“Once I Was a Beehive” achieves a quality few LDS-themed films have managed to reach: accessibility.
It does this by telling its story through the eyes of an outsider named Lane (Paris Warner). Lane is a 16-year-old girl whose mother marries a Mormon.
Without Lane, “Once I Was a Beehive” might be a simple, two-dimensional parody of yet another quirky aspect of LDS culture. But with her, the film shows the sincere heart beneath some well-trod Mormon stereotypes.
Lane grew up taking monthly camping excursions with her parents. Her father was a man of ambiguous faith. After Lane loses him to cancer, her own thin grasp of spirituality is tested.
A year passes and her mother Audrey (Amy Biedel) marries Tristan (Brett Merritt), a Mormon widower with “perfect teeth” (he’s always smiling). The situation is already a strain, but the challenge is heightened when Audrey and Tristan head off on a three-week honeymoon and leave Lane in the care of her quirky new family.
One thing leads to another, and Lane winds up on a road trip into the mountains with a dozen Mormon girls and their enthusiastic leaders. It’s baptism by girls camp for Lane. And if the diva-like behavior of her peers doesn’t drive her crazy, the eccentricities of the leaders will.
Lane’s anchor is Phoebe (Mila Smith), her 12-year-old step-cousin. Phoebe suffers from anxiety and crippling fear and only agrees to go on the camp when Lane volunteers to come with her. At first, Lane is able to ward off some of the strangeness around her by focusing on her fellow fish out of water. But as the week progresses, things get complicated.
At this point, it would be easy for director Maclain Nelson to parade a series of Mormon clichés across the screen, and there are several obligatory inside references. But Nelson wisely focuses on the common humanity between Lane and the other girls, drawing them together through a series of experiences that touch on deeper, more universal themes.
“Once I Was a Beehive” is a film that benefits greatly from its core casting. Both Warner and Smith are strong in their roles, pushing past easy characterizations to bring out some very honest moments. We see the film through their eyes, and it makes it easier to run with some of the more cartoonish things that are happening around them.
Their perspective also gives the film a unique route to self-deprecation. Nelson understands the zaniness of LDS culture and is happy to put it on display. But rather than settle for the kinds of glassy-eyed simpleton portrayals that are often used for devout Christians these days, “Once I Was a Beehive” is able to acknowledge its quirkiness while also sharing the sincerity under its surface.
It can be a hit-and-miss process. Not all the humor works, and the story drags on a little longer than necessary (checking in just shy of two hours). But overall, “Once I Was a Beehive” is a pleasant surprise that benefits from some strong casting and a smart perspective.
“Once I Was a Beehive” is rated PG for some mild violence and a few frightening moments.
Joshua Terry is a freelance writer and photojournalist who appears weekly on "The KJZZ Movie Show" and also teaches English composition for Salt Lake Community College. Find him online at facebook.com/joshterryreviews.