MOVIE REVIEWS: ‘Club Dread,’ ‘Two Years’ both entertain
Grade: B-
I get the feeling that LDS movies are at a crossroads right now. They’re either going to become an established genre, or they’ll burn themselves out. A few years back, “God’s Army” opened the door for a lot of local filmmakers with LDS-themed stories, and the resulting product has seen its share of good and bad. For every “Singles Ward,” there is an ill-advised “Book of Mormon Movie.”
With the surge in so-so LDS movies over the last few months, I can’t help but think that unless the quality content of the movies is increased, the whole genre might go the way of the dodo. Fortunately, “The Best Two Years” helps the effort more than it hurts.
It does take awhile for the movie to contribute, however. The first third of the movie gives more than its share of cringes, but once the film focuses on its primary story, instead of on recreating inside gags, it catches a pleasant stride.
“The Best Two Years” follows four LDS missionaries as they spread the word in Holland. Much of the movie was actually filmed in Holland, and the authenticity strengthens the movie a great deal.
But the biggest flaw in the film is rooted in the fact that it was adapted from Scott S. Anderson’s stage play version of the same story. Often the goofy script and dramatic acting seem more appropriate for the stage than they do for a film. On stage the movement needs to be more pronounced and exaggerated, since you’re trying to project to an audience seated a long way off. But when your head is 20 feet high on a big bright screen and your voice is being boomed through a surround sound system, understated acting is preferred.
The one actor that distinguishes himself here is KC Clyde, who plays conflicted short-timer Elder Rogers. Clyde’s subtlety and sincerity is one of the strongest points of the film. One scene toward the end of the film is particularly striking. I’m looking forward to seeing what he does next.
Most of the audience will recognize Kirby Heyborne, who plays Elder Roger’s heavily-accented companion Elder Calhoun. Heyborne has been in about 90 percent of LDS movies so far. He typically does a good job, but surely he can’t be the only local actor that can carry a part. As Elder Calhoun, he does a decent job once he settles down, but the early extremity of his Southern hick character comes across too Forrest Gump-ish for the tone the film needs.
There again is my main complaint with the film: Much of the script humor and acting is done in a hokey style that works on the stage, but just doesn’t translate to film. Once the film gets away from that, Anderson manages to tell a poignant story and have a lot of fun. If future LDS films follow the same line, they might stick around for a while.
Joshua Terry is a graduate student in the American studies program. Comments may be sent to him at jterry@english.usu.edu.