Rating: 
Summary: Pure love
Review: There was only one copy of this title at the video store and although my kids rolled their eyes at the cover, I decided it could be a good educational movie. We were pleasantly surprised at what a great story unfolded before us. It was exciting and dramatic and meaningful. To really enjoy this film, it does not matter whether you accept the Mormon faith; the church doctrine is not presented as a main component of the story. It is the dedication of the young man and his experience on the island that is so inspiring. The kind of discipline and faith he has can be applauded regardless of his religion. I was very impressed with this movie, have suggested it to many of my Christian friends and highly recommend it for family viewing with children 13 or older.
Rating: 
Summary: Beautiful Setting... Story keeps you interested
Review: I am grateful to see that there can be some entertaining and inpiring yet wholesome movies out there. I really liked this movie. I gave it 5 stars because what it may have lacked in acting and expensive special effects it makes up for with the teaching of good principles and PG cleanliness. There are many who bash on this because they have a different idea of Mormonism and think we have some hidden agenda. I can only ask you to step out of your ignorance on the subject and take an open-minded and open-hearted look at "Mormonism". Having served an honorable LDS mission I can empathize with some of the difficulties faced by Elder Groberg. I have read some negative reviews here saying many things portrayed in the film were unbelievable. I'm here to tell you that while serving a mission one will see the most incredible things ranging from absolutely comical to heart-wrenching to nothing short of miraculous. Go walk a mile in a missionaries shoes before you pass judgement. Great film, keep 'em comin'.
Rating:
Summary: Insightful sympathetic tale of missionary living
Review: The Other Side of Heaven is a sweet, yet realistic tale of a young missionary sent with few resources to bring his religion to a remote land. He battles natural elements, struggles with being away from his school sweetheart, learns another language without formal training, struggles with other religious leaders who distrust him, and, most hilariously, he wins over a paper-pushing bureaucrat from his own faith tradition. Perhaps the most powerful element of the story is that a barely twenty-year-old caucasion male from Idaho who goes to a foreign land to bring Western religion could be portrayed sympathetically by Hollywood.I also spent several years overseas doing religious work. Although I am not Mormon, and my experiences were not a dramatic is the young man's in this movie, there were many similarities. It was gratifying to see such a positive and realistic story being brought to the big screen. Bottom-line: This is a great movie--suitable for viewing by upper-elementary school children and older. It is an excellent conversation piece on many levels: multiculturalism, the validity of mission type projects, and, of course, religion itself. Great stuff!
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