Rating: Summary: good for the soul Review: It's always good to laugh at the little idiosyncrasies that groups have, in this case the LDS culture of Utah. :) The movie would be less funny if it didn't hit so close to home.
Rating: Summary: The movie was fabulous Review: Just when the movie starts to get too cheesy, it makes fun of itself. It's one inside joke after another, and if you aren't LDS, you may or may not get it, but see it anyway, it gives you the point of view of the silent majority of the church. I mean people who live it and hate to be a spectacle.
Rating: Summary: Singles Ward Review: My family and I enjoyed it too. For those who are not Mormons: It is a bit like Revenge of the Nerds -- but without the sex and violence!
Rating: Summary: Comedy that runs out of gags midway through Review: Overall, this film isn't a bad starting film for Halestorm Entertainment. To ensure that this film was successful in the newly formed LDS film industry, there were plenty of hilarious cameos by LDS Celebrities like Steve Young (who is just awesome in his comedic cameo), Julie Stoffer of "MTV's The Real World New Orleans" infamy (her cameo was in a brilliant and cleverly cut sequence), and Richard Dutcher (who made "God's Army"), among other notables.
The one big thing I disliked about this film was the direct talking to the audience by the main character, a device I'm personally not fond of. I think it would have worked much better playing it straight up. The film starts out funny enough, but the jokes seem to run out half way through and drags to its conclusion. It probably could have been trimmed by ten minutes, as comedies usually shouldn't go much beyond 80-90 minutes. Always leave the audience wanting more, not feeling like the jokes were stretched thin to cover over a formulaic "romantic comedy plot".
I was hoping to see more scenes of Provo, as this film would have made a nice "souvenir" of my two years there. I'm only vaguely familiar with the Singles Ward, but I remember the little games people played about asking others on dates (the playful and childish way of indirectly asking someone out on a date). That much of the film rings true. The acting overall is pretty good, but I always knew that Utah Valley had incredible talent waiting to be tapped into. This isn't a bad debut film for Halestorm Entertainment, and so far, they've made about four other films and I hope they will keep on making these types of films. There are many stories worth telling, from the LDS perspective. BYU is practically a gold mine of stories that Hollywood is too snobby to look into, so Halestorm deserves much credit and support for what they are doing in the world of feature films for a niche market.
This DVD has cool extra features that make it worth adding to one's personal library. My favorite is the music video by Jericho Road, the Mormon answer to the boy band 98 Degrees or All-4-One. The song and video is awesome and can definitely give NSYNC, Backstreet Boys, 98 Degrees a run for their money. Its certainly a better song than anything I've heard from those three bands, and I never even heard of Jericho Road until I got this DVD, so thank you for that nifty advertisement!
Rating: Summary: Oh My Heck Review: Singles Ward follows the lives of two LDS singles as they dive into the dating since. For those who are Mormon, the phrases and jokes will come second nature- but for those who aren't Mormon, I still recommend this film.If your searching for another film that's clean and free of any yuck, check out "The Other Side Of Heaven". And pertaining to the Singles Ward Soundtrack, it's all the songs you expect and know, but jazzed up in there own special way. If you've ever listened to John Bytheway perform LDS songs, it's a lot like that. And for those of you who like Nsync and the Backstreet Boys- try listening to the LDS Backstreet Boys, "Jericho Road". These four guys will have you singing about TIME (track 4) in a matter of minutes. Well, I gotta go and watch "On The Way Home"- but I hope that this little spill helped you out. Much Love.
Rating: Summary: Funny little movie Review: Singles Ward is not the sort of movie that will leave a lasting impression upon your heart or mind. I don't believe it was meant to. It's a fun movie with humor perhaps most appreciated by mormons. Some people may not get the subtle (and some not so subtle) jokes in this portrayal of an LDS singles branch. This movie was a HOOT. We enjoyed it. We also loved the newest movie by the same folks, titled "RM".
Rating: Summary: Wow, our first LDS reality movie! Funny Review: The Single's Ward is much like God's Army. If your in a singles ward, you know what It's really like-outrageously funny. The movie is cheesy in a good way and fun for all ages. Perfect YM/YW activity. If you don't have Single's Ward than don't borrow it, just buy it right now-it's a keeper. I can't wait to see RM. It really is a well produced movie with great actors. Like I say, it's just like real life. It's serious, educational, life like, but still funny the whole time. You'll have to see it to believe it. Another great part is the music remixes. Even for the elderly-I think it will get them to laugh or at least a bit confused. I cried in God's Army, so take it from that point of view. When you watch it...don't miss the part when the elder who passes away in God's Army is seen in Single's Ward. Also you recognize a former BYU football player. 5 stars and no regrets All right, you've gotta see it-I've certainly said too much being a deacon!
Rating: Summary: mormon singles culture at it's finest Review: this film brings the mormon singles culture to the big screen. What fuels inside jokes in the mormon lifestyle now is brought to life by a wonderfully acted, light hearted cast. I think that everyone can relate to this film wether or not a mormon.loads of fun. Great to take friends to. I feel it safe enough to bring my mom along. Awesome sound track to boot. I give 4 caffine free diet cokes!
Rating: Summary: you don't have to watch the whole thing Review: This first half of this movie is hilarious, if you're a Mormon, and especially if you've spent any significant amount of time as a single Mormon adult. It's amateurish and the characters are pretty one-dimensional, but that doesn't stop it from being funny. What does stop it from being funny is when it stops being a romantic comedy and turns into another lame conversion story. The problem is that they get the two leads together and run out of conflict, so they turn it into a seminary video, complete with musical sequence. It would have been much more interesting (not to mention funny) to explore these people's personality differences, Will's fear of commitment, and Cammi's uptight Molly Mormon persona. Unfortunately, they decided to give us a really shallow drama of a "spiritual experience." The only reason to keep watching the film after the lead characters go on their first date together is to catch the rest of the Mormon celebrity cameos, if you're interested in that sort of thing. Oh, and to hear the rest of the soundtrack, which ROCKS!
Rating: Summary: you don't have to watch the whole thing Review: This first half of this movie is hilarious, if you're a Mormon, and especially if you've spent any significant amount of time as a single Mormon adult. It's amateurish and the characters are pretty one-dimensional, but that doesn't stop it from being funny. What does stop it from being funny is when it stops being a romantic comedy and turns into another lame conversion story. The problem is that they get the two leads together and run out of conflict, so they turn it into a seminary video, complete with musical sequence. It would have been much more interesting (not to mention funny) to explore these people's personality differences, Will's fear of commitment, and Cammi's uptight Molly Mormon persona. Unfortunately, they decided to give us a really shallow drama of a "spiritual experience." The only reason to keep watching the film after the lead characters go on their first date together is to catch the rest of the Mormon celebrity cameos, if you're interested in that sort of thing. Oh, and to hear the rest of the soundtrack, which ROCKS!
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