NEWS FLASH: It’s always nice to have your positive reviews backed up by box office success, but this weekend’s relative blockbuster performance of Meet the Mormons is both unexpected and overwhelming. Take that Hollywood titans who believe a film has to have sex and violence to be a success.

Just how well did it do? On a per screen basis, it did better than the No. 1 Gone Girl. Meet the Mormons out earned every other film theater by theater, making an estimated $11,041 per screen. In comparison,  Gone Girl made $8,041 per screen, and No. 2 Dracula Untold made $8,145. And it couldn’t have been just Mormons that went to see it either: Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints are counseled not to movies on Sundays, but the theaters showing the church-backed film were still filled almost to capacity.

And even though Meet the Mormons only played in 371 screens nationwide, the estimated $3.5 million it made in its opening weekend put it in the top ten movies of the week, finishing 10th, on par and ahead of  films that played in thousands of theaters. Nicolas Cage starrer Left Behind (another faith-based film) took 11th place, earning an estimated $2.835. These numbers, of course, could change when final figures come in.

That’s pretty amazing for a film that was originally intended to be shown only to Salt Lake City visitors in the Legacy Theater in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. It wasn’t supposed to get a theatrical release at all.  Whether Meet the Mormons‘ success can be attributed to curiosity, the quality of the film, social media or the Mormons supporting their own, might never be known. But it’s definitely something that should make jaded studio execs sit up and take notice. And while they’re noticing, perhaps they too should consider donating all the profits from a film to the Red Cross, as the LDS Church is doing with Meet the Mormons.

REVIEW

I  know what you’re thinking: This film is either a hilarious spoof ala Broadway’s The Book of Mormon, or a shameless and cheesy proselytizing effort. Wait! You’re both wrong! It’s neither. Meet the Mormons is actually an extremely well-produced introduction to a much maligned and misunderstood religion, and it tells some stories that can’t help but touch you, no matter what you believe.

I’m not saying that Meet the Mormons will or should pack the theaters and break attendance records. It’s not that kind of film. It is the kind of film, however, that the young guys in the white shirts and ties can carry with them, and if they’re lucky enough to get inside someone’s home and close to a DVD player, it will give an impressive explanation of what they’re about. This could be the best missionary tool the Mormon Church has ever had.

The film focuses on a number of diverse and interesting church members worldwide, in an attempt to debunk preconceptions of the LDS Church being racist and sexist. Filmmakers really did chose their subjects well: a gorgeous kick boxing mother of two in Costa Rica, the Pacific Islander head football coach of the US Naval Academy, an African American Bishop in Atlanta, and the 92-year-old Candy Bomber, who delivered sweets to East German children during the 1940s Berlin Airlift, in addition to several others with fascinating stories.

Now I admit to being an admirer of religion and of the faithful in general. I believe that any organization that promotes and reinforces positive virtues like honesty, service, selflessness, hard work, love and compassion, is a good thing, and I respect those who try to live their lives in accordance with those teachings. Those of you who know me are aware that some of my best friends and dearest family members belong to the Mormon Church. So perhaps my husband, who was born Jewish but claims agnosticism, can give a less biased assessment of the film. In his words:

“While it steers clear of any controversial doctrine, Meet the Mormons is a testament to the palpable rewards that come to these tightly united families in faith, as filmmakers travel around the world to celebrate their cultural diversity and commitment.”

Rated PG

1 Hour 18 minutes