From: owner-aml-list-digest@lists.xmission.com (aml-list-digest) To: aml-list-digest@lists.xmission.com Subject: aml-list-digest V1 #1 Reply-To: aml-list Sender: owner-aml-list-digest@lists.xmission.com Errors-To: owner-aml-list-digest@lists.xmission.com Precedence: bulk aml-list-digest Friday, February 27 2004 Volume 01 : Number 001 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 24 Feb 2004 06:59:57 -0600 From: "Webmaster" Subject: [AML] Review: "The Best Two Years" REVIEW: "The Best Two Years" By: Preston Hunter Date: 20 February 2004 The rumors are true. "The Best Two Years" -- the latest feature film to emerge from the LDS Cinema genre -- is a real movie in every way, and a cut above most of its brethren. This straight-forward story of four Latter-day Saint missionaries serving in contemporary Holland is an engaging, often inspiring movie that can be compared favorably not only to recent LDS-made/Utah productions, but is also better than most bigger-budgeted Hollywood studio movies. "The Best Two Years" can be compared to some recent films such as "Miracle", "Secondhand Lions" and "Holes" in that it is a very family-friendly film which older children can enjoy, yet it will appeal to discerning adults interested in intelligent, quality cinema. Although short on the action and eye candy that the youngest and most easily distracted viewers might need, this movie's characters and emotion are highly engrossing. I was drawn in caught up in the story. Even my 8-year-old daughter watched it all the way through with rapt attentionm, and wanted to watch it again. Although its formal theatrical release throughout Utah theaters did not occur until today (20 February 2004), "The Best Two Years" has for many months now shown up in special pre-release screenings and a few film festivals. I have heard from numerous friends and colleagues who have seen "The Best Two Years" and loved it. Most of these people have seen every or nearly every LDS Cinema movie released, and the majority of them actually told me that among commercialy released LDS-themed movies, "The Best Two Years" is their favorite so far. I loved the "The Best Two Years." This really is a must-see film. Although it is not the BEST movie among the 15 LDS Cinema films to hit theaters so far, it is easily among the top five, and in some ways it is unsurpassed. One of the most impressive aspects of "The Best Two Years" is simply the degree to which it looks and feels like a real Hollywood studio film. Technically, the film seems flawless, with beautiful visuals and great sound. The imperfections and unevenness seen in low-budget films with regards to film quality, lighting, soundtrack and other areas are nowhere to be seen. Fortunately, the story itself is a million miles away from Hollywood fare. The studio-quality sheen is coupled with the strong "indie film" appeal of a storyline and themes which could never have come out of the poll-driven big studios. "The Best Two Years" is politically incorrect in all the best ways, making it one of the most honest and refreshing films in recent years. This missionary movie wears its affiliation on its sleeve, nothing hidden, no sleight of hand. It avoids the denominational relativism and ham-handed attempts at universalism that have watered down previous outings. In telling a story about Mormon missionaries, writer/director Scott Anderson has wisely decided to do just that -- in the best, most direct way possible. "The Best Two Years" thus emerges as the most prototypical and "realistic" movie ever made about Latter-day Saint missionaries. There are no dying missionaries (as in "God's Army"), tidal waves ("The Other Side of Heaven") or GLBT conversions ("Latter Days"). Not that these extreme plot points can't actually happen -- they HAVE happened, and such out-of-the-oirdinary events have been the basis for some interesting stories and films. But "The Best Two Years" takes an even more difficult and courageous route by venturing onto the big screen without any obvious hooks. It relies entirely on the drama inherent in the most commonplace missionary experiences. The triumph of this film is that it succeeds so entirely on this basis alone. At its core, this is a gripping, character-driven story. The extant to which this movie succeeds is almost inexplicable when one considers that this is director Scott S. Anderson's directorial debut. This is a confident, well-made movie that in no way seems like the work of a first-time filmmaker. Part of the credit for this stems from having using well-vetted source material. The movie is a fairly direct adaptation of Anderson's own stage play, "The Best Two Years of My Life" (which is available on video). This was a popular play staged in many venues across the country, so the production has been tried out extensively before live audiences. But much of the credit for the film's overall quality must go to director of photography Gordon Lonsdale and producer Michael Flynn. Lonsdale is a veteran of dozens of network television series and TV movies, including "Providence," "The Magnificent Seven," "Space: Above and Beyond," and "Northern Exposure." He knows how to make a production look professional, cinematic and interesting. Some of the shots in "The Best Two Years" are simply magical, such as the scenes in which some characters appear to move at different frame rates than background characters. Lonsdale does justice to beautiful the Dutch locales. This movie simply looks great, maybe even better than "The Other Side of Heaven." Michael Flynn doubtless contributed much to the movie's quality as well. A veteran actor who has had recurring roles on network TV series, including "Everwood" and "Touched By An Angel," Flynn doubles as an actor in this film as well, playing the medical doctor serving as the Dutch mission president. Perhaps the smartest thing director Scott S. Anderson did was bringing these talented and experienced professionals on board, rather than relying purely on friends from film school. Anderson's other stroke of genius was in casting four excellent actors in the lead roles. Without a reliance on dramatic hooks or special effects, this movie truly relies on the talent of its lead actors. LDS Cinema veteran Kirby Heyborne and newcomer KC Clyde fill these roles with aplomb, giving pitch-perfect, nuanced, interesting performances. Casting Heyborne could have been a mistake had he been simply a "movie star," and not an actor. But here Heyborne displays his dramatic talent, submersing himself into a part which is unlike any of the many roles he has played so far. Heyborne IS Elder Calhoun, the sincere recent convert from the rural Oklahoma who becomes the heart of the movie. Clyde, as Elder Rogers, the film's main character, is completely convincing as a once-stellar missionary who now seems no longer to care about his calling, and is surprisingly given the task of training fresh-off-the-train Elder Calhoun. The interaction between these two contrasting personalities yields much of the film's abundant humor. "The Best Two Years" is very funny, with many laugh-out-loud moments. Yet it achieves its humor through natural, character-based moments rather than slapstick or anything unbelievable. I also must point out Scott Christopher's flawless performance as an American optometrist that encounters the missionaries in Holland. Christopher has been in numerous LDS Cinema and other made-in-Utah movies, and I think this is his best performance to date. His is a supporting role, but a difficult and pivotal one. A scene in which Elders Rogers and Calhoun present the first discussion to Scott Christopher is bold and original, beginning with some of the film's most hilarious moments and then smoothly moving to moving spirituality and testimony. It is daring and effective -- simply an awesome scene. Despite the many ways in which "The Best Two Years" succeeds, there are some things which keep it from being even better. Its very appealing simplicity is also a weakness. This film is based on a stage play, and so much of it takes place in the missionary apartment that the end result feels slightly claustrophobic. More scenes OUTSIDE of the apartment, even if they featured the same dialogue, would have been welcome. An admirable effort has been made to film on location in Holland, but I was left wanting more. Also, although this is clearly a movie which is about American missionaries in Holland, and NOT about Holland itself or about Dutch people, I felt there simply were too few glimpses into Dutch life, or how that culture had an impact on the missionaries. "Lost in Translation" was another movie completely about Americans rather than the foreign country they travel to, yet it offered more a sense of its foreign setting. I wonder if the laser-like intensity with which "The Best Two Years" focused on its four main characters hampered it. Even just one or two scenes in which actual Dutch Latter-day Saints exchange dialogue with the missionaries may have opened the movie up more for me, and given me a some idea of what the Elders were attempting to accomplish on their mission to The Netherlands. Also, the opening few minutes of "The Best Two Years" are deathly slow and uneven. The dialogue and timing during the opening scenes before Elder Calhoun arrives seems to have come straight from a play and the acting seems forced. But Richard Dutcher's "Brigham City" was similarly marred by slow, awkward opening scenes, yet it remains the best LDS Cinema movie yet made. If you go to see "The Best Two Years" and arrive a few minutes late, don't worry about it. But if you miss the film's beginning you will miss a good song by Michael McLean. My advise is to watch the whole thing, enjoy the music and beautiful cinematography during the opening credits, and don't fret too much about the weakness of the first scene with the missionaries. Even if "The Best Two Years" is not THE best LDS-themed movie ever made, it is one of the best. I look forward to seeing it again, and I look forward to seeing what director Scott S. Anderson does next. I see many movies, from both Hollywood and Utah, and this is one of the best times I have had at the movies in years. - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 25 Feb 2004 00:30:50 GMT From: "Jeffrey Needle" Subject: [AML] Vogel, Joseph Smith, The Making of a Prophet Review Title: Joseph Smith, The Making of a Prophet Author: Dan Vogel Publisher: Signature Books Year Published: 2004 Number of Pages: 720 plus index Binding: Hardback ISBN: 1-56085-179-1 Price: $39.95 Reviewed by Jeffrey Needle [Note: I am reviewing a pre-publication copy of this book. Page numbers may not match the final print copy.] Dan Vogel is sufficiently well-known, and acclaimed, for his previous publications, in particular his careful editing of the five volumes of "Early Mormon Documents." He is a careful writer and a tireless researcher. Any new title from his pen is worth looking at. The present volume is a monumental study of the phenomenon of Joseph Smith, explained in a purely rational and naturalistic context. Vogel comes to the subject as one who rejects any form of supernaturalism. Those who deny the divine-human encounter find it an easy task to dismiss such "prophets" as Joseph Smith as charlatans and frauds. But, like many before him, Vogel finds it a necessary task to explain this uniquely American prophet. He rejects the simplistic dismissals of many anti-Mormon writers. Vogel's view of Joseph's role is that he was, in the end, a "pious fraud." This is a serious charge, but must be understood in the context of the author's search for answers: In assembling the prophet puzzle, I have tried to understand Smith but I have not wanted to judge him. I find that I am sympathetic to Smith, although not uncritically. [xxii] "Pious fraud"? Some readers will disagree, not just with such attribution to Joseph Smith, but in the idea itself. They will see Vogel as sitting in the judgment seat of history, weighing the Prophet in the balances, and finding him wanting. But even such a judgment requires some rational explanation of the Joseph Smith event, and this is what Vogel pursues. Vogel begins with an extended discussion of Joseph Smith's youth and his involvement in the magical arts. These chapters are fully documented, and present a less-than-faithful rendering of the early life of the Prophet. Faithful Latter-day Saints will find some of the material distressing; many will find that it enriches their understanding of the milieu from which Joseph Smith emerged. He follows this with a critical look at the early narratives of the visit of Moroni, the uncovering of the plates, and the translation process itself. He pulls together contemporary accounts and the writings of witnesses. What emerges is a picture somewhat different from that taught today. And then comes Vogel's main thesis -- a close examination of the narrative flow of the Book of Mormon, and parallels he sees not only with early 19th-century America, but with the life of Joseph Smith himself. Early in the book, Vogel suggests that first novels are often autobiographical in nature. He sees this parallel throughout the Book of Mormon, and describes his findings at length. Here are some examples of the author's sense of relatedness: To help readers more easily identify with this period of Nephite history, the Book of Helaman mixes elements associated with Jesus' first and second comings, whereas the plot -- a reversal of Nephite and Lamanite roles -- reflects Smith's prediction for America's future. (p. 270) The statement that Akish "did administer unto them the oaths...handed down even from Cain, who was a murderer from the beginning" (8:15), finds parallel in anti-Masonic rhetoric. (p. 351) Spanning the centuries, [King] Benjamin seemed to speak directly to Joseph Sr.s Universalism, as well as to the Universalistic beliefs of Joseph Knight, in the way he repeatedly emphasizes the eternal duration of hell and God's justice in punishing the wicked. Before launching into the anti-Universalist portion of his sermon, Benjamin explains his motivation in words that seem to touch on Joseph Jr.'s own attitudes. Benjamin states that he called his people together to unburden himself or discharge his God-appointed duty concerning them. (p. 149) It is likely that Smith -- through Nephi -- defended himself against the criticism of those who detected the human side of the would-be prophet. David Whitmer recalled that "the unbelievers frequently attempted to confound the faithful few by asking them if they supposed 'that fool boy' could write anything, or that God would select such a wretch as a medium of communicating His will. The ready answer was that God was not very particular as to the instruments used to accomplish certain desired ends, and that devils as well as angels had their places in His economy." It is interesting that, rather than deny Smith's wretchedness, Whitmer defends God's ability to work through whomever he chooses. (p. 417-8) You get the idea. Let's return to the idea of Joseph Smith as a "pious fraud." The reason the ious fraud concept has not been fully considered in the past is because it is difficult to imagine why someone would deceive in God's name while simultaneously holding to sincere religious beliefs. Yet, history is replete with examples of this." (xvii) I cannot imagine a situation where the Church would be prepared to accept this concept. Even with the examples cited by Vogel, it just seems outside the realm of the possible that Joseph was a liar, even with the best of intentions. In an odd way, Vogel seems to consider pious lying to be a virtue. It is telling an untruth for a high purpose. But can this be justified? How does one harmonize this with the Church's constant call for honesty and truthfulness? The alert reader will immediately ask, "Is this just Fawn Brodie warmed over?" That is, do we have yet another psychobiography of Joseph Smith? On the contrary, Vogel travels a different path -- what he terms "sociobiography." Looking beyond Joseph's Smith's state of mind to the various external influences on the young boy -- family, neighbors, the new American culture, etc. -- Vogel paints a picture of a young man immersed not just in the American mythos but in the religious strife of his time. And, consciously or not, the Book of Mormon, Vogel believes, reflects these very influences, mirroring Joseph Smith's life and experience. Vogel's study is an important addition to our understanding of Joseph Smith. Even those who will disagree with Vogel's conclusions (and I believe this describes most every believing Mormon on the planet) will find a well-researched and clearly written alternative view of the man they revere as a Prophet. In the end, this book challenges the official accounts, the institutional assumptions, and compel the reader to consider heretofore unimagined possibilities. Many will reject them outright. Others will glean a useful tidbit here and there. And some will celebrate a God-free, purely rational explanation of Joseph Smith. My recommendation of this book should not imply complete agreement with his conclusions. However, I think this book will take its place beside Brodie's, and others, as yet another work of passionate scholarship and unshakable commitment to the rational enterprise. This book deserves a look. I have confidence that defenders of the faith will have much to say about it. - ----------------------------------- Jeff Needle jeff.needle@general.com - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 25 Feb 2004 20:29:44 -0700 From: "Jacob Proffitt" Subject: [AML] FW: From ROB. LAUER Jacob, I wanted to inform the AML that my latest play A SOUTHERN CHRISTMAS CAROL premeiered this past December in Colquitt, Georgia. It was produced by Cotton Hall Productions--a new professional theatre company in southwest Georgia region (actually the ONLY professional theatre currently in the region)--and featured actors cast out of New York City and Atlanta. Two reviews were published in Georgia newspapers. The reviews can be found at the papers' websites at the followings addresses: http://albanyherald.net/zonearchive/1203/zone120503.html http://www.tallahassee.com/mld/telegraph/7523998.htm I'm passing this information on to AML just in case you wanted to add a mention of this play and reviews to my listings in yoru Author/Review index. Sincerely, ROB. LAUER - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 25 Feb 2004 20:29:20 -0800 From: "Travis K. Manning" Subject: [AML] Orthography 101 "The" is not so uncommon. Ohio State University refers to itself as "The" Ohio State University. Travis Manning ********************** Date: Tue, 10 Feb 2004 11:56:10 +1100 From: "Covell, Jason" Subject: [AML] Orthography 101: capitalised definite article in Church's name? OK, I don't know if it's just me, or if I missed the memo (could be), or if it's an Australian thing, but what _gives_ with the practice of always capitalising the article ("The") preceding the Church's name, as in this recent snippet from a Church mailing list: "...part of a larger group of= 160 missionaries who belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" When did the mandated use of a capitalised article come about? I don't= have page references to all the relevant style guides, but I work in a professional writing/editorial (and spin-doctoring) capacity and I'm pretty sure this doesn't click with generally accepted contemporary usage. I= would have said that the article would not be capitalised unless it actually= began a sentence: "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints today announced that..." At all other times, orthography would dictate that a lower-case "the" would be used. I've raised the question with local Church members, and the best reasoning= I hear is that it emphasises that the Church is really "The" Church, not just any church. But hey, I thought that was what the definite article= signified anyway!? - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 25 Feb 2004 12:12:21 -0500 From: Irreantum2@cs.com Subject: [AML] (DesNews) Comments on _Passion_ Here's an LDS perspective on _Passion_: Robert Millet, the Richard L. Evans professor of religious understanding at Brigham Young University, said while the term "whitewash" may be too strong a term for "how we treat the reality of the Crucifixion, I believe we don't often think about how difficult, how morbid and how horrific it really was. I sat there at the end being stunned by the reality of the experience." He said he was deeply moved by the depiction of Mary, Christ's mother, because members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints "don't focus a great deal on her," yet the film helped him understand better a bit of what she must have felt. He wished Gibson had taken another hour to portray the Christ's resurrection, yet he said, "I don't know if my system could have taken it another hour. But it was a beautiful experience." The full article is at http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/1%2C1249%2C590045721%2C00.html - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 24 Feb 2004 22:01:06 -0600 From: "Webmaster" Subject: [AML] Box Office Report - Feb. 20, 2004 Feature Films by LDS/Mormon Filmmakers and Actors Weekend Box Office Report (U.S. Domestic Box Office Gross) Weekend of February 20, 2004 Report compiled by: LDSFilm.com [If table below doesn't line up properly, try looking at them with a mono-spaced font, such as Courier - Ed.] Natl Film Title Weekend Gross %B.O. Theatrs Rank LDS/Mormon Filmmaker/Actor Total Gross Chnge $/Thtr Days - --- --------------------------- ----------- ----- ------- ---- 34 The Young Black Stallion 220,039 -21% 51 61 Reed Smoot (cinematographer) 5,281,304 $4,314 47 The Best Two Years (NEW) 92,436 22 3 Scott S. Anderson 92,436 $4,201 (writer/producer/director) Michael Flynn (producer) Fred C. Danneman (executive producer) Gordon Lonsdale (cinematographer) Wynn Hougaard (editor) Michael McLean (songwriter, music supervisor) Dave Sapp (line producer/1st A.D./unit production manager) Darin Anderson (production manager) Michael L. McDonough (sound editor) Rebecca Nibley (costume designer) Actors: K.C. Clyde, Kirby Heyborne, David Nibley, Cameron Hopkin, Scott Christopher, Michael Flynn 51 The Cat in the Hat 74,769 112 87 Eric McLeod (exec. producer) 100,970,499 $667 Aldric La'Auli Porter (assoc. producer/1st A.D.) Danielle Chuchran (actress) 56 Bugs! 57,705 15 346 stars Papilio, 4,976,857 $3,847 a Great Mormon butterfly 66 Latter Days 35,654 -1% 8 24 C. Jay Cox (writer/director) 216,869 $4,456 LDS main characters 75 Paycheck 25,210 -46% 59 61 Aaron Eckart (actor) 53,428,301 $427 (2nd-billed star) 80 Pride and Prejudice 16,629 -28% 17 80 Andrew Black (director) 268,407 $978 Jason Faller (producer) Kynan Griffin (co-producer) Anne K. Black (screenplay/produc. designer) Jason Faller; Katherine Swigert (screenplay) Travis Cline (cinematographer) Ben Carson (composer) Alexander Vance (editor) Actors: Ben Gourley, Hubbel Palmer, Amber Hamilton, Carmen Rasmusen 84 The Book of Mormon Movie Vol. 1 10,740 -59% 5 157 Gary Rogers 1,439,944 $2,148 (writer/producer/director) Craig Clyde (screenplay) David Hales (co-producer, editor) Ira Baker (editor) Robert C. Bowden (composer) Actors: Bryce Chamberlain, Mark Gollaher, Jan Broberg Felt, Cragun Foulger, Jacque Gray, Kirby Heyborne, Michael Flynn 89 Galapagos 8,273 -43% 2 1578 Reed Smoot (cinematographer) 14,338,508 $4,136 102 The Home Teachers 2,721 4 46 Kurt Hale (director, co-writer) 171,545 $680 Dave Hunter (producer) Ryan Little (cinematographer) John E. Moyer (screenwriter) Cody Hale (composer) Wynn Hougaard (editor) Actors: Michael Birkeland, Jeff Birk, etc. 124 Cirque du Soleil: Journey of Man 587 1 1381 Reed Smoot (cinematographer) 15,626,076 $587 129 China: The Panda Adventure 96 +60% 2 941 Reed Smoot (cinematographer) 3,683,283 $48 - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 24 Feb 2004 16:53:57 -0500 From: Irreantum2@cs.com Subject: [AML] (DesNews) Poll on _Passion_ LDS most likely to stay away from 'Passion'=20 Copyright 2004 Deseret Morning News By Elaine Jarvik Deseret Morning News The nation may rush to see Mel Gibson's controversial "The Passion of the Christ" when it opens Wednesday =E2=80=94 but LDS Utahns more = than likely are going to stay away, according to a Deseret Morning News/KSL-TV poll. Only one out of every three members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints polled will "definitely" or "probably" see the movie, a graphic and bloody depiction of the last hours of Jesus' life. The film's R rating was the most-cited reason for not going. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints counsels its members to avoid inappropriate entertainment and media. That's why Jared Starling and his wife plan to sit this one out, even though Starling says he typically likes to see movie interpretations of the life of Jesus. But other LDS moviegoers are intrigued by what they've heard about the movie and plan to go anyway. "The crucifixion was gruesome. It would bother me if it wasn't rated R, because it wouldn't be realistic," says Melissa M. Walker. Still others are undecided. Amy Carmen and her family don't see R-rated movies, but she once made an exception for "Schindler's List," Steven Spielberg's Holocaust drama, and may decide Gibson's movie is worth seeing. "The Passion of the Christ" has been criticized in some quarters as being antisemitic. But the Deseret Morning News/KSL-TV poll found that not one LDS, Catholic or Protestant Utahn questioned listed antisemitism as a reason for avoiding the movie. LDS Church members dominated the poll, with 69 percent of respondents identifying themselves as such. Seven percent or about 28 people identified themselves as Catholic, 8 percent or about 32 respondents said they are Protestant and another 8 percent said they belonged to "other" religions. Of those polled in those three groups, a majority are thinking about seeing the movie, even before it comes out on video and DVD. Sixty-one percent of Catholics polled, and 64 percent of Protestants, said they definitely or probably will see it. Even more certain was the "other" category: 55 percent of them said they will definitely see the movie. Dori Marshall, director of Christian education at Cottonwood Presbyterian Church, plans on seeing the movie this week. She'll see it again later with a group of senior high students and young adults and will lead a discussion period to "debrief and interpret" the film. For centuries, Marshall says, "we have examined our faith through the lens of art in one way or another." Gibson's movie is a 21st century example of that exploration of the mystery of God, she says. Among the Catholics queried, more than three-quarters who said they don't plan on seeing the movie listed "do not go to movies" as the reason why. The film's violence =E2=80=94 but not its R rating =E2=80=94 = was cited by the remaining Catholics as the reason they would not see the movie. And then there are Catholics like Phil Gaitan, who says he probably won't be buying a ticket. "It doesn't catch my interest," he says. Lisa Kieda is Jewish and concerned that the movie might arouse anti-Jewish feelings but plans to see "The Passion of the Christ" all the same. "I'm neither incensed nor overly interested," she says, but wants to see it "because it's on everybody's radar." As a child growing up Jewish in Catholic Boston, she says, other children called her "Christ-killer" and threw pennies at her. "I would hate to see a resurgence of this 'Christ-killer' dialogue." All totaled, 40 percent of Utahns surveyed said they definitely or probably would see the movie, which is not bad box-office odds. On the other hand, only 25 percent of people who list their religious affiliation as "none" plan on going. The poll queried 404 Utahns on Feb. 19; the margin of error is plus or minus 5 percent. E-mail: jarvik@desnews.com =20 - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 24 Feb 2004 16:53:57 -0500 From: Irreantum2@cs.com Subject: [AML] (DesNews) Poll on _Passion_ LDS most likely to stay away from 'Passion'=20 Copyright 2004 Deseret Morning News By Elaine Jarvik Deseret Morning News The nation may rush to see Mel Gibson's controversial "The Passion of the Christ" when it opens Wednesday =E2=80=94 but LDS Utahns more = than likely are going to stay away, according to a Deseret Morning News/KSL-TV poll. Only one out of every three members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints polled will "definitely" or "probably" see the movie, a graphic and bloody depiction of the last hours of Jesus' life. The film's R rating was the most-cited reason for not going. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints counsels its members to avoid inappropriate entertainment and media. That's why Jared Starling and his wife plan to sit this one out, even though Starling says he typically likes to see movie interpretations of the life of Jesus. But other LDS moviegoers are intrigued by what they've heard about the movie and plan to go anyway. "The crucifixion was gruesome. It would bother me if it wasn't rated R, because it wouldn't be realistic," says Melissa M. Walker. Still others are undecided. Amy Carmen and her family don't see R-rated movies, but she once made an exception for "Schindler's List," Steven Spielberg's Holocaust drama, and may decide Gibson's movie is worth seeing. "The Passion of the Christ" has been criticized in some quarters as being antisemitic. But the Deseret Morning News/KSL-TV poll found that not one LDS, Catholic or Protestant Utahn questioned listed antisemitism as a reason for avoiding the movie. LDS Church members dominated the poll, with 69 percent of respondents identifying themselves as such. Seven percent or about 28 people identified themselves as Catholic, 8 percent or about 32 respondents said they are Protestant and another 8 percent said they belonged to "other" religions. Of those polled in those three groups, a majority are thinking about seeing the movie, even before it comes out on video and DVD. Sixty-one percent of Catholics polled, and 64 percent of Protestants, said they definitely or probably will see it. Even more certain was the "other" category: 55 percent of them said they will definitely see the movie. Dori Marshall, director of Christian education at Cottonwood Presbyterian Church, plans on seeing the movie this week. She'll see it again later with a group of senior high students and young adults and will lead a discussion period to "debrief and interpret" the film. For centuries, Marshall says, "we have examined our faith through the lens of art in one way or another." Gibson's movie is a 21st century example of that exploration of the mystery of God, she says. Among the Catholics queried, more than three-quarters who said they don't plan on seeing the movie listed "do not go to movies" as the reason why. The film's violence =E2=80=94 but not its R rating =E2=80=94 = was cited by the remaining Catholics as the reason they would not see the movie. And then there are Catholics like Phil Gaitan, who says he probably won't be buying a ticket. "It doesn't catch my interest," he says. Lisa Kieda is Jewish and concerned that the movie might arouse anti-Jewish feelings but plans to see "The Passion of the Christ" all the same. "I'm neither incensed nor overly interested," she says, but wants to see it "because it's on everybody's radar." As a child growing up Jewish in Catholic Boston, she says, other children called her "Christ-killer" and threw pennies at her. "I would hate to see a resurgence of this 'Christ-killer' dialogue." All totaled, 40 percent of Utahns surveyed said they definitely or probably would see the movie, which is not bad box-office odds. On the other hand, only 25 percent of people who list their religious affiliation as "none" plan on going. The poll queried 404 Utahns on Feb. 19; the margin of error is plus or minus 5 percent. E-mail: jarvik@desnews.com =20 - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 26 Feb 2004 00:29:44 -0800 From: Harlow S Clark Subject: Re: [AML] Young and Gray On Tue, 10 Feb 2004 11:47:44 -0700 "Eric Samuelsen" writes: > > In the Standing on the Promises series, however, the characters > seem flatter to me. They surely struggle against the most horrific > sorts of persecution and difficulty, and they are surely also > also flawed. But the writing feels less nuanced, less subtle. Jane > Manning James and Elijah Abel do not emerge, for me, as richly > or as carefully drawn as the characters in her other novels and > stories. Jane Manning James and, say, Merry in Heresies of > Nature are both victims, atrociously treated by life, through no > fault of their own. Forgive me when I say that I find Merry > more completely and compellingly written. >I believe that, possibly, Margaret found herself unwilling to > interrogate them as ruthlessly as she would other characters > characters in other works. Very intriguing comment, that Margaret perhaps pulled a few punches in standing on the promises of God instead of her own abilities. (OK, I should slaughter that darling--any pun that comes that easily can't be good.) I started down the last mile of that trilogy last week, but when I went to renew it there was a hold on it, so I'll have to wait until whatever other resident of our fair city reads Margaret's work (Sharlee?:)) finishes with it. I didn't have it read by the due date because I had been reading Sholem Asch's _Mary_, and this being Ash Wednesday I'll make some comments on that novel. (I have a special fondness for Asch because I have 5 DI-bought Asch novels on my shelves for years (4 still unread) and because my brother Dennis puns on his name in "By the Bomb's Early Light," a poem about seeing bomb flashes on the horizon from above-ground nuclear testing in southern Utah in 1958, the year he was out of school with rheumatic fever and spent a lot of time caring for the new baby, imparting nonsense words and love of language.) You can imagine the stir Asch's novels caused if you imagine yourself a Jewish Daily Forward reader in post-war New York picking up a Yiddish novel and finding a story about the birth and life of Yeshua the Messiah. Reading _Mary_ (and I hope to read _The Nazarene_ and _The Apostle_ soon) I was reminded of two LDS authors. Gerald Lund first because Asch includes lots of little essays on the geography and politics and culture of the time, and because Asch treats Yeshua with every bit the deference and reverence Lund shows Joseph Smith in _Pillar of Fire_. Except Asch does enter into Yeshua's mind. He's a POV several times until he starts his ministry, when the POV switches mostly to Miriam and her struggles to accept her son's destiny and to offer him freely as a sacrifice. The other writer Asch reminded me of is Margaret Young. The last third of _House Without Walls_ is an extended meditation on types and symbols as Isaac struggles with his growing testimony of Jesus and of the Church, and with the sense that he is repeating an ancient archetype, one of Joseph's brothers just learning the identity of their hidden savior, that the savior is a despised brother he has known but not recognized. Isaac's typal living continues in the Language Training Mission where he relives Peter's vision: "He took a bite of the his egg, and tasted what he knew was forbidden food to the Jews: the grease of a pig" (p. 170) Abraham and Sarah, Isaac's parents, also live typal lives. Abraham stops in an anti-Mormon bookshop, finds _The Fall of the Book of Abraham_, feels the title a prophecy about his posterity, grieves for the clerk's bishop father, and feels "Somewhere an atonement was being wrought. Abraham's son was replacing the other man's son in the Mormon faith, and he, Abraham was bearing the pain of barrenness. This was the lot of the Jews, was it not? How well he could tell of it" (p. 151). Asch's novel is full of types and shadows, with Miriam both identifying with Rachel the mourning and caring mother, and being ordained to Rachel's role, and seeing herself as the new Abraham, confident till the final week that God will spare her the sacrifice of her child as He spared Abraham. All this makes her a fairly complex character, at the same time Yeshua becomes less interesting as a character once he finds the answer he was seeking from the rabbis in the temple--why do we offer innocent animals as sacrifices for our sins when the prophets, Isaiah particularly, inveigh against animal sacrifice? Once Yeshua figures out that he will be the sacrifice, and that that sentence means his body will be torn just like the Paschal lamb's, his characterization becomes rather flat, as if there's nothing more Asch could say from Yeshua's POV. (From what few passages I've read of _The Nazarene_ Yeshua is not a POV. I think the narrator of that novel is a transmigration of the man of Kerioth, Judas.) When I think of the story Margaret Young and Darius Gray are telling in _Standing on the Promises_ the image that comes to mind is Margaret sitting on stage in costume at the Villa Theater, watching the story of Jane Manning James, beaming with joy, not a cast member so much as someone deeply moved by the story the others were telling. If Margaret does not interrogate her black pioneers as ruthlessly as she does her Mermaid in _Heresies of Nature_ perhaps that's a function of writing epic hagiography. When we write the lives of saints we are not so much looking at the human weak side of remarkable people as at the remarkable side of extraordinary people--with the notable exception of those four testaments which are unsparing in their portrait of the follies of the 12 first saints who continually argue over which hand of their Lord they will be seated on when his kingdom comes in its glory. As for epic, epic is not often concerned with ruthlessly interrogating the epic hero. I haven't read _The Odyssey_ for years--decades really (how odd to be old enough to say that), but I know Homer doesn't examine Odysseus nearly as ruthlessly as Euripides does in _The Trojan Women_ and _The Cyclops_ (haven't read yet--finally got my own copy, _The Complete Greek Drama_, vol 2 ed. Whitney J. Oates and Eugene O'Neil, Jr., Random House, 1938, 10th printing--which for some reason I did not write the date of DI-purchase in, though Ralph A. Britsch did write 'Oklahoma Jan., 1951'). Homer certainly does not see any irony in Odysseus expecting Penelope to be faithful while he dallies all those years with Circe. Nor does he question Odysseus' treatment of Cyclops, nor the treachery with that horse that lands him in the 8th malebolge of the 8th circle of Dante's Inferno (Canto XXVI). Epic is often much more interested in telling the national heroic story than in character development. I'm not suggesting that Homer is above reporach and that since Margaret and Darius are working in an epic form they should be also. Euripides, Virgil and Dante didn't think anything of questioning Homer. I am wondering, though, whether the hagiographic/epic form is wholly compatible with the kind of characterization Margaret does in her other novels. Harlow S. Clark - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ End of aml-list-digest V1 #1 ****************************