Customer Reviews

The Other Side Of Heaven [VHS]

5 star:		(65)
4 star:		(26)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

... Had I known [this movie] was about a Morman missionary in Tonga I probably would never had gone. Well, somebody up there likes me. I am glad I went.

It was a beautiful story but realistic also. Having spent 3 years myself in the mission field in another culture (Alaskan native peoples) I could relate. The film had everything from humor like when the young elder gives his first speech in the language of the people. He confuses the word "Lighthouse" with "Outhouse." The audience both on screen and in the theatre laughed long and loud for that one. Serious moments too like when he prays for the child thought dead - exciting moments on the sea, hurricane, and ordinary times of prayer, fasting, and feasting. Ann Hathaway does a good job as the girl who is left back home - the faithful letter writer of 3 years. I would liked to have seen more of her in the story. The people who played the native islanders were excellent and darn near stole the show. But then it wasn't really a show to be stolen. Just a good story, that's what! However, I rest my promotion and am not ready to convert to the LDS but I did learn more about their courage and love for all of God's people. I respect that and I respect this more than adequate, gentle, and fine telling of a real young man's story.

I loved this movie!!! My father is Tongan and my mother is Samoan (the first island Elder Groberg landed at the beginning of his journey). Even though I was born and raised here in the US, I have been exposed to my Polynesian roots and love and embrace both cultures of who I am (Polynesian side and American side).

I have to say that my family and I LOVED this movie. It is refreshing to watch a beautiful movie without all the sex, violence and vulgar material that permeates our society today. This movie is about True Love on so many levels - the love between Elder Groberg and his future bride Jean, the love between the Tongan people and Elder Groberg and the love between Our Lord and his children. 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. They are a lighthearted and loving group of people who love to laugh and find joy in the simple things of life. They are all about respect and honoring one's family. The scene of the first funeral brought back memories for me as it illustrated exactly how these kind people handle the departing of a loved one. When my dear Grandmother Siu passed away in 1994, my family and I traveled back to Vava'u (an island within the Kingdom of Tonga) to lay her to rest. The unmasked grief and crying as depicted in the movie was exactly how my grandmother's funeral was. 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! Well done!

This is (part of) the story of one 20 year old Mormon boy's experiences while on his mission to Tonga in 1954. It is an adventure story with an emphasis on faith and personal relationships.
It may be difficult for anyone without faith to understand why John Groberg, or any other young person, would go on a mission, but if you can suspend your skepticism, you will be rewarded. The missionary came across as a little nerdy, but you can't help but cheer for his successes and pity his failures as he deals with homesickness and culture shock while trying to learn Tongan and preach.
The scenery and musical score are beautiful, and you can almost feel the humidity and bugs that go with a tropical paradise. What I found most appealing of all were the Tongans themselves. I don't know if the actors are professionals or locals or local professionals, but they gave the movie its heart.
I found the movie/story so compelling that I went out and bought the book and the CD and look forward to someday visiting that part of the world.

Working off a *very* modest budget of $7 million for a nearly two-hour film, it's no wonder there are parts of this movie where there was a definite lack of funding. The camera shots in one scene could have been better pulled off by a teenager with a camcorder, and some of the waves in the storm scene look like they're in a pool.

On the other hand, though, this movie wasn't meant to be a technological marvel.

This movie tells the missionary story of John H. Groberg, a Seventy in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He served in far-away Tonga, without knowing a lick of the language. Given only two goals (learn the language and build the kingdom), John faces many obstacles. Language barriers, a stubborn minister, storms, death, and rats. On top of all that, his girlfriend in the States, Jean, is staving off suitors, anxiously awaiting John's return 3 years hence.

I really liked The Other Side of Heaven. It wasn't too preachy, but it conveyed great emotions in many of its scenes. There were a few cheesy scenes and some cliche sections, but overall the humor was clever, the plot enjoyable (and easy to follow), and emotion touching. A great movie that I hope many will be able to see.

I really loved this movie!! It is a great movie about faith and love. Although I am not Mormon, I am a Christian and I think this movie shows the love of God and commitment to others that exemplify Christianity in general and missionarys in particular.
I loved the fact that I did not feel like I had just been assaulted by filth and violence like I do with so many other movies and I felt uplifted long after the movie ended. I highly recommend this movie to everyone!

"The Other Side of Heaven" is based on the true story of John H. Groberg's experience as a missionary on the South Pacific island of Tonga. The movie was produced by Academy Award winner Gerald Molen, producer of "Schindler's List" and "Jurassic Park," and released by Excel Entertainment, an outlet for Mormon media, and it's rated "PG."

Groberg (Christopher Gorham) was called by the Church for a three-year mission assignment to Tonga when he was a 20-year-old student at Brigham Young University in the 1950's. Before leaving he makes a vague pact with his girlfriend, Jean, (Ann Hathaway). A difficult seven week journey takes him to the South Pacific, where he meets his native Christian assistant and companion, Feki, (Joe Falou), and they finally arrive at the remote island of Niuatoputapu. Groberg has been instructed to do two things: learn the language and build the "kingdom."

Initially treated with scorn by the natives, he sets about to learn the language by reading the bible in English and in Polynesian. After four days he has mastered the language, and begins to win the respect of the natives. From here on, it's a series of incidents, each of which is a sort of independent story: he resuscitates a seriously injured child; sleeping with his feet exposed leads to rats nibbling on the soles of his feet, requiring weeks of treatment to "seal" his feet; a boat trip with two natives nearly drowns them all when the boat is capsized by a storm; a severe storm destroys the island food supply, and everyone nearly starves to death.

The young native women are fascinated with Groberg, and one in particular offers herself---but Groberg is not tempted. He is finally taken to task by the girl's mother for rejecting the daughter, but Groberg explains his moral view and his commitment to his true love in the U.S. His experiences and his feelings are also conveyed through a series of letters to Jean, his fantasies about her, and her letters to him. They ultimately marry, in the movie and in real life, and return many times for mission work in the South Pacific.

There is lavish cinematography of the spectacularly beautiful islands and beaches, as Groberg grows to love both the people and the places. The storm special effects are very well done. It is a thoroughly enjoyable story, made even more interesting by the knowledge that it is basically true.

The movie can be criticized for it's single-minded perspective on the role of the missionary, and there is little insight into the indigenous culture of the natives. But it's very entertaining, and it's staggering to think of the hardships missionaries have endured to bring the benefits of our civilization to these far-flung places (a mixed blessing, some will say). The story is told without proselytizing. Theology and faith are important underlying ingredients but are not emphasized at all. It's pure story telling, with no F words, little or no violence, a love story with no gratuitous sex. I recommend it if you can enjoy an uplifting story, absent those typically R-rated elements.

I was part of an exclusive group of "non Mormon" viewers to a sneak preview of this movie. When I understood it was about a LDS elder sent to Tonga on a mission, I thought perhaps this would be a preachy movie. I was surprised and delighted to see the meassage wasn't overbearing at all, but rather enlightening. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing a wholesome, clean, entertaining feature presentation for once. It just goes to show you that a movie with suspense, a message, and entertainment value can be made without violence, sex or obscene language.

I wholly recommend this movie to all Christian or non-Christians alike, as it is for anyone to enjoy - and you will !

I had made the mistake of reading the book, In the Eye of the Storm by Groberg, before I saw the movie. The movie only showed some of the crazy things that happened to Elder Groberg on his mission. It left out all of the personal and spiritual growth that he went through and how he came to love the gospel and the people more than himself. The movie was nice, but Disney did not want to insult any of their viewers and left out the most important aspects that made John Groberg's experiences so amazing. The movie was ok, but I highly recommend the book to anyone.

I came to The Other Side of Heaven with no expections having read reviews that critized the film for not building toward a climax. Let me tell you those critics are WRONG big time on this one. This is one of the most entertaining and inspiring films to come along in some time. It has a nice blend of drama and comedy, and it is refreshing to go to a movie without violence, sex, and foul language for a change. The characters are developed wonderfully, and the score, and cinematography are excellent. It's too bad this movie is produced by a small studio because that will probably keep it from receiving the Oscar consideration it deserves. I found this movie much more entertaining and inspiring than A Beautiful Mind.

There was only one copy of this title at the video store and although my kids rolled their eyes at the cover, I decided it could be a good educational movie. We were pleasantly surprised at what a great story unfolded before us. It was exciting and dramatic and meaningful. To really enjoy this film, it does not matter whether you accept the Mormon faith; the church doctrine is not presented as a main component of the story. It is the dedication of the young man and his experience on the island that is so inspiring. The kind of discipline and faith he has can be applauded regardless of his religion. I was very impressed with this movie, have suggested it to many of my Christian friends and highly recommend it for family viewing with children 13 or older.