In God's Country (2006 TV Movie) User Reviews

Gripping Film But Some Credibility Problems.

[mwstone-702-794940 · 7/10 · 25 August 2013]

A gripping and thought provoking film about a woman raised in a polygamous sect, who flees when she learns that her daughter is to be married off to her stepfather.

All in all, it isn't bad, but I can't resist the temptation to nitpick. As other reviewers have noted, her integration into outside society seems to be altogether too smooth, in particular getting benefits and a new home with improbable ease. And the public school scene was very unconvincing. Some irrelevant advice from the Principal to teach her son (who, he conveniently forgets, was the victim of the bullying, not the bully) that "violence isn't the answer" seems to solve the whole problem, or at least we never hear any more about it. That sounds overoptimistic to the point of naiveté.

Also, I thought they made the cult leader a bit of a straw man. Is it really credible that, when the teenage girl has quite voluntarily returned to his sect, he would immediately throw away this victory by trying to force her into marrying the stepfather, while also beating up and expelling the young (and perfectly loyal) follower on whom her heart is set - an action which gives the authorities a perfect excuse to butt in. I know that some of these polygamous patriarchs are unpleasant types, but that doesn't necessarily mean they're stupid. Indeed, I get the impression that they are often well endowed with low cunning. I would expect him to be as nice as pie, presiding at the girl's wedding to her chosen boy, and letting her write to her siblings urging them, as soon as old enough, to "Come back; the water's fine". After all, he wants all the children back, not just one.

All carping aside, though, it's still a pretty good view. Watch it and draw your own conclusions.

I disagree

[poncho1989 · 2 June 2007]

okay here's my problem with your comment steviemillion...this entire film was based off of the story of an escaped polygamist wife. She was actually the wife of the former fugitive Warren Jeffs, who was on the FBI's most wanted list for many things besides polygamy including marrying an under aged girl and conspiring to perform sexual acts with minors. Also, the fact that somebody could escape and find a group of altogether nice people is not impossible, and may I remind you that she did not say for certain that she was going to school to become a teacher...it was merely suggested to her. The point of the entire thing was not to show that she was necessarily going to have an easier life per-say, because like you said, raising five kids is not just a walk in the park. The point was that doing that was better than living in an overly oppressed society with a bunch of jerks prepared to 'hurt' her children in the blink of an eye for their own selfish means. Also, it didn't show that everybody was all happy and ready to help, because as I remember, a large group of boys walked up to the oldest son saying something along the lines of "incest is best" then the lot of them began to fight. Next time you want to bash any movie, Canadian or not, make sure you watch it properly and actually know what's going on in the background next time. Thank you very much

Trouble in Paradise

[lavatch · 8/10 · 4 December 2019]

In the onscreen text at the start of "In God's Country," we learn that in 1890, the Mormon practice of polygamy was finally banned. While the film is clearly fictional, the dramatization imagines a modern community in which powerful male church elders maintain a stable of three or more wives promote the objective of siring as many little ones as possible. Those are the core "principles" of their utopia.

In the dysfunctional community depicted in the film, there is clearly trouble in paradise, due to the strength of a single woman, Judith Leavitt. Judith is one of the many wives of Father Josiah, who is line to become the next Prophet. But the community's motto of "Keep Sweet" does not apply to Judith, who takes a stand on behalf of her young children and upsets the established order of Harmony.

The melodramatic plot focuses on the attempt of Father Josiah to give away in marriage his twelve-year-old daughter Alice to an elder. And Josiah is reserving for himself Judith's daughter from another marriage, sixteen-year-old Charlotte, who wants to marry young Jamie Coyle. When she becomes aware of these abhorrent developments, Judith plans her escape from Harmony.

The male elders in the film use the phrase "procreating time" that seems to be occurring every day in Harmony. The proposed marriage of Father Josiah to young Charlotte would be the ninth time that Josiah has tied the knot. The menfolk's smarmy and smug approach is summarized in their platitude, "be fruitful and multiply!" The only problem is that the womenfolk do not have much say in matters of family planning.

The film includes some nice secondary roles, including the kind grocery clerk Louise and the cop named Wayne, who is clearly interested in Judith in matters that extend beyond enforcing her restraining order against Father Josiah. The theme that emerges most completely is the tower of strength apparent in the love of a woman for her children and the bonding that occurs between Judith and Louise to ensure that there will be a strong dose of wedding bell blues for Father Josiah when he strides up to the altar for the ninth time.

Hopeful but Unrealistic

[wilbur4 · 1 October 2010]

I liked the acting. I liked the character development. And for the most part the creation of what it's like behind closed doors of Mormon life, obviously researched. The moral drive behind the wife to escape was inspiring. She knew this was wrong (God says he writes on our hearts right/wrong). Very inspiring. She clearly knew the leaders of her Mormon religion were WRONG in their beliefs. And she had the courage to face the consequences of acting on what she knew to be right. Love that.

The drastic adjustments in hair/clothing/relating to men on the outside was obviously NOT well thought out. You can see the ignorance on the writer's part as if this woman rejected these aspects of conservative life. Fashion trends are absorbed by the eyes as one sees them repeatedly. This woman would not have immediately started wearing contemporary styles of hair/clothing. Just made the movie cheesy. Relating to men would have also been more conservative to this woman. A better movie would have created more realistic transitions here.

I liked the store clerk stepping up to help this woman. The land we live in is known for such kindnesses. I'm not thrilled with the DSS stepping up like that instead of directing her to some private organizations to help her, but it was okay I guess. Unrealistic, but okay. Life outside the complex would have been extreme culture shock for this woman, especially sending the kids to school. The woman said, "Your kids must go to school." Well, there is a much less traumatizing way to transition here. She could have home educated them, or anything else than herding them into public school, often a scary place to be.

A great movie to learn the inside scoop of Mormon polygamy. A bad movie to learn how to help these people come out.

A fearful world

[bogsted-2 · 30 March 2014]

Poncho1989, you're correct that this is based on a true story, but the person who told this story was not Warren Jeff's wife, but the wife of his chief aide - now also in prison.

This movie shows the the ambivalence of the people living in this sect, told from birth that Polygamy is G-d's will, wanting to live according to that, but also having human needs and desires. I have known many of these women, those who have fled the sect, and love many of them as my sisters. This movie correctly portrays the world of polygamy and its disastrous effect on women and children, who are treated as property. It also turns woman against woman in an attempt to have what limited power they can.

This movie isn't great art. The writing is just okay, but the characters are portrayed well and the plot is based on reality, which is sometimes more frightening than fiction. If you want to understand the world that Warren Jeffs continues to control from his prison cell, watch this movie.