Emma Smith: My Story (2008)

O Masterpiece
O Excellent
O Good
X OK
O Mediocrity
O Avoid

Review by Jason Pyles / April 23, 2008

“Emma Smith: My Story” is essentially a companion film to “Joseph Smith: Prophet of the Restoration.” Indeed, as in the latter film, we have Katherine Thompson and Nathan Mitchell reprising their roles as Emma and Joseph Smith, respectively. But instead of this film being Emma’s story, as the title suggests, it is merely Emma’s side of Joseph Smith’s story.

In fact, the film isn’t really much of a story at all; instead, it’s like a “greatest hits flashback” that touches on the highlights of Joseph and Emma’s lives. Like a quilt, the film is comprised of historical squares sewn together into one whole. The hodgepodge narrative is delivered through these flashbacks by an aged Emma, a sage with resolute conviction who attempts to buoy her doubtful daughter Julia’s faith through numerous maxims and axioms.

Indeed, what the filmmakers seem to want us to know about Emma Smith, above all, is that she was a strong woman. Yes, I counted at least four times that Emma Smith gave a definition of the word “strength.” Subtlety is not one of the film’s strengths.

“Emma Smith: My Story” has some beautiful moments, to be sure, but these are eclipsed by its shameless dips into blatantly overblown melodrama. At one point a distraught Emma yells for Joseph and is shown running toward him in slow motion. Meanwhile, the soundtrack’s music swells and even her speaking of his name is drawn out into painful slow motion. (I’m surprised Gary Cook and T.C. Christensen would include such melodramatic techniques that have been obsolete in filmmaking for at least 25 years.)

Perhaps the most shocking part of “Emma Smith: My Story” was the brief mention of Joseph Smith’s practicing of polygamy and Emma’s obvious distaste for it. (As I recall, “Joseph Smith: Prophet of the Restoration” avoids the topic altogether.)

It was a good idea to make a film that tells Emma Smith’s story. If only the filmmakers had done that. But as a Latter-day Saint myself, I did find the film inspiring, despite its technical faults. Overall, “Emma Smith: My Story” is bittersweet but predominantly sad.

As the film’s history was compiled by The Joseph Smith Jr. and Emma Hale Smith Historical Society, its facts are presumably trustworthy. That being written, if the film is worth seeing at all, it is worth seeing just to learn of Emma’s final words, which are breathtakingly beautiful.

Directed by Gary Cook and T.C. Christensen
Katherine Thompson / Nathan Mitchell / Rick Macy
Drama / Historical 98 min.
MPAA: PG (for mild thematic elements and brief violence)

U.S. Release Date: April 11, 2008
Copyright 2008: 278