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Movies / On DVD / The Other Side of Heaven
The Other Side of Heaven

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The Other Side of Heaven (2002)

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Reviews Counted:41

Fresh:11

Rotten:30

Average Rating:4.6/10

Consensus: The Other Side of Heaven preaches to the converted; others will likely consider it simplistic, even offensive, propaganda.

Rated: PG [See Full Rating] for thematic elements and brief disturbing images

Runtime: 73 mins

Genre: Dramas

Theatrical Release:Apr 12, 2002 Limited

Box Office: $4,381,772

Synopsis: Based on Elder John Groberg's memoirs, THE OTHER SIDE OF HEAVEN, Mitch Davis' feature debut stars Christopher Gorham (A LIFE LESS ORDINARY) as John Groberg, a 19-year-old missionary who goes to... Based on Elder John Groberg's memoirs, THE OTHER SIDE OF HEAVEN, Mitch Davis' feature debut stars Christopher Gorham (A LIFE LESS ORDINARY) as John Groberg, a 19-year-old missionary who goes to Rarotonga to convert the native Indians to Christianity. In the process, he has to face a number of frightening events that change his life forever. Hungry rats eat the soles of his feet, he is almost killed by a hurricane that devastates the island so that their food supplies run out and he starves, and he is caught in a storm at sea and nearly dies until he floats to safety. All the while he is reassured and strengthened by the sweet letters from his fiancée, Jean Sabin (Anne Hathaway, THE PRINCESS DIARIES). The film veers on the fantastic and is peppered with nostalgia; a full moon peeks through soft fans of tree branches, and Jean spends much of her time gracefully gowned in frilly fifties frocks. Many members of the cast and crew are New Zealanders and Miriama Smith and Nathaniel Lees are both well-established New Zealand actors. [More]

Starring: Christopher Gorham, Anne Hathaway, Joe Folau, Nathaniel Lees

Starring: Christopher Gorham, Anne Hathaway, Joe Folau, Nathaniel Lees, Miriama Smith

Director: Mitch Davis

Director: Mitch Davis
Screenwriter: Mitch Davis
Producer: Gerald R. Molen, John Garbett
Composer: Kevin Kiner
Studio: Excel Entertainment

[See More Credits]

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Release:

Apr 1, 2003

[DVD Details]
 
 
  • The Other Side Of Heaven
  • Walt Disney Home Entertainment presents THE OTHER SIDE OF HEAVEN, a thrilling and epic adventure starring Anne Hathaway (THE PRINCESS DIARIES) and Christopher Gorham (TV's FELICITY). When 19-year-old John Groberg (Gorham) is sent on a three-year mission to Tonga, he has no idea what he's getting into. Just getting to Tonga is fraught with danger and unbelievable obstacles. Once there, he finds himself in the midst of a culture as remote to him as the island is to his Idaho Falls home. Not understanding the language, and lonely for his fiancee Jean (Hathaway), John faces suspicion, distrust, typhoons, tidal waves, mosquitoes, and other perils of man and nature as he reaches out to the people of Tonga. Filled with adventure, breathtaking scenery, and humor, THE OTHER SIDE OF HEAVEN is a coming-of-age film your whole family will enjoy.
  • Source: Buena Vista Home Entertainment.
  •  
     
     
     

    Reviews for The Other Side of Heaven

    • T-Meter Critics
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    1 - 20 (sorted by source)
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    [Davis] wants to cause his audience an epiphany, yet he refuses to give us real situations and characters.

    Full Review Source: Apollo Guide | comment Comment
    04/12/02
    Jon Lap
    Jon Lap
    Apollo Guide

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Apollo Guide | comment Comment
    05/13/05
    Apollo Guide
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Arizona Republic | comment Comment
    03/09/02
    Arizona Republic

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Austin Chronicle | comment Comment
    03/10/03
    Kimberly Jones
    Kimberly Jones
    Austin Chronicle

    [Breheny's] lensing of the New Zealand and Cook Island locations captures both the beauty of the land and the people.

    Full Review Source: Boxoffice Magazine | comment Comment
    01/20/02
    Wade Major
    Wade Major
    Boxoffice Magazine

    Captures a breathtaking exotic landscape cluttered only by the smugness of its characters.

    Full Review Source: Chicago Tribune | comment Comment
    07/20/02
    Robert K. Elder
    Robert K. Elder
    Chicago Tribune

    Insufferably naive.

    Full Review Source: Compuserve | comment Comment
    04/10/02
    Harvey S. Karten
    Harvey S. Karten
    Compuserve

    There's a disturbing 'Great White Hope' undertone to The Other Side of Heaven that subtly undermines its message of Christian love and compassion.

    Full Review Source: Dallas Morning News | comment Comment
    04/11/02
    Al Brumley
    Al Brumley
    Dallas Morning News
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Denver Rocky Mountain News | comment Comment
    08/09/02
    Robert Denerstein
    Robert Denerstein
    Denver Rocky Mountain News
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that this is a Mormon family movie, and a sappy, preachy one at that.

    Full Review Source: Des Moines Register | comment Comment
    08/15/02
    Jeffrey Bruner
    Jeffrey Bruner
    Des Moines Register

    Davis has filled out his cast with appealing fresh faces.

    Full Review Source: Deseret News, Salt Lake City | comment Comment
    01/03/02
    Jeff Vice
    Jeff Vice
    Deseret News, Salt Lake City

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Detroit News | comment Comment
    06/01/02
    Susan Stark
    Susan Stark
    Detroit News
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    Fails to offer skeptics a way into the worldview of these characters other than a tacit acceptance of its 'truth.'

    Full Review Source: E! Online | comment Comment
    04/12/02
    E! Online

    No review available.

    comment Comment
    10/14/05
    Emanuel Levy
    Emanuel Levy
    EmanuelLevy.Com

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Entertainment Weekly | comment Comment
    05/24/02
    Entertainment Weekly

    Nothing happens, and it happens to flat characters.

    Full Review Source: EricDSnider.com | comment Comment
    02/09/02
    Eric D. Snider
    Eric D. Snider
    EricDSnider.com

    To call The Other Side of Heaven "appalling" would be to underestimate just how dangerous entertainments like it can be.

    Full Review Source: Film Freak Central | comment Comment
    06/04/03
    Walter Chaw
    Walter Chaw
    Film Freak Central

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
    03/11/06
    Christopher Null
    Christopher Null
    Filmcritic.com

    Much of what is meant to be 'inspirational' and 'uplifting' is simply distasteful to audiences not already sharing [the movie's] mindset.

    Full Review Source: Flick Filosopher | comment Comment
    04/05/02
    MaryAnn Johanson
    MaryAnn Johanson
    Flick Filosopher

    Has a solid emotional impact.

    Full Review Source: Fresno Bee | comment Comment
    04/12/02
    Donald Munro
    Donald Munro
    Fresno Bee
     
     
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