Barnes & Noble

More cynical viewers need not follow missionary John Groberg to Tonga in the South Pacific, but this ravishingly photographed adaptation of Groberg's memoirs will find many fans nonetheless. This 2002 Walt Disney production recounts the idealistic Brigham Young University graduate's experiences in Tonga, depicting him winning the hearts, minds, and faith of the natives. Christopher Gorham stars as Groberg, a fish out of water on this remote tropical island that falls short of paradise. In 1953, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints dispatches the resolute and unwavering Groberg to spread the faith. But first, he must learn the language (his mistranslations --"outhouse" for "lighthouse" -- are good for laughs), win over the island's unwelcoming minister, fend off a comely young island girl, and withstand mosquitoes, rats, disease, and raging storms. The limited screen time of Anne Hathaway (The Princess Diaries), who costars as Groberg's faithful girlfriend back home, barely warrants second billing, but her correspondence with Groberg is the heart of the film. Secular viewers can lose themselves in the exotic surroundings and adventure, while religious families will appreciate a film that treats its devout main character with respect. And don’t miss the "where are they now" coda, with pictures of the actual people, which is undeniably moving. Donald Liebenson

All Movie Guide

A young man from Idaho finds himself in a beautiful but dangerous land in the South Pacific as he follows his faith and tries to spread it to others in this adventure-drama, based on a true story. In 1953, John Groberg (Christopher Gorham) is a 19-year-old student at Brigham Young University, whose greatest adventure in life had been to leave home to go to school in Utah. That all changes when Groberg accepts a missionary assignment in the Tonga Islands near Fiji; Groberg is instructed to "build a kingdom" and educate the natives about the Mormon faith, even though he knows little of their customs and nothing of their language. Leaving behind his sweetheart, Jean Sabin (Anne Hathaway), Groberg arrives in Tonga and is quickly immersed in the native culture, and strives to teach the Tongans about the teachings of the Latter-Day Saints while trying to respect their cultural traditions and face the joys and struggles of primitive life in the South Pacific alongside them. Groberg makes a valuable ally in Feki (Joe Folau), a Tongan who becomes an avid follower of the Mormon faith, but he also finds his loyalty to Jean (with whom he's been maintaining a long-distance relationship through cards and letters) tested when a native girl makes her attraction to him quite clear. Based on the real John Groberg's memoir In the Eye of the Storm, The Other Side of Heaven was produced by Jerry Molen, Academy Award winning producer of Schindler's List and Jurassic Park; it also marked the directorial debut of screenwriter Mitch Davis. Mark Deming

Product Details

• UPC: 786936211702
• Source: WALT DISNEY VIDEO
• Region Code: 1
• Aspect Ratio: Theatre Wide-Screen (1.85.1)
• Presentation: Wide Screen
• Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
• Language: English
• Time: 1:53:00
• Sales Rank: 24,056

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