I'll admit that the title might incline people to place it in the category of those other Mormon movies that are kind of preachy and just for Mormons. But as the saying goes: "Don't judge a book by its cover" and all that jazz.
I went into this film with some of my family from Utah and with a dreading attitude. I was expecting there to be 2,000 jokes I wouldn't get and that only those involved deeply in the Mormon church would get...I was wrong.
As the movie starts we're introduced to Carmine, an ambitious Italian-American mobster who is climbing the crime ladder of success until the Feds finally get some dirt on him and bring him in. In the process, he cuts a deal with them, rats a few people out, and him, his wife and teenage son are put in the Witness Protection Program and sent to a model Mormon Utah neighborhood as the "Cheesemans."
And with this culture some enjoyable comedy follows as Carmine's family adjusts to the way things are run: Carmine can't get a decent cup of coffee or grasp the fact that Mormons don't drink or "have fun"; his son steals a Mormon minister's satellite dish, and goes out for wrestling, thinking that it's mandatory to whack the other guy in the face; and his wife makes the mistake of ordering a pizza with pineapple which results in Carmine leaving to go eat somewhere else and her downing an entire bottle of wine and passing out.
I found myself laughing at a lot of the jokes, even though they played on Mormon, Christian, and Italian-American stereotypes. This movie doesn't just appeal to Mormons or Christians, it can be enjoyed by almost anyone.
So overall, a good comedy for the whole family. A little cheesy at times, but very enjoyable and comes out on top with a good message. If it comes to a theater near you, check it out. *** out of *****
I went into this film with some of my family from Utah and with a dreading attitude. I was expecting there to be 2,000 jokes I wouldn't get and that only those involved deeply in the Mormon church would get...I was wrong.
As the movie starts we're introduced to Carmine, an ambitious Italian-American mobster who is climbing the crime ladder of success until the Feds finally get some dirt on him and bring him in. In the process, he cuts a deal with them, rats a few people out, and him, his wife and teenage son are put in the Witness Protection Program and sent to a model Mormon Utah neighborhood as the "Cheesemans."
And with this culture some enjoyable comedy follows as Carmine's family adjusts to the way things are run: Carmine can't get a decent cup of coffee or grasp the fact that Mormons don't drink or "have fun"; his son steals a Mormon minister's satellite dish, and goes out for wrestling, thinking that it's mandatory to whack the other guy in the face; and his wife makes the mistake of ordering a pizza with pineapple which results in Carmine leaving to go eat somewhere else and her downing an entire bottle of wine and passing out.
I found myself laughing at a lot of the jokes, even though they played on Mormon, Christian, and Italian-American stereotypes. This movie doesn't just appeal to Mormons or Christians, it can be enjoyed by almost anyone.
So overall, a good comedy for the whole family. A little cheesy at times, but very enjoyable and comes out on top with a good message. If it comes to a theater near you, check it out. *** out of *****