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Parents' Guide to

The Other Side of Heaven 2: Fire of Faith

By Sandie Angulo Chen, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 10+

Sentimental biopic about LDS missionary's time in Tonga.

Movie PG-13 2019 110 minutes
The Other Side of Heaven 2: Fire of Faith Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 11+

Based on 4 parent reviews

mandilou
mandilou Adult
March 8, 2020
age 15+

Very mature themes

We thought we’d be okay watching this with our 5 and 7 year old and that was a huge mistake. We shut it down when a grown son is buried in the sand by his angry father about to drown from the tide coming in. This was after two young girls got shattered glass in their eyes. Honestly I wouldn’t have been comfortable watching it as a 13 year old (it’s rated PG-13) but everyone knows their own child’s temperament. Probably has a good message in there somewhere but we won’t be watching to find out.
Victoriacolver
Victoriacolver Adult
October 3, 2019
age 13+

Misleading synopsis on commonsense

This is a great movie but for a more mature audience. What commonsense failed to mention is that in the first 15min a father kills his son by burying him up to his neck in the sand while the tide is coming in as a major storm is brewing. His brother tries to rescue him but is struck by lightning. The brother in the sand dies but the one struck by lightning does not, although it is portrayed that he has. It was extremely traumatizing for my 9 year old son and he had to leave of his own accord. I would have liked the movie as an adult but it was far to violent and intense for my son.
See all 4 parent reviews

What's the Story?

THE OTHER SIDE OF HEAVEN 2: FIRE OF FAITH takes place about a decade after the events of The Other Side of Heaven. In the mid-'60s, John Groberg (Christopher Gorham) is a bishop in his Idaho Falls community of the Church of Latter Day Saints (aka Mormons). Married to Jean (now played by Natalie Medlock, rather than Anne Hathaway) and the father of five daughters, Groberg is called to accept a role as president of the church's mission to Tonga-Fiji. When they get there, the Grobergs discover that the church is growing. But not everyone is thrilled about the LDS success in evangelizing the local population: Methodist preacher Sione (Ben Baker) is vehemently opposed to Mormons and is particularly hostile when his own son converts. Then tragedy strikes both Sione and John, and eventually the two fathers join each other in prayer and encouragement.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (4 ):
Kids say: Not yet rated

Families of faith who believe in the power of prayer and spreading their good news to other cultures will appreciate this biopic about a revered leader's mission work in the South Pacific. It's not surprising that Hathaway skipped this quiet sequel, given her career trajectory since the 2001 original was released, but it's good that Gorham reprises his role, which he inhabits effortlessly. As with all faith-based films, it's unlikely that anyone who doesn't belong to a church that emphasizes international mission and ministry will find a point of connection to the story of The Other Side of Heaven 2. But within the genre of Christian movies, it's one of the better ones, thanks to good production values, professional actors, and a memoir-based plot that emphasizes the importance of family and community.

The movie's dramatic tension is twofold. First, there's Baker's Methodist minister, Sione, who considers the LDS church and its missionaries a threat to his own church and congregants. And then there are the tragedies that bind Sione and John as fathers with strong faiths. Other sequences show what changed in the decade in between Groberg's two visits to Polynesia, with some references to characters introduced in the first Other Side of Heaven. While viewers don't need to see the original movie to follow the events of the sequel, it helps to understand Groberg's history as a young missionary there.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the role models in The Other Side of Heaven 2: Fire of Faith. Who is a role model? What character strengths do they exhibit?

  • How do John and his family draw on their faith in making decisions? How does faith change the Methodist preacher's views about the Grobergs and LDS?

  • Do viewers need to be Mormon to enjoy the movie? Parents, discuss your family's personal values and beliefs about not only religion but also international missions.

Movie Details

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