SALT LAKE CITY — If audiences planning to see “Out of Liberty” are anticipating a religious or spiritual retelling of Joseph Smith and others suffering for months in a filthy Missouri Jail, think again.
While Garrett Batty’s new film is based on true accounts and well-known figures in the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the writer/director is first and foremost promoting this film as a “Western jailbreak thriller.”
“I’ve always wanted to do something fun with horses, guns and hats, a good old classic Western. Liberty Jail has all of those elements, plus it’s a jailbreak story. That’s an exciting plot regardless of anything church related,” Batty said. “That’s what drew me to this story.”
“Out of Liberty” premieres Friday, Sept. 13, in Utah theaters and other select locations, according to outofliberty.com.
The story is set in the winter of 1839, in Liberty, Missouri, and essentially involves three parties.
The Latter-day Saint prisoners include Joseph Smith (Brandon Ray Olive), his brother Hyrum Smith (Casey Elliott), Sidney Rigdon (Brock Roberts), Caleb Baldwin (Adam Johnson), Alexander McRae (Danny James) and Lyman Wight (Morgan Gunter), who are all languishing in a frigid dungeon. Friends Porter Rockwell (Corbin Allred) and Cyrus Daniels (Jake Van Wagoner) are trying to break them out.
Neil Rowland (Eric Wood), a bearded Missourian, is the face of the mob.
An old soldier named Samuel Tillery (Jasen Wade) plays the jailer and is joined by two helpers. The story centers around his perspective.
Most people familiar with Latter-day Saint church history are aware of the foul conditions and poor treatment the prisoners endured during the winter and spring of 1838-1839, a time when Joseph Smith also received revelations. But there’s more to the story if you dig into the jailer’s life and other circumstances, including three documented escape attempts by the prisoners, Batty said.
In addition to learning the jailer lived an honorable life, Batty (“The Saratov Approach,” “Freetown”) was intrigued by this man who found himself caught between hostile mobs and protecting his prisoners’ rights.
“It’s an interesting position to be in,” Batty said. “I read his obituary, which talked about what a great man he was, a model citizen, husband and father. It built him up to be a good man. I had never really considered the human side of his story.”
Wade, who is known for his roles in “17 Miracles,” “Saints and Soldiers: Airborne Creed” and “The Cokeville Miracle,” initially auditioned for two lesser roles and was slightly disappointed when Batty asked him to read for the part as Tillery.
“In my business, when you say bartender, cop or jailer, it’s a very small role,” Wade said. “My heart was breaking because I’m like, ‘Shoot, I must not have done well.’ But the scenes with Sam Tillery were so powerful and beautiful, I fell in love with it.”
A couple of days later he got the call offering him the role as Tillery. He was excited to be part of the film but disappointed to have an insignificant role. That’s when someone finally explained he was the lead man.
“To find that out,” Wade said with a chuckle, “that was kind of a funny moment for me.”
“Out of Liberty” was filmed in Utah in less than two weeks using a barn in Lehi, a field near the north shore of Utah Lake and This Is The Place Heritage Park.
Batty was also pleased to find a location without mountains in the background.
The filming took place in an “unseasonably cold” November — the actors could see their breath in the dungeon, Batty said.
“We felt like we got an authentic look there,” he said. “We did everything we could to portray how things were down in the dungeon. When our actors got in there and we were filming this movie, it was definitely a powerful experience for them to be able to really experience that.”
Both men praised the “talented” cast and crew for their work on the movie. Although it is a lower budget film, Wade predicts audiences will be impressed.
“Give this film a little bit of time and you are going to see it’s bigger than its budget,” Wade said. “The story is incredibly interesting and it takes you somewhere you’re not expecting to go.”
Before seeing the film, Wade suggested Latter-day Saints consider reading the Liberty Jail chapters in “Saints: Volume One,” as well as “Lessons From Liberty Jail,” a CES Fireside given by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, in 2008.
“I think it would amplify the experience,” Wade said. “Anyone that enjoyed ‘Saints’ is going to enjoy this movie because it’s shot in a similar tone. ... The core of the film is absolutely historical. I think it’s going to blow some people’s minds.”