September Dawn (2006)

User Rating:

5.5/10   

Director:

Christopher Cain

Writers:

Christopher Cain (written by) and
Carole Whang Schutter (written by)

Release Date:

24 August 2007 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | History | Romance | Western

Tagline:

The untold story of an American tragedy.

Plot:

A love story set during a tense encounter between a wagon train of settlers and a renegade Mormon group.

Plot Keywords:

Mormon | Massacre | Love | Utah | Wagon Train

Awards:

2 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Thur. Nov. 12	6:00 PM	TMC
Wed. Nov. 18	8:00 PM	TMC

Cast

Terence Stamp	...	Brigham Young
Trent Ford	...	Jonathan Samuelson
Krisinda Cain	...	Young Woman
Shaun Johnston	...	Captain Fancher
Franklin E. Levinson	...	Captain Baker
Jon Gries	...	John D. Lee
Lolita Davidovich	...	Nancy Dunlap
Jon Voight	...	Jacob Samuelson
Taylor Handley	...	Micah Samuelson
Daniel Libman	...	Reverend Grant Hudson
Tamara Hope	...	Emily Hudson
Barbara Gates Wilson	...	Martha Hudson
Huntley Ritter	...	Robert Humphries
Dean Cain	...	Joseph Smith
Ron Webber	...	Hyrum Smith

MPAA:

Rated R for violence.

Runtime:

110 min

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R | Australia:MA | Netherlands:16 | Singapore:NC-16

Filming Locations:

Augustina Farms, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Company:

September Dawn

Trivia:

All of the people in the wagon train were from Arkansas. If there were any Missourians in this train, they were not known to share the Arkansans' fate.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Emily Hudson is a main character in this film. In reality, the Hudsons left the wagon train before it reached Utah.

Soundtrack:

Love Will Still Be There

Hollywoodised version of a dreadful event

I saw this movie recently with an open mind and with no idea of Mormon history. After seeing the movie I then read as much as I could find on the actual event before writing this comment.

This movie is a hollywoodised version of events that did happen, no one is disputing that it happened, the comments on this site who have slammed the movie and given it 1 star seem to be those who are either Mormons or Mormon sympathisers who don't like the truth being openly told.

Without the hollywoodised love story and the "too" clean travelers the movie seemed to follow accounts of what happened reasonably accurately in my eyes.

From what I have read about the event I think the makers were right in making it look like a cover up by the Mormons, we have to remember that religious leaders had great say in how things are done in societies of the time, and unfortunately still do today.

As has happened many times in history, a scapegoat is often used to cover up the misdeeds of those in higher authority.

See the movie with an open mind then do the research and make up your own mind about who should have been punished here.

I give this movie an 10 out of 10 to counter all the misguided 1s that have been given, but my true rating would be a 6.