Chris ~

While I can appreciate what you are saying, sometimes a story (or movie) is nothing more than a "slice of life" and that's ok with me if I'm enjoying the movie and I LOVED this movie. I saw it a few months ago in Mesa, AZ for a one-night premiere showing. I left there feeling wonderful and knew I had experienced a rare treat. True, it was very predictable, but also very believable and all of the plus things you mention are true.

The scenery was breathtaking, the cinematography exceptional, the acting was extremely good, and the plot plausible. I found myself completely engaged throughout the entire movie. It proved to be a very pleasant evening for me. Every seat in the theater was filled and people were actually turned away. The score was wonderful and I look forward to a CD coming out.

I think what Christian Vuissa and his crew have accomplished in a short amount of time with a very modest budget is nothing short of remarkable and I anxiously await his next project.

Just my two cents.

Blessings,
Stephanie

---- Chris <ximmer8@...> wrote:

I so wanted this film to be an improvment on others, but . . . When you shovel out 8 dollars, you deserve a plot and a story. Loved the actresses, and the scenery and it was a wonderful seminary film, but IT HAD NO STORY, other than the exact same story of 50,000 missionaries a year (change locales, change faces and there is NOTHING CREATIVE about the story). Every mission has awkward adjustments, language misunderstandings, difficult companions, strange, loving and unreachable investigators. A story (screenwriting 101) needs to build to a climax, with subplots and various structural elements. The climax of this film was to look at old pictures of various investigators and companions. Very amateurish from a structural screenwriting point of view.

Again, I hate to say this because, production wise, it was so well done. Love the acting! At least Dutcher, whatever you want to say about him, had unique (some would say unbelievable) stories to tell with actual plots. This film could have just as well been a documentary. A moving one, to be sure, but I felt very cheated by the end, and kept asking my wife, "this exposition is really long, I wonder when the story is going to begin?" It never did. (I know, I missed it, it's her personal growth, adjustments and awareness as a missionary). Sorry, that doesn't cut it. I felt abused and robbed.
--cc ximmer8@...