Rijndri Load of rubbish!!

Mjeteconer Just perfect...

Portia Hilton Blistering performances.

Ezmae Chang This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

bkoganbing Normally LDS subject films like The Other Side Of Heaven are usually produced in Salt Lake City by Mormons. But this film, the true life adventure of a missionary in the South Pacific island kingdom of Tonga was done by the Disney Studios. That being said it is perfectly within the Disney parameters of family entertainment.John Groberg as played here by Christopher Gorham is a kid who likes his faith with a little rock and roll in the Eisenhower Fifties. He plays a mean trumpet and is awaiting his mission assignment. It turns out to be the exotic south seas certainly with enough temptation that few can withstand. Still it's something if not required, expected of him to do his two year bit before he marries Anne Hathaway.Stories about Mormon Missionaries and I've reviewed a few of them now have one common thread, it's the culture shock. No matter whether it's Tonga, Tenafly or Buffalo these kids leave a cocoon like existence in their Mormon communities to go out into the big world to do their thing. That's what films like God's Army, The Best Two Years and this film have in common.The Pacific Islands have always held special interest for the LDS church. They have charge of the Polynesian Cultural Center in Honolulu and I give the church credit for helping to preserve the Polynesian Culture of several peoples. Young Gorham doesn't preach and baptize, he makes real contributions to the daily lives of this remote region. With disease and tidal waves to battle among other things, the Magic Kingdom did a great job with the special effects in The Other Side Of Heaven.Anne Hathaway does appear in the film, but it's her voice in the letters they exchange that is her real contribution. In fact it was touching to see these two young people, deeply in love speaking their letters in voice over. In this age of electronic mail, a film like this showing the romance and poetry between Gorham and Hathaway is a depiction of a sadly bygone age.Disney Studios recognized that this film would have a wider appeal than just among Mormons and it does. It's a fine family film, but LDS audiences will appreciate it most of all.

familyologist One side of love: the pure and virtuous love the boy has for the girl he left at home. Any missionary, many servicemen have felt this to some degree. The best part is they sincerely want the best for each other...The other love story is the unique kind of love he develops for a people, this is a Christ-like love that defies description. You can kind of understand if you watch, but if you've ever been a missionary or dedicated yourself to a charitable work... you'll know. It's a beautiful thing.I've read reviews that people thought it was creepy and I just shake my head. The part where the boy was supposed to be dead is a perfect example of a prayer of faith followed by inspiration to do something like CPR. "Out with the bad air, in with the good air" is an old-fashioned first aid mantra. You'll hear Minnie Mouse do a similar thing in a short where she practices first aid on Pluto and Figaro. There is nothing creepy about that.The fact that the story has some LDS flavor is only secondary. This is an incredibly inspirational story, period.

desi_smile This movie is excellent because there's action and also a good story that makes you think about how you live your own live. It's based on a true story that is about a missionary who has to go to Tonga for 3years to preach the gospel.Tonga is a small Island and first he experiences a huge shock of culture. The people there have no money and live of what they can cultivate on the Island and the worst of all, he doesn't speak their language and the minister forbids the people to listen to him.A lot of miraculous things happen to him on that Island.And he has to fight for his love back home and writes her letters in which he tells her not to marry someone else.The story is about true love, faith and a boy becoming a man. It really touched my heart.

firthnluv I watched this movie with my 17 year old daughter last night and we both loved it. It was full of beautiful messages that we as a human race have so sadly forgotten If once in a while we all took a moment and thought of life like the young man in this movie, this would be a wondrous world. It breaks my heart that a movie with so much to offer was basically ignored by the public and press.