Other Side of Heaven

A half-century after the real John Groberg left Idaho to serve a three-year mission in Tonga, actor Christopher Gorham (A Life Less Ordinary) gracefully slips into the Mormon Elder's shoes in The Other Side of Heaven. A gifted cross between Tom Hanks and Tom Cruise, Gorham effortlessly carries this touching story of a young man's struggle to adapt and thrive in a completely foreign land. He may look like a bar of soap, standing in his suit and tie against the lush palms and shimmering waters of his new surroundings; but as daily island living hits Groberg with death, disease, and natural disaster, this missionary's determination and courage shine through. Heartfelt letters Gorham writes to his true love (sweetly portrayed by Anne Hathaway) and her candid replies underscore profound--or profoundly normal--events and impressions the two experience while apart. It's an uplifting, tear-invoking family drama that benefits even more from fine acting, artful direction, and an Academy Award-winning producer (Gerald R. Molen, Schindler's List). (Ages 10 and older) --Liane Thomas