The Home Teachers

I'm not LDS or familiar with the religion beyond NBA player Shawn Bradley and former NFL players Jim McMahon and Steve Young. (If that's even accurate.)

And I don't know if the filmmakers are to blame for the deception I'm about to describe either. All those disclaimers out of the way...

My girlfriend and I were renting movies at Blockbuster, looking for a comedy that her little brother (10) could watch with us. She came across "The Home

Teachers," and we rented it despite our being unable to recognize any of the

"stars." Important note: There was NOTHING on the box that denoted this movie was about LDS.

So imagine our surprise when we get home, pop in the video, and see the

previews for other "Mormon movies," followed by the opening scene with the

blond guy sitting in a Bible class. (We gave up on it after seeing his cliched attempts to evade the straitlaced guy.)

Nothing against the filmmakers--unless they were willing participants in this deception. I'm sure they wanted to make a funny movie that LDS folks could

enjoy. But there should have been some mention on the original movie box or

the Blockbuster box, stating that this was a Mormon movie. Especially if this was an intentional omission in order to be an undercover venue for

proselytizing.

Oh well, there's four bucks I'll never see again.

The movie starts off great, most of us can identify with the urgency to leave at the end of a 3-hour block of meetings.

Overall, the characters were OK, the Ned Flanders meets Tommy boy premise was apparent (although the toilet scene seemed contrived and unrealistic). Elizabeth Sands role as Gregg's wife actually made the Gregg's premise as the football-loving dead beat believable.

If the movie started with a bang, the echos had faded by the time the plot was established. By the time they were going to Vernal, I was looking at the clock, waiting for the credits.

Nice try, but the slapstick adventures have run their course.

This movie is one of the worst of the current sub-genre of LDS films (films made by Mormons and catering to a Mormon audience). The best of the lot were The Best Two Years and The Singles Ward. This is worse than Out of Step or Pride and Prejudice. It would not make a good seminary video and makes the lame Tom Trails series of the early seventies look like great film making. All of the characters are shallow stereotypes and one gag wonders. If you are careful, you can see all of the laughs approaching and will not be surprised by any of the sight gags or attempts at jokes. This was an amateur film that should never have played in theatres.

There's usually a lot of work that goes into making a film: writing a good script, finding talented actors to play appealing characters (and yes, bad guys can be appealing too), setting up a believable and entertaining plot and interweaving some kind of theme. The Home Teachers failed miserably at all of the above.

After the relatively charming Singles Ward, the general public seemed a little disappointed with Halestorm's next endeavor, The R.M. The cultural fluff jokes were overused and made Mormons look like absolute idiots. So, having no expectations for The Home Teachers, I knew deep down it would turn out to be tripe in the extreme. At least in this I was NOT disappointed. It's one of the worst films of the year, maybe even of the decade.

First of all, the two main characters were dreadfully annoying. Neither of them had any real redeeming qualities, and I would hate to know either of them in person. While the actors playing them did well at being obnoxious, I guess, most of the blame in this lies in the hands of the screenwriters. The script was an absolute joke. I must admit the most eye-rolling part was when the life-changing, attitude-altering home teaching visit involved burying a dog (called a "yapper" by Michael Birkeland's character in true Chris Farley fashion). Laugh-out-loud yes, but ridiculous and contrived as well.

The whole experience seems like Tommy Boy for Mormons gone terribly, TERRIBLY wrong. The comparisons and similarities were blatant, undeniable and shameless. A road comedy, involving one fat, sloppy, lazy oaf who talks loud and stupid, and a thin, uptight, self-righteous goody-goody, and a road trip involving a car being totalled and a deer.

The soundtrack was repetitive (any of the cuts from the first two films would have worked as well), the cinematography was mediocre, the acting was like something you'd see in a Stake Roadshow. Yes, I'm LDS, but that doesn't mean I have to support something that highlights the ridiculous Culture side of the church and totally demoralizes the actual Gospel. Some will like it, but unfortunately that's because Mormons are easily picked on and don't realize how stupid it makes us look. *sigh* Hopefully, as I've heard it said, Richard Dutcher will be able to pull us out of this one.

For real LDS cinema (and just good films besides!), check out God's Army, or Dutcher's masterpiece Brigham City, or even the update of Pride & Prejudice. Skip the Home Teachers. It will make you want to slam the door on YOUR home teachers next time they come over, regardless of what message these guys TRIED to stick into the story at the end.

Kurt Hale and John Moyer's look into typical Mormon life shows humor in what most LDS people experience on a monthly basis. This comedy is life with physical humor on par with "Tommy Boy".

It is refreshing to see a movie that the whole family can enjoy and laugh at. The writer and director created a comedy without resorting to crude or morally debasing material.

This takes place in one day at the end of the month. Murphy visits these two bumbling home teachers every moment in everything they do as they attempt to visit 3 families.

A great ride!