Emily Dunn Ephraim's Rescue is a sweet story about a God-fearing man who learns to overcome himself and serve the Lord through his service to others. The cinematography is compelling and beautiful yet graphic at times when showing the snow-ridden pioneers crossing the plains. The story is intriguing and even though I knew that he would reach the pioneers in need, I remained eager to see how he did it and what occurred when he did. The reason I gave it a 7 and not higher is because of a few things: there were a few points (the snake scene and how it ties in as well as the character Ester--whether she dies or not? I wasn't sure) in the story that left me a little confused and didn't seem cohesive; the comic relief was lacking--what little they did have brought a few chuckles, but could have used a little more variety and sophistication in that regard because the movie is so fraught with emotion and intensity of circumstances; the ending took me by surprise--it came sooner than I expected. I would have liked to see more of the resolution with the pioneers making it to the Utah valley. Despite those few setbacks, the movie left me inspired and uplifted. I kept thinking about the characters of Ephraim Hanks, Thomas Dobson, Alice Dobson, and Elizabeth Bradshaw with their strong character arch and the intensity of their enduring faith. I thoroughly enjoyed these actor's performances and would give them each a 9 out of 10. I highly recommend seeing this movie. I feel the setbacks were possibly due to a limited budget, time, and/or perhaps resources. It is worth looking past those things to experience the history of such an inspiring man as well as the Mormon community that he serves.

Suzballard-709-438126 Excellent, tear jerker movie. Amazingly well acted and well done. Really, really enjoyed this. The only thing that makes it an 8 out of 10 is that the snow was not deep enough and the breath of the actors didn't show when they were in the snow. I've read stories about Ephraim Hanks before but the director did an excellent job putting the stories I'd heard on the big screen. Tears rolled down my face....superbly done. I will be recommending it to all my friends and family and will be buying a copy when it comes out for sale. The lessons we can learn from this movie are so numerous - compassion, kindness, assisting others, trusting in God, having faith to be healed and faith to heal others. Just a lovely movie.

ab7698 Seldom have I had such a deep and visceral reaction to a movie. I have seen 17 Miracles and it was superb. This movie is a look at the other side of the rescue of the handcart companies. I think the acting was excellent and as good as any Hollywood Studio production. The scenery was very appropriate and strengthened the overall look of the film. The casting was first rate and each actor seemed very motivated to do their best. The stories are almost unbelievable but I must accept them as they came from the personal pioneer diaries themselves. This movie and its many uplifting and strengthening messages will remain with me for a lifetime. This is the first movie review I have ever written and I did so to recommend this movie to anyone interested in Mormon pioneer history or just a great movie. I cannot recommend it more highly. Truly inspirational.

Rick Harris I had the chance to see this in theaters before it game out. It looks like it is going to be a movie that just tries to focus on getting people to cry, but that's not it at all. It has a lot of funny jokes, jokes were cleverly placed through out the show. A few parts it even ties spiritual scenes in with a joke which i think makes it so much more enjoyable. Not only does it have a lot of great jokes in it but it lets you relate to the characters. There is one scene including a river(wont tell you anymore to not spoil the movie) that i thought they tried too hard to make it suspenseful but all in all it was a really great show and i will be going to see it again.