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Tomasi, prevents the attack. Groberg learns from the drunken Tomasi that he had been baptized a member of the LDS Church many years ago as a boy. Tomasi later begins attending church meetings. When a young boy falls out of a mango tree and becomes unconscious, Groberg gives him basic first aid and prays for him. When a young woman, at the behest of her family, attempts to seduce Elder
Groberg, he responds by teaching her about marriage. A typhoon destroys trees, homes, and crops. People die in the storm, and many die due to starvation and dehydration. Groberg is close to dying himself when the local minister gives him the last of his food. After the supply boat finally arrives, the minister is found dead. Later, while traveling at sea, Groberg and his two counselors are caught in a large storm. He is washed overboard and fears for his life. He swims until he finds an island where he also locates his counselors, and they are later rescued and return to Tonga.
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335:. Throughout the film, Groberg and his fiancée, Jean (Hathaway), exchange letters monthly. After a long journey across the Pacific, Groberg arrives in Tonga and is sent to a group of very remote islands. He is assigned a native Tongan companion, Feki (Joe Folau). As a new missionary, he struggles with learning the language; he studies it intensely and learns more about Tongan culture.
31:
600:, set ten years after the first film. The story follows John returning to the island with his wife and five daughters during the period of time he served as an LDS Church mission president. It was released June 28, 2019. On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 71% based on reviews from 7 critics.
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and meeting places on outer islands that have not been authorized. Groberg and his counselors spend the entire night filling out the church records the president requested. In the morning, he finds the president is about to board a boat, and gives him a large sheaf of forms documenting all they have
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Christopher Gorham was cast in the lead role as John
Groberg. Mitch Davis selected him after auditioning "hundreds and hundreds of actors on both coasts" because Gorham exhibited "a little light in his eyes", according to Davis. He has since become a common name in Mormon cinema, appearing in other
549:
The film opened theatrically on
December 14, 2001, in two venues, earning $ 55,765 in its opening weekend, ranking number 41 in the domestic box office. By the end of its run, almost a year later, on December 2, 2002, the film grossed $ 4,720,371 domestically and $ 39,643 overseas for a worldwide
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Groberg encounters a number of obstacles in his mission. One night, he forgets instructions to cover his feet, and rats bite his soles while he is asleep. A local
Christian minister warns the people not to listen to Groberg and Feki. Later, he sends four men to beat them. However, one of the men,
519:. All of the filming equipment and necessary supplies had to arrive by boat. The island scenes were completed in two months. In both Rarotonga and Auckland, rain often threatened to delay shoots, but Davis claimed that his prayers delayed much rain while filming.
364:. When he is ready to depart, many islanders gather in their best clothing to see him off, testifying to the impact he has had during his stay. Once he arrives in Idaho, he marries Jean and the two spend their honeymoon in a cottage by a beach.
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has come to visit the island. He is unhappy because he has not heard from
Groberg since he came to the island many months prior. Groberg describes some of the success they have experienced, and the president is shocked to learn of new
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485:, where he reprises the role of John Groberg. Anne Hathaway was cast as Jean Groberg (née Sabin). Hathaway stated that she liked how the character of Jean was committed to Groberg but lived her own life. Before filming her parts of
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noted that the film doesn't mention
Groberg's faith or explain why he is serving his mission. He speculates that this could be an effort to "universalize the message of Christian service and spiritual coming of age".
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The real John and Jean
Groberg gave feedback on the script. Jean Groberg provided Davis with the letters she and John exchanged, and they were used in filming the scenes where John and Jean write to one another.
441:) owned the rights, and the company wanted to ensure that Davis captured the "spirit of the book". John Groberg consented for the movie to be made after meeting Davis, and then the rights were secured. Producer
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reports a 29% approval rating based on 42 reviews, with an average rating of 4.6 out of 10. The site's consensus states: "
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accomplished. When his time as a missionary comes to an end, Groberg receives a telegram instructing him to return to
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played Jean
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preaches to the converted; others will likely consider it simplistic, even offensive, propaganda." On
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released in the hopes that the latter's anticipated success would boost the former.
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In
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The film received negative reviews from critics. Review aggregation website
781:"There Is Room for Both: Mormon Cinema and the Paradoxes of Mormon Culture"
592:. Gorham, Folau, Lees, and Smith reprised their roles from the first film.
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Materials related to The Other Side of Heaven, approximately 2000-2002
1200:. People in the News. Lucent Books, a part of Gale, Cengage Learning.
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Astle, Randy; Burton, Gideon O. (2007). "A History of Mormon Cinema".
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Director Mitch Davis was inspired by John H. Groberg's autobiography,
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621:"The Other Side of Heaven (2001) - International Box Office Results"
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899:"15 Years Later, Director Mitch Davis on The Other Side of Heaven"
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1112:"Film Review: 'The Other Side of Heaven II: Fire of Faith'"
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The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Tonga
531:. After Hathaway was cast for the lead role in Disney's
864:"Rising Star Anne Hathaway in The Other Side of Heaven"
972:"Weekend Box Office Results for December 14-16, 2001"
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Groberg returns to his hut one day to find that his
1142:"The Other Side of Heaven 2: Fire of Faith (2019)"
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433:, and wanted to tell Groberg's story via film.
309:the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
303:The film showcases Groberg's experiences as a
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589:The Other Side of Heaven 2: Fire of Faith
16:2001 adventure drama film by Mitch Davis
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664:from the original on October 21, 2013
637:from the original on October 21, 2015
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463:. The film's budget was $ 7 million.
331:and is called on a 3-year mission to
1377:Latter Day Saints in popular culture
1152:from the original on August 10, 2019
1122:from the original on August 10, 2019
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1079:Sean P. Means (February 27, 2018).
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757:from the original on April 24, 2020
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489:in New Zealand, she auditioned for
13:
1091:from the original on July 31, 2018
1044:"The Other Side of Heaven Reviews"
909:from the original on July 16, 2023
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656:Holden, Stephen (April 12, 2002).
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1332:Films produced by Gerald R. Molen
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507:The film was shot on location in
1235:L. Tom Perry Special Collections
1177:Brigham Young University Studies
832:Herald, Derrick Clements Daily.
1397:Works about Mormon missionaries
1382:Mormonism and Pacific Islanders
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1367:Films shot in the Cook Islands
1317:American adventure drama films
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475:We Love You, Sally Carmichael!
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1110:Leydon, Joe (June 29, 2019).
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472:LDS roles with films such as
460:The Lost World: Jurassic Park
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300:as Jean Groberg (née Sabin).
1407:2000s English-language films
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1337:Films scored by Kevin Kiner
1312:2000s adventure drama films
1196:Cartlidge, Cherese (2013).
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1392:Walt Disney Pictures films
1322:American independent films
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1008:"The Other Side of Heaven"
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1249:The Other Side of Heaven
1243:Brigham Young University
817:Astle & Burton (2007
573:Professor of literature
564:The Other Side of Heaven
542:was delayed until after
540:The Other Side of Heaven
529:The Other Side of Heaven
356:where he will travel to
329:Brigham Young University
327:(Gorham) graduates from
288:'s first autobiography,
280:written and directed by
270:The Other Side of Heaven
24:The Other Side of Heaven
982:Internet Movie Database
779:Givens, Terryl (2007).
631:Internet Movie Database
431:In the Eye of the Storm
367:
318:
290:In the Eye of the Storm
63:In the Eye of the Storm
1352:Films set in the 1950s
905:. September 22, 2016.
719:. September 22, 2017.
550:total of $ 4,760,014.
1327:Films about Mormonism
1239:Harold B. Lee Library
984:. December 17, 2001.
509:Auckland, New Zealand
1412:2000s American films
633:. December 2, 2002.
544:The Princess Diaries
535:The Princess Diaries
492:The Princess Diaries
311:(LDS Church) in the
296:as John Groberg and
598:with the same title
527:Disney distributed
273:is a 2001 American
169:3Mark Entertainment
1357:Films set in Tonga
1342:Films set in Idaho
554:Critical reception
538:, distribution of
511:and the island of
415:as President Stone
374:Christopher Gorham
323:During the 1950s,
294:Christopher Gorham
97:Christopher Gorham
1207:978-1-4205-0751-5
1085:Salt Lake Tribune
928:Groberg, John H.
903:Meridian Magazine
745:Groberg, John H.
515:, capital of the
388:Joe Folau as Feki
344:mission president
292:. The film stars
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215:Running time
192:Release date
123:Pua Magasiva
106:Joseph Folau
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1156:October 10,
1126:October 10,
1064:October 11,
1028:October 11,
992:October 11,
944:January 21,
878:January 16,
848:January 21,
799:January 16,
785:BYU Studies
761:January 16,
727:January 16,
641:October 11,
425:Development
413:John Sumner
358:Idaho Falls
354:New Zealand
284:, based on
282:Mitch Davis
254:$ 7 million
219:113 minutes
152:Kevin Kiner
74:Produced by
54:Mitch Davis
45:Mitch Davis
41:Directed by
1307:2001 films
1301:Categories
1287:Metacritic
1049:Metacritic
791:(2): 196.
717:LDS Living
687:"DVD Talk"
604:References
568:Metacritic
420:Production
400:as Lavinia
305:missionary
278:drama film
259:Box office
203:2001-12-14
159:Production
697:March 12,
513:Rarotonga
439:Bookcraft
394:as Kelepi
275:adventure
234:Languages
161:companies
140:Edited by
1189:43045073
1150:Archived
1120:Archived
1095:July 30,
1089:Archived
1058:Archived
1022:Archived
986:Archived
938:Archived
913:July 16,
907:Archived
872:Archived
842:Archived
793:Archived
755:Archived
721:Archived
691:Archived
662:Archived
635:Archived
409:as Finau
349:branches
148:Music by
90:Starring
59:Based on
1169:Sources
1116:Variety
523:Release
499:Filming
467:Casting
240:English
224:Country
201: (
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582:Sequel
487:Heaven
482:Heaven
457:, and
251:Budget
243:Tongan
1185:JSTOR
362:Idaho
333:Tonga
1254:IMDb
1202:ISBN
1158:2019
1128:2019
1097:2018
1066:2015
1030:2015
994:2015
946:2020
915:2023
880:2020
850:2020
801:2020
763:2020
729:2020
699:2011
670:2017
643:2015
478:and
368:Cast
319:Plot
1285:at
1274:at
1263:at
1252:at
376:as
307:of
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