The Other Side of Heaven

Plot synopsis:
During the 1950s, John Groberg, who grew up in Idaho Falls, is called on a mission to Tonga. There he will spend three years as Elder Groberg teaching about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. His first adventures are just in getting there, including a short time in a Fijian jail.
When Elder Groberg does get to Tonga, he is sent to a group of remote islands. There he is partnered with a Tongan, Feki, who speaks English. But Elder Groberg finds that what he has learned of the Tongan language is severely deficient, so he studies intensely to become proficient. He also learns the culture.
The island's minister tells the people not to listen to the missionaries. Later, he even sends three men to beat up the missionaries. But one of them, Tomasi, had been baptized a Mormon, so Elder Groberg and Feki were spared. This man later begins coming to the meetings and is chosen by Elder Groberg to be one of his counselors to the local congregations.
A local young woman, at the behest of her family, attempts to seduce Elder Groberg. She wants "a half white baby." She eventually relents because he is saving himself for Jean, the young woman he left back home, who communicates to him through letters.
While travelling at sea, Elder Groberg and his two counselors are caught in a large storm. He is washed overboard and is in fear of his life. He is later rescued and returned to Fiji.
A hurricane hits the island. Many of the trees are stripped bare, homes are destroyed and many people are killed. The remaining leaders have people gather up what food and fresh water is available so that rationing can begin. But the supply boat takes much longer than anticipated. The inhabitants of the island begin dying of starvation and dehydration. Elder Groberg is himself close to death when the island's minister gives him the last of his food, because he is old and Elder Groberg is young. When the supply boat does arrive, the minister is found to have died. The minister is given an honorable funeral.

Tags: romantic

Review:
No, I'm not Mormon, I'm actually an Assembly of God Christian, however that does not overshadow my appreciation for this movie.The depiction of the people of Tonga is accurate.
The crying and grieving took place for 1 full day (24 hours - day and night) while different groups of people from all the villages on the island, came to pay their last respects.Hats off to Disney for going out on a limb to bring the story of one young man's journey of faith and trials and tribulations of his mission to the big screen!
Considering that this movie was neither made by, nor endorsed by, the LDS church, The Other Side of Heaven is an endearing, uplifting movie that celebrates and pays respect to Mormon missionaries without going too deep into LDS philosophy or beliefs.
Produced in part by the same producer who brought us such cinematic gems as Schindler's List and Jurassic Park, Heaven is refreshingly devoid of many "blockbuster"-style elements and is a very low-key presentation of a young man's struggle to survive, adapt, and succeed in a world far far away from his familiar hometown in Idaho.In the early 1950's Elder John Groberg from Idaho Falls accepts a call to serve a three-year LDS mission to Tonga.
Yet his faith and determination to do what he believes is right are shown throughout this movie as his motivation to stay through the hardships, the loneliness, and the difficulties that are faced during his mission.The Other Side of Heaven is essentially a chronicle of Elder Groberg's true life mission.
At times spiritual, humorous, frightening, and uplifting, the movie is a tribute to a young man who faced overwhelming odds and setbacks to continually overcome some of the most difficult situations ever beset a young missionary.
There is another bit of Mormon tradition which is very poorly explained, but I can't tell you what it is without giving away a fairly poignant moment of the film's ending.Nevertheless, The Other Side of Heaven is not just a Mormon movie.
His profound failure to "get it" is an embarrassment.First of all, this is about a young man of "white-bread" heritage casting aside all he has and all he is, even leaving the love of his life for two and a half years, in order to immerse himself in a culture about which he is totally ignorant so that he can offer them the greatest gift he has to offer: His faith.Rather than "looking down" on the people he has come to SERVE, he bears great hardships, and exerts himself in ways he could never have conceived, in order to connect with these people.
He DID travel from Idaho to Tonga, he did live among the people there, he did come to gain their trust, he did bring to them a precious gift of faith, and he did return often throughout the rest of his life, with his wife and family, to be among these people whom he loved.That anyone could be so callously dismissive of this truth is a sad commentary on our "post-Christian" society.But I found this film to be deeply moving and very satisfying, and I recommend it highly to those who enjoy inspiring film..
I really did enjoy this film, although it is certainly no cinematic masterpiece, however I do think it would be of fairly limited appeal to a non-Mormon audience.
I was certainly surprised to see it as a Disney movie and was mortified to see other posters suggesting that the advertising for the film was less than forthcoming on the true nature of the storyline.
I am not a Mormon but thought this movie was a fine example of a good, clean, wholesome, interesting, and very enjoyable film.
Incidentally, we have friends who are (non-Mormon) missionaries in a location very much like Tonga, and they have experienced many, many of the same things portrayed in the film...even the rats!.
Even if you don't believe in the miracles that occurred in the film, you can appreciate the poignant message behind the story of a young man and his struggles to help the people he fell in love with.
For the rest of us, Mormon or not (I am not Mormon myself), it's a wonderful story of human determination, and an inspired young person with a full, multifaceted life, living out an amazing, eye-opening adventure.It does an excellent job reflecting and honoring Polynesian culture as well.
This film brought me back to some island adventures of my own.In short, if I had kids, I'd definitely want them to see this movie...but since I don't, I really enjoyed it all by myself!.
It was full of beautiful messages that we as a human race have so sadly forgotten  If once in a while we all took a moment and thought of life like the young man in this movie, this would be a wondrous world.
It's refreshing to see economic success come for a family centered movie.The special effects in the hurricane scenes were as good as any big budget movie production, yet maintained their focus on the central characters in the film.
it supposedly is a coming-of-age story, but honestly i was so blinded by all the mormon propaganda that the "coming-of-age" part was all but a mute point.This movie, in a nutshell, is the tale of a Mormon missionary preaching preaching LDS and western values to this indigenous tribe on the small island of Tonga.I mean you have all the stock "inspirational" stories in this film.
The hurricane that destroys a lot of the island....the rebuilding effort....the missionary almost dying....but no no....it was the powerful message of Jesus Christ and the Book of Mormon that pulled him through and, of course, the love of all those poor indigenous people he brainwashed as well.Just to clear up one thing....I have NO problem with people doing and saying and believing what they want to believe.....but I HATE it being pushed on me.
I mean what if a jewish or islamic, or any non-mormon or non-christian couple picked up the movie thinking it was good for their kids to see because it was a disney family film?
(And I might add that they are not real Christians, compare the tenants) This film was steeped in touchy moments that act to enforce the mormon-fed ideal that they are all perfect people that lead perfect lives and are in the perfect faith.
The fact that it will inevitably lead people to take interest in the mormon church is disturbing, considering the lack of enthusiasm presented by Disney towards the actual Christian faith.
The Tongans, who the lead character (the story is based on his actual memoirs) initially describes as (paraphrased here) "the people I grew to love" are simply portrayed as carefree savages saved by the attentive, miraculous attention of the Mormon missionary sent to convert them.There's no mystery and subtlety, either: the most beautiful Tonga literally drops her skirt for him, her mother begs him for a "half-white baby," he brings a dead child back to life, the music swells when his feet are inexplicably "eaten" in the middle of the night -- and he takes his first steps toward a cheering, loving, docile tribe.
There's little doubt who he'll have romance with, where he'll end up and how the experience with this "primitive" non-Mormon universe will change him forever (after all, not only did he manage to get a book published, he also got this movie produced by Disney).In short, it's tremendously irritating -- it's insulting, it's racist, it's condescending.
It was personally inspiring.This film is not filled with sex or violence or gore; it's simply a good story well-told.
Although people who are not members of the Church of Jesus Christ of latter-day Saints might be sceptical of the ability of a missionary to heal the sick, I think that it is important to depict a true story in its truest form, and John Groberg truly worked miracles in Tonga.
I think that the majority of believers in the world (and most critics seem not to be!) believe in miracles, whether they be through a young mormon missionary or any other faithful follower of God, and I think this would have only enhanced the story.
Although it was not clearly stated, I think they were insinuating that the Lord was helping him, and it was nice to see they didn't ignore that aspect altogether.Anyway, aside from all of that, it was an enjoyable movie that I think the whole family can watch and marvel at the difficulties people can face, and overcome, in their lives if they have the courage to try..
It reminded me of one of my favorite stories of all time...James Michener's "Hawaii", yet it had its own sweetness and own story.I will put this on down as one of my top ten movies and highly recommend it to anyone who loves drama, hope, truth and love...amidst a beautiful island people.I give this 10 stars wholeheartedly!.
Normally LDS subject films like The Other Side Of Heaven are usually produced in Salt Lake City by Mormons.
But this film, the true life adventure of a missionary in the South Pacific island kingdom of Tonga was done by the Disney Studios.
Still it's something if not required, expected of him to do his two year bit before he marries Anne Hathaway.Stories about Mormon Missionaries and I've reviewed a few of them now have one common thread, it's the culture shock.
That's what films like God's Army, The Best Two Years and this film have in common.The Pacific Islands have always held special interest for the LDS church.
With disease and tidal waves to battle among other things, the Magic Kingdom did a great job with the special effects in The Other Side Of Heaven.Anne Hathaway does appear in the film, but it's her voice in the letters they exchange that is her real contribution.
Good lord.A missionary goes to the pacific islands and converts the islanders, and even makes them wear those short-sleeved dress shirts and ties!!!!I have a feeling most of the people reviewing it on IMDB went to see it because it's a christian movie, but for those who don't need a sermon, be forewarned!!
However, when I put my own feelings with the church aside, this film is a peek into the profound experiences and trials of one very hard working missionary.
One of those things most people don't realize about this, is this movie is a true story.This young man left his home for more than 2 years to do what he believed to be right and gave up everything.
It also shows what it's like to leave everything your used to behind, and go someplace completely strange, and then after being there for a while how hard it can be to readjust to life at home.Please don't disregard this movie simply because it's about a Mormon missionary Mission.
The film shows the missionary and his girlfriend in probably a more mature way than a typical missionary would be, but the actor Christopher Gorham does an excellent job portraying the actual person...whether or not it is actually true to form.
I mean, to think, anyone with a religious message should save it for only white folks in the neighborhood and not take it to all men and women."Groberg struggles to learn Tongan only to have the native cast spend the rest of the movie speaking English." -- Quick, name all the Hollywood movies with story lines in foreign countries where you were forced to read subtitles while the actors spoke another language.
Oh, and the picture of Queen Elizabeth in the telegraph/post office may have been an indication more than a few natives actually knew how to speak English."Simplistic plot has convenient/immediate solutions to the parade of disasters." --  I'll grant you, many different approaches could have been taken but this director decided on an episodic format...one mini tale after another...to compress three years of a young man's life into 2 hours."The main character dares to preach his version of morality (in this case, saving intimacy for marriage) as what God wants." --  Let's face it...the only way most critics would consider Groberg's mission relevant would be if he had bedded the local girl, denied his faith, and sailed with her to a remote, speck of an island to begin a new society of 'nonjudgemental,' 'enlightened' people.I could go on but, why.
This movie 1) Is about a Mormon missionary's trials during 3 years of life among people of a different culture...to expect him to be a proponent of another faith's doctrine is more than a little ridiculous, 2) Is limited by a very small budget by Hollywood standards (around $7-8 million)...despite the paltry sum, the cinematography is outstanding and the acting and supporting cast are excellent, as well, 3) Will not receive picture of the year honors...but, who cares?Whether you are of the Mormon faith or not, this movie is worth the price of admission.
Although the main character is a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (aka Mormon), the themes of this film are not exclusive to people who practice that faith.
Mitch Davis' work is truly worthy of considerable recognition with this effort.Christopher Gorham's lead-role performance as LDS missionary John Groberg serving his three-year mission in the Tongan islands in the early 1950s is genuine and compelling.
"The Other Side of Heaven" is a movie that I liked as a younger person with much less appreciation of what appeals to my particular film tastes.
It just doesn't fit into my belief system that you should try to convert someone to yours, so it makes it very difficult for me to relate to this film's main character (a real-life person).Plus, the movie is badly mangled (oops...
This film is a true story that shows only a few of his vast adventures, which change his life.
I think it made a lot of people look at the LDS Church in a different way.I next watched "God's Army".
Of course, it was a movie about missionaries who spend two years of their lives preaching about their church, so I guess that I should've expected that.Because of "God's Army", I waited awhile before I decided to watch "The Other Side of Heaven".
Of course, if you go into this movie thinking that it's a Mormon propaganda film, you will feel like it is, but if you go watch it with an open mind, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised with this movie about a Christian missionary and his desire to be with the people of Tonga..
But what was great about "The Other Side of Heaven" was that you weren't bombarded with all the LDS dogma that you wouldn't understand unless you were already a part of the "Mormon" culture.It was just a story of a missionary (to use a generic use of the term) who goes to another country and faces all the difficulties that we all would experience if we were to go to another country trying to express what is most important to us.The love story was believable, since it was true.
And it wasn't overdone like the droning love story in "Pearl Harbour" where the man had too decided to leave his woman for a while.Mostly, as a former missionary myself, it brought back a load of great memories from my own mission and my own experiences.I highly recommend it for all..
Admittedly, mormons will flock to see this movie picture look into the life of one of their own, however, the film's appeal shouldn't stop there.
While based on the experiences of a mormon, "The Other Side of Heaven" doesn't come off as "preachy" or "religious", but rather, it entertains and brings to the silver screen the incredible story of this  young American as he ventures out to an unfamiliar place and culture."The Other Side of Heaven" is a true-story journey that everyone can enjoy!.
There takes something to make a good movie that well represents the feelings that come through special experiences.
God's Army, a movie that was also made to depict the life of an LDS missionary, was good at introducing the LDS culture to those who do not share that faith.
The things that happened to the main character, Elder Groberg, while getting to know the people from the new culture are very similar to others who have done the same.
Although many may not experience all the extremities Elder Groberg went through, much of his interactions with the people are similar.I hope to see more movies based on true stories do their best to portray the feelings and experiences that come from the story of what actually happened.
Only complaint was that I think it was a bit TOO vague on the missionary selection process in the beginning of the movie - but did a great job avoiding the "dogma" aspect and staying true to the story.
Great adventure movie with serious thoughtful moments true life experiences..
I really enjoyed this film as it brought back the true to life experiences of going to other cultures and learning a new language and working with new people.
A great family movie about coming of age, love, family, strength, and having faith in God. Christopher Gorham plays John H.
A must see movie for every Christian.Just what our youth needs.Carefully filmed to appeal all audiences.Based on a true story,told in diaries,hardly to match.Finally on the big screen..
This movie recounts the adventurous mission of a simple young man from Idaho as he teaches the people of Tonga.
Just because it is a film about a Mormon Missionary doesn't mean it's not relatable to everyone.
The movie is not even about the religion, but it is about the experience of living with a culture unlike your own and learning that everyone has a mission in this world.
Mormons are normal people!As for the movie.