Reel TalK: The Work and the Glory
By Audrey Rock
Transcript Bulletin Movie Critic


"The Work and the Glory," at 7 and a half million dollars, has the fortunate distinction of being the most expensive project to date in its market, which gives it a certain amount of prominence up front. But it also has the unfortunate distinction of being simply the next in an ever-expanding line of LDS-themed movies to hit theatres in the last few years.

The producers of the new movie, (headed up by entrepreneur-extraordinaire Larry H. Miller) knew that, and came up with a solid way to deal with it. They would hire highly professional cast and crew—names you might just have seen in your own living rooms on television in recent weeks. And they would spend exactly the amount of money and resources necessary to resurrect the book in its full glory and to market it properly.

Their challenge, as the film opens today, will be to set themselves apart, hover above the over-saturation of the LDS movie market, and continue to expand the influence of the Gerald Lund’s adored books.

The movie is based on the first book in Lund’s 9-volume series, entitled "The Pillar of Light." In it, brothers Joshua Steed (Eric Johnson) and Nathan Steed (Alexander Carroll), fall for the same lovely storekeeper’s daughter, Lydia McBride (Tiffany DuPont.) She is initially drawn to Joshua.

But as the thoughtful Nathan begins to heed the words of the controversial religious figure Joseph Smith (Jonathan Scarfe), and Joshua begins to mercilessly persecute any who follow Smith, Lydia is forced to decide what kind of man she really wants. She’s also influenced by the explosion of anger and frustration in her town, and the negative feelings her parents harbor for the Steed family.

The dynamics of both the emerging new religion and the fight over Lydia challenge the strength of the Steed family. Joshua begins to pull away from his parents as he spites Smith and his followers. As Nathan is drawn towards this new religion, he too is in danger of alienating himself from his father (Sam Hennings). An entire community and family is threatened with utter dividedness if they do not find a way to accept change and diverse new views.

The production values of "The Work and the Glory" are stunning. The money is definitely in the project, and it’s spent exactly as it should be-with simple beauty, and without the jarring impact of flamboyant imagery. Director of Photography T.C. Christensen’s cinematography—the standout element of "The Work and the Glory"--is a reverent homage to a quieter time.

He spills in shafts of natural light during intimate moments of redemption, revealing each character’s most poignant flaws; their careworn facial lines, their worries, their frustrations, the fear in their eyes, their hope for a better future.

Christensen creates captivating images of misty green landscapes and the warm, embracing night hearths of simple homes, and does so with world-class talent.

On the visual downside, Lydia’s shockingly bleached white teeth, flashing in and out of every muted, dusty 1820’s scene, are a bizarre distraction in what should be subdued, character driven romance scenes.

Director Russ Holt brings the plot a sense of absorbing urgency in its first half, but the urgency dwindles as it becomes apparent that Nathan and Lydia’s slow moving romance is exactly that. Two or three books could probably have been combined to squeeze a little more action into this first screen installment; the prolonged romance story just isn’t enough to draw into an entire movie. The movie itself isn’t too long—but Nathan and Lydia’s romance is.

The nice thing about Holt’s direction and script work, however, is that he doesn’t shy away from the fervent and affective. And he executes unreal amounts of emotional drama without being manipulative or schmaltzy.

A tightly composed score brings the movie together in a smoothly mixed frontier drama with all the professional production value you could expect from any film. And die-hard fans of the book will likely be delighted with its copious emotional payout.

Grade: B-.