“The R.M.” particulars a Latter-day Saint phenomenon: somebody goes out to function a missionary for the church after which returns dwelling (R.M. stands for returned missionary), the place they should readjust to life.
This 2003 comedy produced by Halestorm Leisure follows Jared Phelps, who returns dwelling from his mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints solely to search out out that his girlfriend is getting married to another person and that he not has a job. On high of all the pieces, Phelps will get rejected from his high faculty, Brigham Younger College.
In a constructive evaluate of the movie, Selection referred to as it “good-natured and innocuously healthful.” The reviewer mentioned that the movie had a modest finances, however identified its quirky humor and famous that it had “extra universally accessible humor” than different movies produced by the identical firm
Not not like “The Singles Ward,” this film is undeniably campy, but it surely additionally reveals Phelps dealing with actual challenges (and actual time — watch the film to grasp the pun). The movie has some moments that present the charming peculiarity of Latter-day Saints, like Phelps slumping over a glass of Weight loss program Coke when he’s upset.
Whereas the comedy borders on absurd within the quantity and scope of challenges that he faces, it highlights an actual concern that many returned missionaries have: Adjusting to dwelling life could be troublesome and be filled with surprising challenges.
The film is just like “The Singles Ward” in that it additionally has celeb cameos. The soundtrack options rock-n-roll variations of Latter-day Saint songs — it consists of songs like “If You Might Hie to Kolob” and “I Hope They Name Me on a Mission,” however these hymns have been organized to be peppier.
Whereas the movie didn’t win any Academy Awards and sure received’t go down in historical past as one of many funniest comedies, I feel there’s cultural worth in it and I discovered rewatching it a nice expertise. The filmmakers didn’t take themselves too severely and so the movie doesn’t come throughout as overly defensive of Latter-day Saints.
As an alternative, it reveals a number of the quirky components of Utah and Latter-day Saint tradition, akin to consuming Weight loss program Coke as an alternative of alcohol when issues get tough.
I assumed the movie was sensible to discover the difficulties that missionaries face after they get dwelling whereas additionally bearing on one thing essential: Trials could make it troublesome to have religion.
Phelps questioned his religion within the movie — in spite of everything he went via, he didn’t know if he needed to stay a Latter-day Saint or not. Throughout the movie, he not solely experiences private trials, however has a troublesome time with church leaders.
On the finish of the movie, he’s capable of emerge devoted once more and have a robust testimony. I feel this movie takes religion severely as a result of it reveals Phelps grappling along with his religion and rising devoted on the finish.
Phelps’ religion jogged my memory to decelerate and be affected person — a lesson all of us may use.