The Top 5 Movies Mormons Are Obsessed With


5. O Brother Where Art Thou: This could be a personal bias as this is my favorite movie, but I’ve seen a lip-synched version of the Soggy Bottom Boys performance pop up in tow ward talent shows which strikes me as odd. I’d be willing to bet this folksy classic is a mainstay in many Mormon households.

4. The Harry Potter franchise: I know these are wildly popular throughout the world, but I can’t shake this feeling that Mormons are extra obsessed with these films. I can attest to seeing Mormons rattle off the most obscure facts about them and every other girl on Mutual has their Pottermore house listed in their bio (not that I’m on Mutual).
Honorable Mention: I debated Star Wars and Lord of the Rings for this pick because I feel that there is a special Mormon fanaticism for those as well. That could be general fanaticism though.

3. The Other Side of Heaven: This is a Disney movie about a Mormon missionary. What more is there to say?

2. Napoleon Dynamite: This take on the life of a young man living near the Idaho/Utah border is as Mormon as it gets. Written and directed by Mormons it holds a special place in the dusty DVD collections of most LDS homes. Major highlights of the film are a trip to the DI (though it is not specifically named in the movie) and the titular white nerd dancing his heart out.
Honorable Mention: Despite not enjoying Napoleon Dynamite levels of success, Nacho Libre, which was created by the same Mormon director, still receives some attention from the Mormon community.

1. The Princess Bride: This is practically required viewing to be a member. From newly-wed Halloween costumes to YSAs who constantly quote it, I still hear about this movie all the time. The Princess Bride is the undisputed champ of obsessive Mormon cinema. And why wouldn’t a movie about true love be a Mormon classic?


Do you agree with my list? Are these required Mormon viewing or am I way off base? Let me know!




Comments

  1. NiggityJanuary 28, 2018 at 9:45 PM

    This is a pretty good list, though the Harry Potter pick may be skewed more to a younger group of mormons/current BYU students. I definitely agree that Princess Bride and Napoleon Dynamite are one and two. I don't know if I'd put Other Side so high, but it probably is the most well received movie about modern-day mormons. Maybe the rank is fitting if its considered as representative of all films about modern-day LDS peeps (e.g. Saratov Approach, Saints and Soldiers).

    Your list did get me thinking about a movie I haven't though of in a while: Primer. That movie, while definitely not deserving of a spot on the list, enjoyed some pretty wide spread attention at BYU while I was a student there.

    My wife, though, thinks you have a glaring hole in your list: Where's Saturday's Warrior?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mikey NielsonJanuary 29, 2018 at 8:08 AM

      I thought about Saturday’s Warrior haha. I excluded it for two reasons, 1. It’s too Mormon. These other movies have a broader mainstream appeal and aren’t considered Mormon cinema. Even The Other Side of Heaven was a Disney release. Saturday’s Warrior is just too LDS. And 2. This list is skewing younger. You are spot on there. Saturday’s Warrior has faded from modern popularity. I also knew that some of these would be controversial but controversy breeds interaction haha.

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