Review: 'Mission Stories' is an uneven anthology that is strictly for the Latter-day Saint faithful.
The made-in-Utah movie “Mission Stories” is very direct about what it wants to do: Tell about the experience thousands of members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have experienced — going on a mission for the church.
Director Bryce Clark tells three stories, each centering on a story that begins with Latter-day Saint missionaries in the field. And, being an anthology (and an introduction to a web series), the episodes vary greatly in quality and focus.
The story that starts and ends the film, “Full Circle,” begins with a missionary, Darren (Tanner McKay), meeting with one guy, Bruce (Hassan El-Cheikh), and ending up converting Bruce’s beer-drinking buddy, Mike (Seth Pike). Time passes, and Mike (played as an older man by Adam Colvin) is trying to help Darren (played in his older years by Nick Mathews), who has fallen away from the faith and become a drug addict. (A disclaimer: Mathews used to work at The Salt Lake Tribune, where I’ve been for the last 30 years.)
In the second story, “Chuck,” two sister missionaries — Sister Washington (Nadia Sine), who’s shy and devout, and Sister Zeller (Monica Moore Smith), a spoiled young woman more concerned with her boyfriend back home than the job at hand — put aside their differences to help a biker (Joshua Michael French) who works to give up his vices to join the faith.
In the third story, “Hermanos,” a missionary (Brendon French) is given an assignment with a Spanish-speaking mission — even though his Spanish skills are spotty.
Clark wrote all three interlocking stories, co-writing the story “Chuck” with Crystal Myler. The stories fall into familiar patterns. Each story includes, at some point, a convert being baptized. And each is very clear that the act of performing a mission is, despite hardships and setbacks, a generally positive experience.
The best of the three is “Chuck,” which focuses on the human side of missionary work, and the personality friction between young people assigned to work and live together for months on end. “Full Circle” has its overwrought moments, and gets pretty dark, but is largely heartfelt. “Hermanos” feels underdeveloped, and a reminder that miracles make for good sermons but weak screenwriting.
There’s no doubt that “Mission Stories” is a movie for the faithful, not the skeptical. Viewers who don’t adhere to the Latter-day Saint faith, or have been members of the church but left with no intention to return, can find their entertainment somewhere else. Those who do believe will find some inspiration.
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‘Mission Stories’
★★1/2
Opens Friday, May 7, in theaters where open. Not rated, but probably PG-13 for depictions of substance abuse and suicide. Running time: 87 minutes.