The Fighting Preacher (2019)

I first became aware of Willard Bean and his wife Rebecca when reading through a church history Institute manual on my mission, until recently I think that is the only time I'd ever encountered reference to them which I did not initiate. So this is not a particularly well known story even among faithful Mormons so the fact that prolific LDS film maker T. C. Christensen decided to make them the focus of his most recent film was intriguing. Elder Bean, a former professional boxer, and his much younger wife Rebecca were called on a mission to Palmyra, New York in 1915. Though the cradle of the LDS Church the faith had abandoned upstate New York for various points west shortly after its formal establishment in 1830. With the administration (1901-1918) of the Church's sixth president Joseph F. Smith (1838-1918) concerted efforts were made to procure sites of historic importance to the faith. One of these was the Joseph Smith Sr. farm just outside of Palmyra. The Church sent Willard and his wife to maintain the farm, attempt to negotiate purchase of other sites of interest to the Church such as the 'The Hill Cumorah' and reestablish formal church congregations in the area. Originally envisioned as a 5 year assignment the Bean's would spend 24 years in the area, raising their family their, purchasing various properties for the church, and helping to establish three local branches.

The Fighting Preacher tells the Bean's story as something of a fish out of water tale. They are reverse pioneers, going backwards to go forwards, encountering locals for whom the Mormons are an embarrassing tale from their history and who are not eager to welcome the new comers. However through the power of their personalities, persistence, and good works over the decades the Bean's managed to endear themselves to the local community, despite early struggles to gain tolerance, let alone acceptance. While this must have been difficult, and the film is about these difficulties, its a pleasant watch, a good natured, lite film, where the stakes are refreshing low, it's not a matter of life and death, it's can these people make their neighbors like them, turns out they can.

The film of course simplifies and condenses things, ensuring a positive spin. We don't get an accurate number of the Bean's children for example, and their is a lot of church history name dropping, even when historically out of place. For example future Church president Gordon B. Hinckley is shown stopping by to visit the Bean's on his way back from his mission in England, something he might actually have done as returning LDS missionaries from Europe would often stop by church historic sights on their way back from Europe. However this scene is said to take place in 1921, Hinckley would have been no more then 11 years old the time, he did not get back from his mission until 1935. All that aside however I liked the film, I liked that it wasn't pushy, its message was chiefly centered around being good to ones neighbors, and that would be a hard a message not to like. Though yes its very hokey and kind of cheap, ** 1/2.