September Dawn
Synopsis
Two-thousand seven brought to the silver screen September Dawn, a movie loosely based on the events of the Mountain Meadows Massacre.
Synopsis from IMDB.com:
In 1857, as a wagon train from Arkansas and a group of zealot Mormons near Cedar City, Utah were fated to tragically collide, two young people fell deeply and immediately in love.
Director and Cast
The movie is written and directed by Christopher Cain, among whose past movies is Young Guns.
Prominent actors include Jon Voight, Dean Cain (Superman in Lois & Clark) as Joseph Smith, and Jon Gries (Uncle Rico in Napoleon Dynamite.)
What has the Mormon Church said about September Dawn?
The LDS Church does not typically comment on popular entertainment. About September Dawn it has, likewise, said it has no comment:
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is being asked by some reporters to comment on September Dawn, a commercial movie about the events at Mountain Meadows in 1857. The Church is not commenting about this particular depiction. However, those interested in what happened at Mountain Meadows can read an article by Richard E. Turley Jr., who has spent many years researching the events surrounding the massacre. (source)
Does September Dawn accurately portray the events of Mountain Meadows Massacre?
Probably not. September Dawn appears to exaggerate and sensationalize the events at Mountain Meadows. See our home page for more information.
From Fairwiki.org:
"September Dawn is an ill-informed and poorly-done piece of propaganda.
"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 recent article in the Ensign (the Church's official magazine) is available here." (source)
Blogger Jon Miles:
"I was watching some of the promo videos on YouTube and noticed that they had a scene where people were wearing the LDS Temple Robes. According to a reviewer, there is a scene in the movie where one of the guys is forced to go to the temple and I'm assuming that these two scenes are related....
"Well, if this movie is historically accurate, they've screwed up on their research on this point. The Mountain Meadows Massacre happened September 11, 1857 in Southern Utah. At the time there were ZERO operating Mormon temples. The first temple in Utah wasn't built until 1877.... You'd think they would have caught this with all the 'research' they did." (source)
What do the critics say about September Dawn?
September Dawn has received very poor reviews.
Ty Burr, Boston Globe:
"Director Christopher Cain...paints a damning, one-sided portrait of Latter-day Saints in this irresponsible, ham-fisted morality tale that plays off our cultural ignorance of the Mormon religion...The events surrounding the killings are historically cloudy, but not according to this film...He stops short of calling Osama bin Laden a Mormon sympathizer, but maybe that'll be on the DVD." (source)
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun Times:
"Zero stars...The vast majority of the members of all religions, I believe and would argue, don't want to kill anybody. They want to love and care for their families, find decent work that sustains life and comfort, live in peace and get along with their neighbors. It is a deviant streak in some humans, I suspect, that drives them toward self-righteous violence, and uses religion as a convenient alibi...There isn't anything to be gained in telling this story in this way. It generates bad feelings on all sides...The Mormons are presented in no better light than Nazis and Japanese were in Hollywood's World War II films. Wasn't there a more thoughtful and insightful way to consider this historical event?" (source)
Dan Lybarger, eFilmCritic.com:
"Cain has co-written and directed a film that only the most bigoted of Mormon detractors could enjoy. Most viewers, if any are willing to part with their money or time, will simply laugh derisively.... [Director Cain] has created questionable history and boneheaded drama.... Thanks to a cheap production...and even cheaper thinking, anyone who has seen the movie knows that there’s nothing to discuss." (source)
What has Mitt Romney said about September Dawn?
While Mitt Romney does not represent the Church nor solicit occasion to speak out about his beliefs, he has said he will not see September Dawn. Interestingly, his own ancestor Parley Pratt was kiled in Arkansas, the state from which the Fancher party came.
Was September Dawn meant to criticize the Mormon Church or Mitt Romney?
Actor Jon Voight has said that September Dawn was not intended to critcize the Mormon Church or Mitt Romney:
"This is a true part of our American history - very well documented as well - but we're not pointing a finger at the (Mormon) church today.
"Nor does it have anything to do with Mitt Romney's campaign. (He is) one of the people in the political sphere today who really understands what we're facing with religious fanatics in the Islamic world."
Director Christopher Cain also said that "he made the movie not to blame anyone but to show the consequences of religious fanaticism. He said the movie is not meant to offend nor be a portrait of Mormons in general." (source)
Conclusion
September Dawn will be so uninteresting to most people that it will likely matter little after the initial hype has passed. One would think it in the best interest of the director, producers, and writers to create a film that's either accurate or interesting, but September Dawn appears to be neither.
Visit our home page for more information about the Mountain Meadows Massacre.