterly alien life which he manages to blend into his own. The "slowness" of the Pacific island life is micro-viewed to reveal that there are actually exciting and humorous details of daily life; while macro-viewed to show the occasional punctuation of extreme chaos and challenge,change and redirection.

Everyone wins in this film. Conflicts range from mutual culture and social shock, to static compromise, and eventually up to complete resolution.

See a South Pacific adventure that is, for once, totally based on real life and real historic occurrences.