My Review of the Witnesses

[Fence Sitter]

If they had just focused on Harris they would need to change the title to "Witless".

[Everybody Wang Chung]

[Doctor Scratch]

-The dinner scene with Martin Harris and Joseph shortly after Martin loses the 112 pages was a Chinese stir fry. The rice, water chestnuts, broccoli and other veggies are all visible. Maybe Chinese stir fry was the rage back then, but for some reason it struck me as very anachronistic. The more reasonable explanation is that the movie crew used the local Chinese restaurant food for the scene.

Whoa, really? If this is true, then this is a *major* howler. This is every bit as juicy as the POW!/Street Fighter noise that they originally used for the fight scene, or the wireless mic tidbit, which they apparently deleted. Yes, I wonder: Was it Panda Express for craft services that day? Or, maybe we'll get an article in "Interpreter" later that explains how Panda Express actually isn't an anachronism.

[Moksha]

-The dinner scene with Martin Harris and Joseph shortly after Martin loses the 112 pages was a Chinese stir fry. The rice, water chestnuts, broccoli and other veggies are all visible. Maybe Chinese stir fry was the rage back then, but for some reason it struck me as very anachronistic.

Perhaps Joseph and Martin had made a vow to stay strictly kosher.

What is wrong with the script omitting historical details that are not faith-promoting? I thought that was the point of the film, to produce an apologetic version of Joseph Smith and the three witnesses. There was probably some debate about even acknowledging the seer stones or Joseph having a dalliance with Fanny. I suspect some of the Saints would not be happy about any mention of Joseph being a polygamist. Dr. Peterson was no doubt displaying lukewarm boldness.

There is a fine line apologists have to walk to not be accused of being anti-Mormon by other apologists. If Dr. Peterson had not produced it, the video might have received a scathing review in the Interpreter.

[Dr LOD]

Thanks for the review. One of my children went with a friend of hers, with some comp tickets from someone involved with the movie production.

I asked "wasn't it about Joseph Smith, and the Gold Plates?'

My little Beehive answered "I guess so, there were horses, trees, and old fashioned clothes"

Her Mormon royalty friend answered. "it was a two hour, version of the five minute things they show in church"

They best part they said was the A/C and the popcorn.

[Sledge]

Yes, I wonder: Was it Panda Express for craft services that day? Or, maybe we'll get an article in "Interpreter" later that explains how Panda Express actually isn't an anachronism.

Ah yes, authentic Chinese cuisine: Panda Express.

[Sledge]

I look forward to your report. I hope you can write at least 10 paragraphs.

10 paragraphs? How about 5?

I watched the trailer last night (it’s only available for rent on Amazon; I couldn’t find it on my other streaming services to which I subscribe), and it looked really good. Duvall is obviously a world class actor. It seems like this is a story of a preacher who is mad at god and at the temporal world for reasons... I’m actually kind of excited to watch it.

[Dr Moore]

I'm assuming the Fanny Alger scene was meant to show how these witnesses had every reason to abandon Joseph and therefore, to abandon their testimonies as well?

[Everybody Wang Chung]

I'm assuming the Fanny Alger scene was meant to show how these witnesses had every reason to abandon Joseph and therefore, to abandon their testimonies as well?

Dr. Moore,

That's what was so strange about the film. There was only a 15-20 second confrontation between David Whitmer and Joseph Smith about Fanny Alger. Fanny Alger is never shown in the film and never discussed outside the 15-20 second confrontation. Members and non-members alike are going to be very confused. They are going to be asking themselves, "Who in the hell is Fanny Alger?!"

After the confrontation there was no mention of Fanny Alger or polygamy at all. No discussions between the 3 Witnesses about it. No discussions between the 3 Witnesses about whether polygamy was from God. Nothing. Zero. Nada.

The rest of the movie pretended like there was never a Fanny Alger or polygamy.

[Doctor Scratch]

LOL! They are enraged over the suggestion that they were serving Chinese stir fry in that scene:

Whether or not Martin Harris saw weird visions, however, a small handful of criticsdefinitely do. Several months back, a few of them were able to behold a battery-microphone pack on the back of one of our actors, even though we didn't use batterymicrophones. Now, gazing intently at the food served up by Lucy Mack Smith to her family during a scene in Witnesses in which Martin Harris visits the Smiths, a member of the same small coven of visionaries affirms that he could clearly see the rice, water chestnuts, broccoli, and other vegetables of an anachronistic Chinese stir fry. I thought that our producer, associate producer, and director might be amused by this visionary claim, and they were: “That's a hoot," said one, “especially because it was, I believe, from a Campbell's (or similar) can. Didn't know that Chinese stir fry included a gravy base with potatoes, etc.” Said the other: "That is wonderful Dan, thanks for sharing! I'd have to check with our art dept., but I believe it was actually Dinty Moore beef stew from a can. (Avoided by the crew.)" And then the third added that “It was Dinty-Moore (or a close relative). That really is hilarious — and more than a little sad. How would it be to be that obsessed with tearing down the church?"

I'm not really sure that their response is much better. Did they have Campbell's or Dinty Moore back in Joseph Smith's day? And no one is picking on "the Church." They're picking on the terrific flop of a movie called Witnesses.