The Other Side of Heaven
Encyclopedia
The Other Side of Heaven is a 2001 film
produced by Academy Award winner Gerald R. Molen
and directed
by Mitch Davis
and stars Christopher Gorham
(as John Groberg) and Anne Hathaway
(as Jean Sabin).
's experience as a Mormon missionary in the Tongan islands
in the 1950s. It is based on the book that he wrote about his experiences, In the Eye of the Storm.
The movie focuses on Groberg's adventurous experiences and trials while serving as a missionary in the South Pacific
. While portraying these events, the film discusses little LDS theology, focusing instead on the Mormon missionary experience.
. The movie takes place in the 1950s.
John Groberg (Christopher Gorham
) is playing in the band at a dance being held at Brigham Young University
. Jean (Anne Hathaway
) is his girlfriend; and she is also at the dance. John and Jean end up dancing with each other, and they leave the dance together.
John's family in Idaho Falls
receives his mission call. He learns that he is called to serve in Tonga. He says goodbye to his family and leaves from Idaho Falls to Los Angeles. In Los Angeles, he boards a ship and gets to Fiji
where he is detained in a Fijian jail. He is released and sets sail for Tonga. When he gets to Tonga, he meets his mission president.
His mission president introduces him to Feki, his companion. Feki is a native Tongan who also speaks English. They are assigned to serve in a remote island of the mission.
He expects a warm welcome from the people. Instead, he is greeted with contempt by the island people. He goes through culture shock as he adjusts to the Tongan culture. He has difficulty with the Tongan language
. Also, a local minister has told the people not to listen to John or to his message.
He begins by learning the Tongan language. He isolates himself and studies the Bible in both English and Tongan. He becomes more familiar with the language.
John and Feki build a house for themselves on the island. One morning, John discovers that rats have eaten the soles of his feet. His fellow church members help him as his feet heal. They heal just in time for the Sunday church meetings, and he is miraculously able to walk. This astonishes the people, and they become more receptive to his message.
One night, a group of men surround John and Feki to beat them up. They have been sent by the local minister. One of the men, Tomasi, breaks them up and sends them away. Tomasi saves John and Feki, because he was baptised into the church and is Mormon himself. Tomasi begins attending church meetings.
A local woman, at the behest of her family, tries to seduce John so that she can have a "half White baby". The woman's mother becomes offended at John's rejection of her daughter. John tells her that he is saving himself for Jean, his girlfriend back home. The woman's mother is satisfied.
A hurricane hits the island, and the island is heavily damaged. A supply ship is expected in a few weeks, but the ship is late. The people ration their food and water to survive. Many people on the island die. John is saved when the local minister approaches him, apologizes to him, and gives John his last ration of food. The supply ship arrives. John, Feki, and many others are saved. The local minister passes away and is given an honorable burial.
The mission president authorizes John to form a congregation on the island. John is set apart as the branch president and calls two counselors. Feki is assigned to go back to construction. John and Feki part ways, and thank each other for their friendship.
The new mission president visits the island and has concerns about the work there. Even though a lot of work has been done, the mission president has no records of the work. John quickly completes the required forms and turns them in to the mission president. The mission president apologizes to John and praises John for his work. He also puts John in for a six-month extension of his mission.
While traveling to an outlying island, John and his two counselors are caught in a major storm at sea. All three are tossed overboard and must swim for their lives. John miraculously makes it to shore and finds that his counselors are also safe.
Once John returns to the Tongan Island, he finds out the six-month extension is denied, and John concludes his mission to Tonga. The people thank him for all he has done for them, and John heads back home to the United States.
Throughout his mission, John and Jean keep in contact by letters. Some of the narrative of the story is told through these letters. They remain faithful to each other and are married after John returns home. They have children and continue to serve in the church. They also visit the Tongan islands several times.
The title of the film was changed from In the Eye of the Storm to The Other Side of Heaven to avoid confusion with The Perfect Storm
, which had been released a year earlier.
Gerald R. Molen, the producer
, had worked on several notable films, including The Color Purple
, Rain Man
, Schindler's List
, and The Lost World: Jurassic Park
. He won an Academy Award for his work in Schindler's List. He is a Latter-day Saint.
Mitch Davis, the director, had worked on several Disney films before this film. He won a CAMIE Award
for this film, which was shared with Gerald R. Molen and several film crew members. He is a Latter-day Saint.
Christopher Gorham
was cast as John H. Groberg in the film. He won the part because of his ability to balance the seriousness of the role with lighter, more comedic moments. He learned how to speak the Tongan
parts with a flawless accent. His commitment to the role elevated the production of the film to a higher standard.
Anne Hathaway
was cast as Jean Groberg (née Sabin) in the film. Her parts were shot towards the end of the production. She immediately began working on The Princess Diaries
after completing work on this film.
The movie was shot on location in New Zealand
, even the opening scenes set at Brigham Young University
. Polynesian
actors were used for most of the roles. The less experienced ones relied heavily on the more experienced ones.
The cast and crew enjoyed a great amount of cooperation from locals. When the film crew arrived on the Island of Rarotonga
(capital of the Cook Islands
), the Prime Minister welcomed them by gathering all of the religious ministers of the community for a prayer meeting. They prayed that the film crew would be blessed with good weather.
The photographs in the opening scenes are of the actual people portrayed in the film. John H. Groberg provided the pictures.
During the opening dance scene, extras were hired from almost every swing
club in New Zealand. Gorham and Hathaway did most of their own dancing. Hathaway was kicked in the head in one of the takes and was nearly knocked out.
The scenes where Groberg learns the Tongan language were altered slightly for dramatic effect. He did isolate himself and study the Bible in both English and Tongan and went without food and water for several days. However, he spent time in a bush, rather than on a beach.
John and Feki's hut was recreated from photographs. It was an authentic replica of the one that they actually lived in.
John H. Groberg really did have rat
s eat the soles of his feet while he slept. When he awoke that morning, they split open, and the members of his branch helped treat his feet. He spent time outside with his feet pointed up at the sun in order to sear the soles of his feet with the heat from the sun. Later in life, he was diagnosed with skin cancer
on the soles of his feet due to exposure to the sun. His doctor was puzzled about how he could have exposed the soles of his feet to the sun. Groberg responded to his doctor, "Have I got a story to tell you..."
A boy really did fall from a mango tree. He was on his way to a church meeting on Tuesday. He climbed the tree because it had very good mangos. He fell out of the tree and was knocked out. When he awoke on Thursday, he was worried that he was late to his church meeting.
The real Feki's father was not a drinking man, nor did he beat his wife. Liberties were taken in order to combine several characters. This particular alteration was done with the permission of the real Feki's children.
The real John H. Groberg, his wife Jean, one of his grandsons and one of his daughters with her husband can be seen at the very end during the wedding scene. As the camera pans from right to left, his daughter, then her husband, then the grandson, then John are taking a picture of the couple, and his wife is next to him clapping.
The first cut of the film was 2 hours 15 minutes. The final cut was 1 hour 53 minutes.
, also starring Anne Hathaway. It was hoped that the success of that film would garner a following for Hathaway and bring in extra earnings for this film. Disney only had part in the DVD release, and it was made by Excel Entertainment Group
.
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
produced by Academy Award winner Gerald R. Molen
Gerald R. Molen
Gerald Robert Molen is a high profile American film producer. He works very closely with Steven Spielberg, having produced five of his films, and won an Academy Award for co-producing Schindler's List...
and directed
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
by Mitch Davis
Mitch Davis
Mitch Davis is a film director noted for his 2001 film The Other Side of Heaven about the trials and adventures of an LDS Missionary, John H...
and stars Christopher Gorham
Christopher Gorham
Christopher David Gorham is an American actor.- Early life :Gorham was born in Fresno, California to David Gorham, a certified public accountant and Cathryn Gorham, a school nurse. He attended high school at Roosevelt School of the Arts and graduated from UCLA with a BA in Film & Theater Arts...
(as John Groberg) and Anne Hathaway
Anne Hathaway (actress)
Anne Jacqueline Hathaway is an American actress. After several stage roles, she appeared in the 1999 television series Get Real. She played Mia Thermopolis in The Princess Diaries...
(as Jean Sabin).
Overview
The Other Side of Heaven is about John H. GrobergJohn H. Groberg
John Holbrook Groberg has been a general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since 1976.- Biography :Groberg was born in Idaho Falls, Idaho in 1934 and was reared there after the Great Depression...
's experience as a Mormon missionary in the Tongan islands
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Tonga
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was established in Tonga in 1891...
in the 1950s. It is based on the book that he wrote about his experiences, In the Eye of the Storm.
The movie focuses on Groberg's adventurous experiences and trials while serving as a missionary in the South Pacific
Oceania
Oceania is a region centered on the islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean. Conceptions of what constitutes Oceania range from the coral atolls and volcanic islands of the South Pacific to the entire insular region between Asia and the Americas, including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago...
. While portraying these events, the film discusses little LDS theology, focusing instead on the Mormon missionary experience.
Plot
The Other Side of Heaven is about John Groberg's mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to TongaTonga
Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga , is a state and an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, comprising 176 islands scattered over of ocean in the South Pacific...
. The movie takes place in the 1950s.
John Groberg (Christopher Gorham
Christopher Gorham
Christopher David Gorham is an American actor.- Early life :Gorham was born in Fresno, California to David Gorham, a certified public accountant and Cathryn Gorham, a school nurse. He attended high school at Roosevelt School of the Arts and graduated from UCLA with a BA in Film & Theater Arts...
) is playing in the band at a dance being held at Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
. Jean (Anne Hathaway
Anne Hathaway (actress)
Anne Jacqueline Hathaway is an American actress. After several stage roles, she appeared in the 1999 television series Get Real. She played Mia Thermopolis in The Princess Diaries...
) is his girlfriend; and she is also at the dance. John and Jean end up dancing with each other, and they leave the dance together.
John's family in Idaho Falls
Idaho Falls, Idaho
Idaho Falls is a city in and the county seat of Bonneville County, Idaho, United States, and the largest city in Eastern Idaho. As of the 2010 census, the population of Idaho Falls was 56,813, with a metro population of 130,374....
receives his mission call. He learns that he is called to serve in Tonga. He says goodbye to his family and leaves from Idaho Falls to Los Angeles. In Los Angeles, he boards a ship and gets to Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
where he is detained in a Fijian jail. He is released and sets sail for Tonga. When he gets to Tonga, he meets his mission president.
His mission president introduces him to Feki, his companion. Feki is a native Tongan who also speaks English. They are assigned to serve in a remote island of the mission.
He expects a warm welcome from the people. Instead, he is greeted with contempt by the island people. He goes through culture shock as he adjusts to the Tongan culture. He has difficulty with the Tongan language
Tongan language
Tongan is an Austronesian language spoken in Tonga. It has around 200,000 speakers and is a national language of Tonga. It is a VSO language.-Related languages:...
. Also, a local minister has told the people not to listen to John or to his message.
He begins by learning the Tongan language. He isolates himself and studies the Bible in both English and Tongan. He becomes more familiar with the language.
John and Feki build a house for themselves on the island. One morning, John discovers that rats have eaten the soles of his feet. His fellow church members help him as his feet heal. They heal just in time for the Sunday church meetings, and he is miraculously able to walk. This astonishes the people, and they become more receptive to his message.
One night, a group of men surround John and Feki to beat them up. They have been sent by the local minister. One of the men, Tomasi, breaks them up and sends them away. Tomasi saves John and Feki, because he was baptised into the church and is Mormon himself. Tomasi begins attending church meetings.
A local woman, at the behest of her family, tries to seduce John so that she can have a "half White baby". The woman's mother becomes offended at John's rejection of her daughter. John tells her that he is saving himself for Jean, his girlfriend back home. The woman's mother is satisfied.
A hurricane hits the island, and the island is heavily damaged. A supply ship is expected in a few weeks, but the ship is late. The people ration their food and water to survive. Many people on the island die. John is saved when the local minister approaches him, apologizes to him, and gives John his last ration of food. The supply ship arrives. John, Feki, and many others are saved. The local minister passes away and is given an honorable burial.
The mission president authorizes John to form a congregation on the island. John is set apart as the branch president and calls two counselors. Feki is assigned to go back to construction. John and Feki part ways, and thank each other for their friendship.
The new mission president visits the island and has concerns about the work there. Even though a lot of work has been done, the mission president has no records of the work. John quickly completes the required forms and turns them in to the mission president. The mission president apologizes to John and praises John for his work. He also puts John in for a six-month extension of his mission.
While traveling to an outlying island, John and his two counselors are caught in a major storm at sea. All three are tossed overboard and must swim for their lives. John miraculously makes it to shore and finds that his counselors are also safe.
Once John returns to the Tongan Island, he finds out the six-month extension is denied, and John concludes his mission to Tonga. The people thank him for all he has done for them, and John heads back home to the United States.
Throughout his mission, John and Jean keep in contact by letters. Some of the narrative of the story is told through these letters. They remain faithful to each other and are married after John returns home. They have children and continue to serve in the church. They also visit the Tongan islands several times.
Cast
- Christopher GorhamChristopher GorhamChristopher David Gorham is an American actor.- Early life :Gorham was born in Fresno, California to David Gorham, a certified public accountant and Cathryn Gorham, a school nurse. He attended high school at Roosevelt School of the Arts and graduated from UCLA with a BA in Film & Theater Arts...
- John H. GrobergJohn H. GrobergJohn Holbrook Groberg has been a general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since 1976.- Biography :Groberg was born in Idaho Falls, Idaho in 1934 and was reared there after the Great Depression... - Anne HathawayAnne Hathaway (actress)Anne Jacqueline Hathaway is an American actress. After several stage roles, she appeared in the 1999 television series Get Real. She played Mia Thermopolis in The Princess Diaries...
- Jean Sabin - Joe Folau - Feki
- Nathaniel LeesNathaniel LeesNathaniel Lees is a New Zealand born actor and theatre director of Samoan descent. He is known for his role as Captain Mifune in The Matrix trilogy and his role as "Uglúk" in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. He has also had roles on the TV series Young Hercules, Hercules: The Legendary...
- Kelepi - Miriama SmithMiriama SmithMiriama Te Rangimarie Smith is a New Zealand film and television actress who has played roles in various TV shows such as Xena: Warrior Princess, Karaoke High and Shortland Street...
- Lavania - Alvin Fitisemanu - Tomasi
Production
The Other Side of Heaven is based on John Groberg's book entitled In the Eye of the Storm. Deseret Books, who owned the rights to the book, was hesitant to sell the rights for a movie due to concerns about how The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints would be portrayed in the film. The fact that the producer, the director, and many of the filming crew were Latter-day Saints alleviated this concern. Deseret Books quickly sold the rights to the book allowing the film to be made.The title of the film was changed from In the Eye of the Storm to The Other Side of Heaven to avoid confusion with The Perfect Storm
The Perfect Storm (film)
The Perfect Storm is a 2000 dramatic disaster film directed by Wolfgang Petersen. It is an adaptation of the 1997 non-fiction book of the same title by Sebastian Junger about the crew of the Andrea Gail that got caught in the Perfect Storm of 1991. The film stars George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg,...
, which had been released a year earlier.
Gerald R. Molen, the producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
, had worked on several notable films, including The Color Purple
The Color Purple (film)
The Color Purple is a 1985 American period drama film directed by Steven Spielberg, based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name by Alice Walker. It was Spielberg's eighth film as a director , and was a change from the summer blockbusters for which he had become famous...
, Rain Man
Rain Man
Rain Man is a 1988 drama film written by Barry Morrow and Ronald Bass and directed by Barry Levinson. It tells the story of an abrasive and selfish yuppie, Charlie Babbitt, who discovers that his estranged father has died and bequeathed all of his multimillion-dollar estate to his other son,...
, Schindler's List
Schindler's List
Schindler's List is a 1993 American film about Oskar Schindler, a German businessman who saved the lives of more than a thousand mostly Polish-Jewish refugees during the Holocaust by employing them in his factories. The film was directed by Steven Spielberg, and based on the novel Schindler's Ark...
, and The Lost World: Jurassic Park
The Lost World: Jurassic Park
The Lost World: Jurassic Park is a 1997 science fiction thriller film, directed by Steven Spielberg. The film was produced by Bonnie Curtis, Kathleen Kennedy, Gerald R. Molen and Colin Wilson...
. He won an Academy Award for his work in Schindler's List. He is a Latter-day Saint.
Mitch Davis, the director, had worked on several Disney films before this film. He won a CAMIE Award
CAMIE Awards
The CAMIE Awards, sometimes known as the CAMIEs, are awards for outstanding, uplifting films emphasizing character and morality. They are awarded annually by CAMIE Awards, Inc.-Overview:...
for this film, which was shared with Gerald R. Molen and several film crew members. He is a Latter-day Saint.
Christopher Gorham
Christopher Gorham
Christopher David Gorham is an American actor.- Early life :Gorham was born in Fresno, California to David Gorham, a certified public accountant and Cathryn Gorham, a school nurse. He attended high school at Roosevelt School of the Arts and graduated from UCLA with a BA in Film & Theater Arts...
was cast as John H. Groberg in the film. He won the part because of his ability to balance the seriousness of the role with lighter, more comedic moments. He learned how to speak the Tongan
Tongan language
Tongan is an Austronesian language spoken in Tonga. It has around 200,000 speakers and is a national language of Tonga. It is a VSO language.-Related languages:...
parts with a flawless accent. His commitment to the role elevated the production of the film to a higher standard.
Anne Hathaway
Anne Hathaway (actress)
Anne Jacqueline Hathaway is an American actress. After several stage roles, she appeared in the 1999 television series Get Real. She played Mia Thermopolis in The Princess Diaries...
was cast as Jean Groberg (née Sabin) in the film. Her parts were shot towards the end of the production. She immediately began working on The Princess Diaries
The Princess Diaries (film)
The Princess Diaries is a 2001 comedy film produced by singer and actress Whitney Houston and directed by Garry Marshall. It is based on Meg Cabot's 2000 novel of the same name...
after completing work on this film.
The movie was shot on location in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, even the opening scenes set at Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
. Polynesian
Polynesians
The Polynesian peoples is a grouping of various ethnic groups that speak Polynesian languages, a branch of the Oceanic languages within the Austronesian languages, and inhabit Polynesia. They number approximately 1,500,000 people...
actors were used for most of the roles. The less experienced ones relied heavily on the more experienced ones.
The cast and crew enjoyed a great amount of cooperation from locals. When the film crew arrived on the Island of Rarotonga
Rarotonga
Rarotonga is the most populous island of the Cook Islands, with a population of 14,153 , out of the country's total population of 19,569.The Cook Islands' Parliament buildings and international airport are on Rarotonga...
(capital of the Cook Islands
Cook Islands
The Cook Islands is a self-governing parliamentary democracy in the South Pacific Ocean in free association with New Zealand...
), the Prime Minister welcomed them by gathering all of the religious ministers of the community for a prayer meeting. They prayed that the film crew would be blessed with good weather.
The photographs in the opening scenes are of the actual people portrayed in the film. John H. Groberg provided the pictures.
During the opening dance scene, extras were hired from almost every swing
Swing (dance)
"Swing dance" is a group of dances that developed with the swing style of jazz music in the 1920s-1950s, although the earliest of these dances predate swing jazz music. The best known of these dances is the Lindy Hop, a popular partner dance that originated in Harlem and is still danced today...
club in New Zealand. Gorham and Hathaway did most of their own dancing. Hathaway was kicked in the head in one of the takes and was nearly knocked out.
The scenes where Groberg learns the Tongan language were altered slightly for dramatic effect. He did isolate himself and study the Bible in both English and Tongan and went without food and water for several days. However, he spent time in a bush, rather than on a beach.
John and Feki's hut was recreated from photographs. It was an authentic replica of the one that they actually lived in.
John H. Groberg really did have rat
Polynesian Rat
The Polynesian Rat, or Pacific Rat , known to the Māori as kiore, is the third most widespread species of rat in the world behind the Brown Rat and Black Rat. The Polynesian Rat originates in Southeast Asia but, like its cousins, has become well travelled – infiltrating Fiji and most Polynesian...
s eat the soles of his feet while he slept. When he awoke that morning, they split open, and the members of his branch helped treat his feet. He spent time outside with his feet pointed up at the sun in order to sear the soles of his feet with the heat from the sun. Later in life, he was diagnosed with skin cancer
Skin cancer
Skin neoplasms are skin growths with differing causes and varying degrees of malignancy. The three most common malignant skin cancers are basal cell cancer, squamous cell cancer, and melanoma, each of which is named after the type of skin cell from which it arises...
on the soles of his feet due to exposure to the sun. His doctor was puzzled about how he could have exposed the soles of his feet to the sun. Groberg responded to his doctor, "Have I got a story to tell you..."
A boy really did fall from a mango tree. He was on his way to a church meeting on Tuesday. He climbed the tree because it had very good mangos. He fell out of the tree and was knocked out. When he awoke on Thursday, he was worried that he was late to his church meeting.
The real Feki's father was not a drinking man, nor did he beat his wife. Liberties were taken in order to combine several characters. This particular alteration was done with the permission of the real Feki's children.
The real John H. Groberg, his wife Jean, one of his grandsons and one of his daughters with her husband can be seen at the very end during the wedding scene. As the camera pans from right to left, his daughter, then her husband, then the grandson, then John are taking a picture of the couple, and his wife is next to him clapping.
The first cut of the film was 2 hours 15 minutes. The final cut was 1 hour 53 minutes.
Release
The release of this movie was delayed for the release of the other Disney film, The Princess DiariesThe Princess Diaries (film)
The Princess Diaries is a 2001 comedy film produced by singer and actress Whitney Houston and directed by Garry Marshall. It is based on Meg Cabot's 2000 novel of the same name...
, also starring Anne Hathaway. It was hoped that the success of that film would garner a following for Hathaway and bring in extra earnings for this film. Disney only had part in the DVD release, and it was made by Excel Entertainment Group
Excel Entertainment Group
Excel Entertainment Group is a subsidiary of Deseret Book Co. best known for its distribution of many pieces of LDS cinema. Excel Entertainment Group's products deal thematically with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints including Forever Strong , Midway to Heaven , Saints and Soldiers...
.