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September Dawn is an ill-informed and poorly-done piece of propaganda. Rating it the ''worst'' film of 2007, movie critic Roger Moore wrote: | September Dawn is an ill-informed and poorly-done piece of propaganda. Rating it the ''worst'' film of 2007, movie critic Roger Moore wrote: | ||
− | :You don't have to be a Mormon, Mormon sympathizer or adhere to any religious creed to realize, sitting through this, that you're in the presence of evil. A movie about an infamous Mormon massacre that is old-fashioned hate-mongering at its worst. Badly acted, too. | + | :You don't have to be a Mormon, Mormon sympathizer or adhere to any religious creed to realize, sitting through this, that you're in the presence of evil. A movie about an infamous Mormon massacre that is old-fashioned hate-mongering at its worst. Badly acted, too.<ref>Roger Moore, "[http://www.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment/orl-worst200707dec28,0,6597378.story Top 5 worst movies of 2007]," ''Orlando Sentinel'' (28 December 2007).</ref> |
It is true that a group of Mormons, under the influence of local leaders, orchestrated a cold-blooded massacre of men, women, and children on 11 September 1857. The film's claim that this behavior was typical of Mormons, insistence that Brigham Young ordered or orchestrated the massacre, and its uncritical reliance on the account of John D. Lee are grave flaws. | It is true that a group of Mormons, under the influence of local leaders, orchestrated a cold-blooded massacre of men, women, and children on 11 September 1857. The film's claim that this behavior was typical of Mormons, insistence that Brigham Young ordered or orchestrated the massacre, and its uncritical reliance on the account of John D. Lee are grave flaws. | ||
− | Furthermore, claims that the Church continues to "suppress" the truth are false. Those wishing resources on the historical facts behind the Mountain Meadows tragedy can click [[Mountain Meadows Massacre|here]]. A | + | Furthermore, claims that the Church continues to "suppress" the truth are false. Those wishing resources on the historical facts behind the Mountain Meadows tragedy can click [[Mountain Meadows Massacre|here]]. A article in the ''Ensign'' (the Church's official magazine) appeared before the film's distribution, and is available [https://www.lds.org/ensign/2007/09/the-mountain-meadows-massacre?lang=eng here]. |
==Commentary== | ==Commentary== | ||
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* "But it can't shake the implication that it's some sort of attack piece on the Mormon religion and, in turn, conspiracy theorists may believe, Mitt Romney's presidential campaign. Some dialogue negatively likens Mormonism to Islam and paganism. Cartoonish scenes detract from the film's plausibility, including Mormon characters' referral to Brigham Young as 'the Mormon god on earth,' and a group of Mormons chanting 'blood atonement! blood atonement!' over and over as though it were a softball rally cry.... 'September Dawn' is a stirring love story that dabbles uncomfortably close to hate." - Phil Villarreal, ''Arizona Daily Star'' (23 August 2007). {{link|url=http://www.aznightbuzz.com/stories/197438.php}} | * "But it can't shake the implication that it's some sort of attack piece on the Mormon religion and, in turn, conspiracy theorists may believe, Mitt Romney's presidential campaign. Some dialogue negatively likens Mormonism to Islam and paganism. Cartoonish scenes detract from the film's plausibility, including Mormon characters' referral to Brigham Young as 'the Mormon god on earth,' and a group of Mormons chanting 'blood atonement! blood atonement!' over and over as though it were a softball rally cry.... 'September Dawn' is a stirring love story that dabbles uncomfortably close to hate." - Phil Villarreal, ''Arizona Daily Star'' (23 August 2007). {{link|url=http://www.aznightbuzz.com/stories/197438.php}} | ||
− | If readers are aware of quotes about the film not available here, they are encouraged to [http://fairlds.org/contact.php contact | + | If readers are aware of quotes about the film not available here, they are encouraged to [http://fairlds.org/contact.php contact FairMormon]. |
<!-- ==Box office results== | <!-- ==Box office results== | ||
− | ''September Dawn'' opened on 24 August 2007 at 857 theaters in the United States. It made $601,857 its opening weekend, an average of $702 per theater. | + | ''September Dawn'' opened on 24 August 2007 at 857 theaters in the United States. It made $601,857 its opening weekend, an average of $702 per theater.<ref>Retrieved from ''[http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=septemberdawn.htm Box Office Mojo]'' (''boxofficemojo.com'') on 29 August 2007.</ref> If we conservatively assume three screenings per day per theater and an average ticket price of $8, that means less than 10 people were in each theater per screening. |
− | Only 415 theaters kept the movie playing a second week, and only 26 theaters carried it for its third and final weekend. Total gross for the movie was just over one million dollars, about a tenth of the production costs. | + | Only 415 theaters kept the movie playing a second week, and only 26 theaters carried it for its third and final weekend. Total gross for the movie was just over one million dollars, about a tenth of the production costs.<ref>Retrieved from ''[http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=weekend&id=septemberdawn.htm] Box Office Mojo - Weekend Box Office]'' (''boxofficemojo.com'') on 08 October 2007.</ref> |
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==The film's creators react to criticism== | ==The film's creators react to criticism== | ||
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:"The leadership of the LDS religion has a 150-year history of blaming the Indians, blaming the victims and scapegoating their members while denying all responsibility for a crime that disgraced humanity. They continue to do so in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary." —Wayne Atilio Capurro, ancestor of Mormon Bishop and author of White Flag | :"The leadership of the LDS religion has a 150-year history of blaming the Indians, blaming the victims and scapegoating their members while denying all responsibility for a crime that disgraced humanity. They continue to do so in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary." —Wayne Atilio Capurro, ancestor of Mormon Bishop and author of White Flag | ||
− | :Carole Whang Schutter, born in Honolulu, Hawaii, began her writing career at age 54. She is a motivational speaker and has appeared on TV and radio shows. Her enduring interest in religion and passion for history led her to write September Dawn, her first screenplay, in collaboration with Director/Producer Christopher Cain. | + | :Carole Whang Schutter, born in Honolulu, Hawaii, began her writing career at age 54. She is a motivational speaker and has appeared on TV and radio shows. Her enduring interest in religion and passion for history led her to write September Dawn, her first screenplay, in collaboration with Director/Producer Christopher Cain.<ref>Retrieved from ''[http://www.christiannewswire.com/news/917894036.html Christian Newswire]'' (''christiannewswire.com'') on 31 August 2007.</ref> |
With the film savaged by critics and drawing a minuscule paying audience, Schutter apparently decided to manufacture a controversy, with hints of a conspiracy, in the hopes of filling a few seats. (Her press release uses the term "controversy" or "controversial" three times.) | With the film savaged by critics and drawing a minuscule paying audience, Schutter apparently decided to manufacture a controversy, with hints of a conspiracy, in the hopes of filling a few seats. (Her press release uses the term "controversy" or "controversial" three times.) | ||
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<!-- The problem, of course, is that there is no "controversy" here. Virtually everyone — with the exception of anti-Mormon partisans — agrees that ''September Dawn'' is a bad film. | <!-- The problem, of course, is that there is no "controversy" here. Virtually everyone — with the exception of anti-Mormon partisans — agrees that ''September Dawn'' is a bad film. | ||
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Does the film about the Mountain Meadows Massacre accurately portray the historical events?
September Dawn is not only bad history, it is an altogether bad film. The creators have used negative stereotypes to create a piece of anti-Mormon propaganda for the big screen. They are so committed to their vision of perfidious Mormons, that they can't accept non-Mormon criticism at face value—they "know" their film can't be bad, so it must be the Mormons' fault. But, non-LDS observers and film critics simply recognize the film for what it is—yesterday's shrill anti-Mormonism on today's big screen.
When an independent film company produced a grossly distorted version of the Mountain Meadows Massacre two years ago, the Church ignored it. Perhaps partly as a result of that refusal to engender the controversy that the producers hoped for, the movie flopped at the box office and lost millions.—The Publicity Dilemma, LDS Newsroom, March 9, 2009.
Joseph Smith has ordered us to destroy everything. He is the voice of God. Burn the papers! Burn the papers! Burn everything!—Jon Voight, portraying a fictitious bishop, as he burns the printing office of the Nauvoo Expositor
Burn! Let their lies burn!—Dean Cain, portraying Joseph Smith in "September Dawn"
September Dawn is an ill-informed and poorly-done piece of propaganda. Rating it the worst film of 2007, movie critic Roger Moore wrote:
It is true that a group of Mormons, under the influence of local leaders, orchestrated a cold-blooded massacre of men, women, and children on 11 September 1857. The film's claim that this behavior was typical of Mormons, insistence that Brigham Young ordered or orchestrated the massacre, and its uncritical reliance on the account of John D. Lee are grave flaws.
Furthermore, claims that the Church continues to "suppress" the truth are false. Those wishing resources on the historical facts behind the Mountain Meadows tragedy can click here. A article in the Ensign (the Church's official magazine) appeared before the film's distribution, and is available here.
Articles on the film and Mountain Meadows Massacre generally:
Non-Mormon critics have also realized how biased, sensationalistic, and poorly done the film is. A sample of media quotes about the film (quotes are by author's last name):
If readers are aware of quotes about the film not available here, they are encouraged to contact FairMormon.
On 29 August 2007, Carole Schutter, creator of the film's story and co-writer of its screenplay, sent the following email to several ex-Mormon critics:
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has not "direct[ed its] members to help destroy" September Dawn, and has made no comment about the film itself. Virtually all of the critical reviews reprinted above were written by non-Mormons. Instead of taking the criticism of her film at face value, Schutter resorted to paranoid conspiracy theories.
Two days later, on 31 August, Schutter issued the following press release, emphasizing the controversial nature of September Dawn and the supposed Mormon backlash against it:
With the film savaged by critics and drawing a minuscule paying audience, Schutter apparently decided to manufacture a controversy, with hints of a conspiracy, in the hopes of filling a few seats. (Her press release uses the term "controversy" or "controversial" three times.)
Notes
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