Pretty Good

Perfect cast and a good story

Memorable, crazy movie

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

Despite being LDS, I didn't expect much from the film. Handling matters which are sacred to anyone is difficult, and I appreciated the film's ability to deal with the subjects frankly without beating anyone over the head. The film has a nice balance between telling a family's story and the religion's. I think the Steed family was wonderfully portrayed, each performance engaging and unique. I'm looking forward to seeing the second film and then the third that just came out ... assuming they ever bother bringing it to New York State.My one casting beef was with Joseph Smith - also the hardest one to cast. While the actor does a good job showing that he really believes his account and is trying his best to live among people who don't, he gets this head-shake thing going on whenever he discusses spiritual matters as if he is trying to prove his sincerity in his body language and that was very distracting by the end of the movie.

This movie is uplifting and a little suspenseful at times. Not that it's scary, but this is not a predictable movie...it keeps you guessing and engrossed in it at all times. It is just as good as the book that it follows. I would (and have)recommend(ed) this movie to others. It is good for members and non-members alike to see this. It really goes into detail about the restoration and all the facts. If any one has friends of family that have questions about the LDS church, this would be a great starting point for them. It's a wholesome and fun movie for every one of all ages. My kids and my husband both love the movie and the book as much as I did. We can't wait until the second and third editions come out!!!

After much procrastination, I finally went to see this movie with my wife and a close friend while we were in Utah on a visit from our home in Wisconsin. Truth be told, I was expecting to be somewhat disappointed on a couple of fronts; first, in that the movies are generally not as true to the books as they should be, and second, given that this movie was geared to the LDS community, past movies that were geared to LDS audiences (with the exceptions of The Singles Ward, Brigham City and The Best Two Years) have left me with very low expectations for LDS filmmakers.I am happy to say that this film far exceeded my expectations on both fronts, and has proved that LDS filmmakers can and indeed do produce excellent work that is not limited to Richard Dutcher alone, and that the bar has indeed been considerably raised for future work within the LDS film community. What's more, those who are not of the LDS persuasion will be far less likely to look at LDS movies and giggle and titter, much like I did. Let's face it, fellow church members. Didn't you giggle yourselves silly through some of the cheesy films that were made either by BYU Films or others who could at best be described as wannabes? After all, for the longest time (and I may add, WAY TOO LONG) previous LDS-oriented films at one time were those cheesy second or even third-rate productions that seemed more like after-school projects for BYU students looking for some extra part-time cash.Unlike the abomination that had the gall/temerity to pass itself off as the 'so-called' Book of Mormon 'movie' in which half of any group watching the film had the good sense to get up and walk out, lest that sacred volume of scripture have any more injustice done to it by a bunch of amateurs who should be working at Burger King instead, the dialog in 'The Work and The Glory' was realistic and era-appropriate. The scenery was well-done for the time portrayed, and great attention to detail was paid to ensure that the film was historically accurate while staying true to the book. The characters were well-developed and multi-dimensional, exposing both their flaws and strengths, thus making themselves people that many of us could identify with. Whether it is sibling rivalry as in the two brothers competing for Lydia McBride's heart, or Joseph Smith finding himself thrust into a role he neither sought nor expected, we see through a confluence of events, a meeting of ordinary people under extraordinary circumstances, and that is what makes this film work so well.While overall casting in the film was exceptional, as it pertains to Joseph Smith's role in the film: Jonathan Scarfe was (simply put) inspired casting for the part. I have seen others portray the prophet in the past, but nobody, and I mean NOBODY can hold a candle to Jonathan in his portrayal of young Joseph.Regardless of your religious persuasion – or even if you have no religious leaning at all – 'The Work and The Glory' is a welcome addition to any video library, as it will provide many hours of enjoyable viewing with repeated watching.On a scale of 1 to 10, I give it a 12/10! ***

My chief complaint about this movie is that the advertising is ambiguous and misleading. It gives you the impression that it is an early American faming/romance movie when it is actually a Mormon recruiting film. I like learning about other faiths and I am proud to say I was one of the few adventurous soles who saw "Mohamed messenger of god". I am glad I learned about the formation of the Mormon faith but I do like being tricked into seeing it.If you judge this film solely as a religious film then it is better than average. However, if you judge it by normal standards then it falls short. It is a bit melodramatic with a weak plot that is contorted to show the founding of the Mormon Church. The acting is mediocre with inexperienced actors in key roles. In one particular scene it was obvious by the eye movements that they were reading lines. The main plot of two brothers vying for the same girl just sinks into nonsense. The cinematography was nice and the best part of this effort. In summary, see this movie if you would like to learn about the founding of the Mormon faith otherwise avoid it.I would warn that judging by the huge number of glowing recommendations on this website that Mormons are piling on the praise partly with pride in their faith and partly as a missionary effort. There is nothing wrong with that but you should be aware of it. My observation of Mormons is that they are fine people and a credit to their faith. If you doubt my observation, note that no credible source reviewed it.Finally, I say that the producers did this film a disservice by disguising the true nature of it. There are thousands of Mormons in my town yet the theater was empty probably because they did not know about it. Proper marketing would have done it better service and brought in a lot of people like me who like knowing about the religious diversity of this country.