The Work and the Glory (2004)

User Rating:

6.0/10   

Director:

Russell Holt

Writers:

Russell Holt (writer)
Gerald N. Lund (novel)

Release Date:

21 January 2005 (USA)

Genre:

Romance | Drama

Tagline:

One Man....A Remarkable Vision; One Family....A Desperate Struggle

Plot:

Recently moved to upstate New York from the comfort of their Vermont homestead, the Benjamin Steed family...

Plot Keywords:

Lds Film | 1820s | First Of Series | Religion | Mormon

Cast

Sam Hennings	...	Benjamin Steed
Brenda Strong	...	Mary Ann Steed
Eric Johnson	...	Joshua Steed
Alexander Carroll	...	Nathan Steed
Tiffany Dupont	...	Lydia McBride
Brighton Hertford	...	Melissa Steed / Narrator
Kimberly Varadi	...	Becca Steed
Colin Ford	...	Matthew Steed
Kathryn Firago	...	Hannah McBride
Jim Grimshaw	...	Josiah McBride
Jonathan Scarfe	...	Joseph Smith
Sarah Darling	...	Emma Smith
Edward Albert	...	Martin Harris
Ryan Wood	...	Hyrum Smith
Jordan Rose Tarter	...	Sophronia Smith

Also Known As:

Pillar of Light: The Work and the Glory (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG for some mild thematic elements and violence.

Runtime:

USA:110 min | USA:118 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Johnson City, Tennessee, USA

Company:

Manchester Pictures

Trivia:

The script required composer Sam Cardon to write an original period violin piece that the character of Lydia McBride would play. He anticipated that Tiffany Dupont, who plays Lydia would just act like she was playing for the camera and then they would mix the sound in for the final cut. But by mere chance, Tiffany Dupont majored in violin at the University of Georgia and she ended up playing the piece live for the camera.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Joshua Steed says he is regressing back to an ape but Charles Darwin didn't publish his theory of evolution till 1859. Almost 30 years after the time period in the film.

Movie Connections:

Followed by The Work and the Glory II: American Zion (2005)

It was well-done!

I am not a mormon, but have heard of this movie and wanted to see it. I thought it was beautifully done, full of texture and depth visually.

Not being a mormon, I was afraid it would not be interesting. But it was. I liked the story line, and the plots that were developed within the story. I thought the character of Joe Smith was played well, innocence within his mission.

But I thought the character of Nathan Steed was brilliant. He had intensity and made me really care about his love for Lydia and the conflicts in his family. Wow. I researched the guy, and he is a newcomer to the screen. I can't wait to see him in more films.

I also liked Joshua. He had a look about him that enhanced the conflicts in the story. I felt that the subtlety of their acting (his and Nathan's) made the story more real, and helped to enhance the uniqueness of the character of Joe Smith.