Jared Phelps (Kirby Heyborne) takes a job as a waiter after coming back from a Latter-day Saint mission in “The R.M.” Halestorm Leisure
“The R.M.” particulars a Latter-day Saint phenomenon: somebody goes out to function a missionary for the church after which returns residence (R.M. stands for returned missionary), the place they should readjust to life.
This 2003 comedy produced by Halestorm Leisure follows Jared Phelps, who returns residence from his mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints solely to search out out that his girlfriend is getting married to another person and that he not has a job. On prime of every part, Phelps will get rejected from his prime college, Brigham Younger College.
In a constructive assessment of the movie, Selection known as it “good-natured and innocuously healthful.” The reviewer stated that the movie had a modest finances, however identified its quirky humor and famous that it had “extra universally accessible humor” than different movies produced by the identical firm.
Not not like “The Singles Ward,” this film is undeniably campy, nevertheless it additionally exhibits Phelps dealing with actual challenges (and actual time — watch the film to grasp the pun). The movie has some moments that present the charming peculiarity of Latter-day Saints, like Phelps slumping over a glass of Eating regimen Coke when he’s upset.
Whereas the comedy borders on absurd within the quantity and scope of challenges that he faces, it highlights an actual difficulty that many returned missionaries have: Adjusting to residence life might be troublesome and be stuffed with sudden challenges.
The film is just like “The Singles Ward” in that it additionally has celeb cameos. The soundtrack options rock-n-roll variations of Latter-day Saint songs — it consists of songs like “If You May Hie to Kolob” and “I Hope They Name Me on a Mission,” however these hymns have been organized to be peppier.
Whereas the movie didn’t win any Academy Awards and certain gained’t go down in historical past as one of many funniest comedies, I believe there’s cultural worth in it and I discovered rewatching it a pleasing expertise. The filmmakers didn’t take themselves too severely and so the movie doesn’t come throughout as overly defensive of Latter-day Saints.
As a substitute, it exhibits a few of the quirky components of Utah and Latter-day Saint tradition, akin to consuming Eating regimen Coke as an alternative of alcohol when issues get tough.
I assumed the movie was good to discover the difficulties that missionaries face once they get residence whereas additionally referring to one thing important: Trials could make it troublesome to have religion.
Phelps questioned his religion within the movie — in spite of everything he went by, he didn’t know if he needed to stay a Latter-day Saint or not. In the course of the movie, he not solely experiences private trials, however has a troublesome time with church leaders.
On the finish of the movie, he’s in a position to emerge trustworthy once more and have a robust testimony. I believe this movie takes religion severely as a result of it exhibits Phelps grappling together with his religion and rising trustworthy on the finish.
Phelps’ religion jogged my memory to decelerate and be affected person — a lesson all of us may use.