A Masterpiece!

When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.

It's a movie as timely as it is provocative and amazingly, for much of its running time, it is weirdly funny.

I started this movie thinking it was a Christian film. There were Christian references but it was mainly a film of Mormon characters. That was disappointing since I am a Christian. I stuck with it though and all in all it wasn't a horrible movie.I didn't notice a lot of Mormon evangelism. However, there were references to prayer and the existence of Jesus. There was a strong emphasize on the need for teamwork which was the main theme of the movie.I think many people will enjoy this movie. It would be great for a family movie night. The acting is great, there's humor and friendship.

I am a film fanatic, so like everybody else I seek entertainment in the films I watch. But if it delivers a message or gives a lesson, I'll take it as an inspiration, no matter what category it belongs to.I mean I belong to no religion, but there are many good things about them other than wasting time in the temples and churches for the fantasy things. So that is where this film comes in, even for the non- believers.It might be about a Mormon related theme, that does not mean it is a propaganda or anything, but obviously that's how it looks like. In fact, it is a very enjoyable film, not just for the kids or the women, but anyone and mostly for the families.Because it was not about the god stuff, it was about the human bond and having faith in each other to work together. In many parts, that's what the film characters express through the dialogues and makes us comfortable for further viewing.The story was narrated from an atheist teen girl's perspective, but her condition of life had an impact for telling a beautiful and semi- emotional tale. It was a quality of the television product, mainly because it is PG rated.The wonderful cast and shot in the nicest places. So just enjoy its contents as a human being with the emotions and ignore the religious stuffs if you think it is overshadowed by that. Because, because of watching it you won't turn a Mormon in an overnight.6/10

This was a heartwarming and engaging family film. We were looking for something the family could watch together on Mothers Day and stumbled across this little coming-of-age drama on Netflix. My wife and kids bought into the characters and situations. Personally, the longer I watched it, the more disturbing I found it. Folks, this movie is grade A, pure manipulation and propaganda. It's crafted to take evangelical Christians (especially young people) on a journey with the main character, Lane, from seeing Mormons as off putting cultists to "special people, the best Christians." I'm sure that was the agenda. Here are some details to support my claim: 1. Other than terminology for God (Heavenly Father) and church leaders (the bishop), not one shred of Mormon doctrine comes up in the movie. Instead, we see Mormons as a tight knit community of flawed but well meaning people who just love to study the Bible. Some of them are very knowledgeable about it. There is no reference to Joseph Smith, the Book of Mormon, Doctrines and Covenants...nothing! 2. The main character has been struggling to believe in anything after the death of her father so the Mormons are not seen as recruiting Christians out of their own traditions but rather as providing experiences which will help rescue doubting young people from abandoning their Christian beliefs. 3. At one point one of the characters affirms that hope that Lane has that her father will be in paradise. Isn't it great that we're all just Christians and will all be saved together. 4. Lane discovers that prayer really does work as the dog who was believed dead is found at the end of the movie by no less than the bishop. Man, that was a good one. I have to hand it to the writers on that one. In one stroke, they intimated that Mormon prayers are powerful and Mormon leaders are heroes. 5. The movie deprecates Mormons at the beginning, humanizes them in the middle and celebrates them at the end. Ha! Genius! 6. Through out the movie, we (young adults) get acculturated to Mormon idiosyncrasies. We see that the bishop has to be present but only from a distance. We come to appreciate the moralism and conformity. And best of all, we get introduced to one of Mormonisms best brainwashing tools - the testimony meeting. 7. During the credits, we get to see photos of actual youth camps like the one depicted in the movie. The attempt at manipulation was not lost on my 10-year-old daughter. She said, "Wait, so they really have camps like that!" This is the part that actually took me from ill to outraged. This movie was a carefully constructed two hour PR spot for Mormonism targeted specifically at Christian youth. Bravo to the web weavers of Salt Lake!

I went to see this movie with my wife (who has been to a girl's camp of that kind, and my two "girls" now adults and no longer living with us who were participated in those camps and the program for Young Women in the LDS church. We all laughed and cried during the movie because it was fun, serious, and entertaining at the same time. It was not intended to make fun of the women's camp, no character was actually retarded as we see in LDS movies so often. I like this director because the characters can be funny without being stupid. That is hard to do and still have a movie to be funny.The story is very well drafted and the plot flows without losing track of the main character while building on the character of every one except the father, mother, and stepfather of the main character. I thought it was OK. They could have cast guys that could act a little better but their part was short, we just had to know that they existed anyway. Disney does that all the time.So, I say go watch and enjoy a nice movie with some good messages not only for young women but everyone in the family. This way the boys get to know what the girls do at these camps they never get to go to... LOL... I thought it was interesting and sometimes would ask "do you do that a these camps?" and they would nod saying yes.. which I thought was really funny.