Once I Was a Beehive

source: Once I Was a Beehive

Full disclosure I am a member of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints ( a Mormon) and I have been to girls camp so the humor cultural relevance was especially funny to me . It wasn't a great film but it's a good movie and a good message and some really funny parts - you have to realize what demographic it is made for ( which I really think is anyone with any kind of faith looking for a clean film ) and realize it's low budget and made to lift you up not to win the Sundance film festival. If you go in with the right attitude you will laugh and cry and leave feeling uplifted .

I didn't know what to expect watching this but I have to say, it was pretty good. Not great, but heartfelt and enjoyable to watch. The characters were fine to watch, the story was easy to follow to sympathize with and the pacing's pretty good. It's laid back. As for the dialogue, it's pretty well written. Simple yet effective. If you like dramas then watch this.

You don't have to be a 12 year old girl to enjoy this film. My wife and I (50 years old) have watched this movie twice and we love it. Yeah, it's full of stereotypes and there's nothing especially groundbreaking here, but it's fun, wholesome, has some nice music, and is remarkably well produced for such a small budget film. I can see bright futures for several of the actors in this film as well. Most of the reviewers feel compelled to mention Mormonism (many of the makers of this film are LDS and it was originally released to target LDS audiences in Utah) but rest assured if you're one of those folks that have unfortunately formed some weird preconceived notion of what that means, get over it! Yes, I think these characters and values do accurately reflect LDS members, but I can't fathom how this movie would be any different if you substituted any other church. And it's NOT a preachy church movie! Just characters with good and wholesome values who are having a great experience at Bible camp. Drat! Now I went and mentioned it too! Just relax and have fun. Share it with your kids and grand kids. There are some wonderful messages here, especially for the young ladies.

I didn't have much hopes from this movie but boy was I wrong. My wife and I had no other choice so we decided to watch it and she immediately pointed out that this seems like a kids/teenagers movie. Although the focus of the movie and young people mostly but it is NOT a movie for kids. It has a very clear and strong message. It is not your typical movie. If you are looking for a lively beginning, developing middle part and a thrilling climax - then this movie is not for you. This is a movie that is a message in its entirety: that you can find solace in the most unlikeliest of places. Don't judge a book by its cover. When you are down and out, people you least expect can be your strength. And above all the movie teaches us to love and accept. I'd give this movie 8 out of 10 stars. I am giving 10/10 to balance some narrow minded reviews who cannot appreciate life imitating art, they brains are only big enough for John Wicks and Fast and Furiouses.

I came across this movie on Netflix. It was really good, and really other than the 'Young Women" reference, it took me a while to realize it was Mormon. It seemed to be just strictly Bible - It's a really good movie to show how girls interact and that even grownups lose their tempers and have the same identity issues. We're all just on a journey. My only one "complaint".. they should have done a bit more research on service animals verses emotional support animals and where they are allowed. Although, Roxie is adorable and helps calm Phoebe - she cannot be called a service animal. She is not trained to do work or a task! She simply calms Phoebe by being near her. An animal that calms just by their presence is an Emotional Support animal and is NOT allowed anywhere the person goes. A service animal is NOT a pet and other people would not be petting her. I only bring it up because it is a huge issue now and this movie is just adding to that confusion.

Since most Mormon films seem to cater toward the Mormon audience, I was pleasantly surprised to see that this film, while having Mormon characters, is not necessarily geared toward a Mormon audience. While it is probably best enjoyed by Mormon girls and women who have attended camp, it could easily be enjoyed by anyone. There are very few specifically "Mormon" references so it is relatable to a wide audience. That being said, it is a low-budget independent film, so don't expect to be wowed. However the acting quality is good, the soundtrack is good, and the plot, while fairly predictable, was not quite the touchy-feely conversion story that you'd expect from a religious film. It reminded me of the 2012 movie "Amazing Love". This film is a fairly accurate (though satirical) depiction of a Mormon girls camp. And yes, we really do sing "Noah's Arky" and "Mormon Boy"! It's tradition!

This was a heartwarming and engaging family film. We were looking for something the family could watch together on Mothers Day and stumbled across this little coming-of-age drama on Netflix. My wife and kids bought into the characters and situations. Personally, the longer I watched it, the more disturbing I found it. Folks, this movie is grade A, pure manipulation and propaganda. It's crafted to take evangelical Christians (especially young people) on a journey with the main character, Lane, from seeing Mormons as off putting cultists to "special people, the best Christians." I'm sure that was the agenda. Here are some details to support my claim: 1. Other than terminology for God (Heavenly Father) and church leaders (the bishop), not one shred of Mormon doctrine comes up in the movie. Instead, we see Mormons as a tight knit community of flawed but well meaning people who just love to study the Bible. Some of them are very knowledgeable about it. There is no reference to Joseph Smith, the Book of Mormon, Doctrines and Covenants...nothing! 2. The main character has been struggling to believe in anything after the death of her father so the Mormons are not seen as recruiting Christians out of their own traditions but rather as providing experiences which will help rescue doubting young people from abandoning their Christian beliefs. 3. At one point one of the characters affirms that hope that Lane has that her father will be in paradise. Isn't it great that we're all just Christians and will all be saved together. 4. Lane discovers that prayer really does work as the dog who was believed dead is found at the end of the movie by no less than the bishop. Man, that was a good one. I have to hand it to the writers on that one. In one stroke, they intimated that Mormon prayers are powerful and Mormon leaders are heroes. 5. The movie deprecates Mormons at the beginning, humanizes them in the middle and celebrates them at the end. Ha! Genius! 6. Through out the movie, we (young adults) get acculturated to Mormon idiosyncrasies. We see that the bishop has to be present but only from a distance. We come to appreciate the moralism and conformity. And best of all, we get introduced to one of Mormonisms best brainwashing tools - the testimony meeting. 7. During the credits, we get to see photos of actual youth camps like the one depicted in the movie. The attempt at manipulation was not lost on my 10-year-old daughter. She said, "Wait, so they really have camps like that!" This is the part that actually took me from ill to outraged. This movie was a carefully constructed two hour PR spot for Mormonism targeted specifically at Christian youth. Bravo to the web weavers of Salt Lake!

Many of the user reviews are from members of the Mormon faith. Their reviews focus on the Mormon faith. This movie is not about religion; it's about friendship. Lane, the main character, was raised my her free-spirited dad (whose faith comes from nature). A year after his death Lane's mother marries a man who is Mormon (again, that doesn't matter). Enter Phoebe, a 12 year old girl riddled with anxiety,and Lane's new step cousin. Lane is the only "non-adult" that accepts Phoebe (in Pheobe's mind). Phoebe's mom's fried, an over the top woman, encourages Phoebe to go. Phoebe doesn't want to. Lane overhears the conversation and reluctantly goes to support Phoebe. Lane suddenly realizes that she is with a bunch of crazy (no offense to Mormons) girls who yell Biblical songs, have weird names, and who are clique-y. Lane is given the chance to go home before she reaches camp, but decides against it. When the girls arrive at camp, Lane and Phoebe support one another while the other girls follow the direction of their "Laurel" leader, Brea. Lane finds solace in Nedra, a 65 year old Vietnam vet. Nedra educates Lane on faith, while not being preachy about it. (SPOILER ALERT: when something bad happens to Phoebe's dog, Lane consoles her about grief and lose. But, while doing so, we can see how Lane switches from consoling Phoebe's pain, to feeling her own pain of her father's death. (END OF SPOILER ALERT) I enjoyed that Lane stated that she still did not know what she believed in, and that it was met with acceptance by the entire camp. Caution: be prepared to cry at some scenes. This movie is about friendship, and the release of grief and loss. Pay no attention to the religious aspects of this film. A.k.a. be open-mined and you'll have two hours of a great story! ALSO the over-the-top camp leader and girls' humor.

I am a film fanatic, so like everybody else I seek entertainment in the films I watch. But if it delivers a message or gives a lesson, I'll take it as an inspiration, no matter what category it belongs to. I mean I belong to no religion, but there are many good things about them other than wasting time in the temples and churches for the fantasy things. So that is where this film comes in, even for the non- believers. It might be about a Mormon related theme, that does not mean it is a propaganda or anything, but obviously that's how it looks like. In fact, it is a very enjoyable film, not just for the kids or the women, but anyone and mostly for the families. Because it was not about the god stuff, it was about the human bond and having faith in each other to work together. In many parts, that's what the film characters express through the dialogues and makes us comfortable for further viewing. The story was narrated from an atheist teen girl's perspective, but her condition of life had an impact for telling a beautiful and semi- emotional tale. It was a quality of the television product, mainly because it is PG rated. The wonderful cast and shot in the nicest places. So just enjoy its contents as a human being with the emotions and ignore the religious stuffs if you think it is overshadowed by that. Because, because of watching it you won't turn a Mormon in an overnight. 6/10