Movie Review – Trek and $50 #Giveaway #4paws #lifelessons @DeseretBook
Movie Synopsis
Written by Hollywood screenwriter David Howard and Jon Enos, and directed by Alan Peterson, TREK is a family comedy that follows a group of LDS teens as they stumble their way through the sagebrush looking for their pioneer heritage as well as their own testimonies.
Watch as Tom, a young Mormon teenager and his friends try to smuggle in unsanctioned food, battle sibling rivalry, encounter a “special ops” Young Mens leader, ponder doctrinal brain teasers, and match wits with a Twinkie-loving skunk. Through all of the ups and downs, they are revealed to be “real” LDS youth who are struggling with real challenges—doubts, divorce, relationships. When they encounter unexpected trouble, their faith is tested much like their pioneer ancestors.
Review
This was quite an enjoyable movie. I am not LDS but I do appreciate the way that the church is very family focused and they all support one another and the respective families. The film was filled with many humorous moments, along with some teaching moments about faith, friendship, and even love. I felt like each person that went on this trek came back a better person and perhaps even more confident in themselves, their faith, and their friends. I think anyone could enjoy this movie and the message that it provides.
The film does have flashbacks to the previous summer when Tom lost his best friend. At first it was confusing because it went from people dressed as pioneers to Tom and his friend dressed in gear for the water. But once I understood what these moments reflected, it made more sense.
We give it 4 paws up.
Trailer
Message from Alan Peterson, Director of TREK The Movie
It’s exciting to anticipate the DVD/BluRay release of TREK, the movie. Being with audiences in theaters is the fulfillment of any director’s dream. But, the reality of the independent film is that you can’t get a movie into enough theaters so that everyone who wants to, can see it. July 3rd is a day that lots of TREK fans have been waiting for. Now, everyone can enjoy the laughs and lessons of TREK whenever they want. One of our goals in producing the movie was to create a story that would honor the wonderful tradition of this hands-on experience unique to our faith. Trek provides a critical chance to connect with our past. Why is this important? I’ll let Elder Russell M. Ballard explain:
“I have a deep conviction that if we lose our ties to those who have gone before us, including our pioneer forefathers and mothers, we will lose a very precious treasure. I have spoken about “Faith in Every Footstep” in the past and will continue in the future because I know that rising generations must have the same kind of faith that the early Saints had in the Lord Jesus Christ and His restored gospel.” (General Conference, October 2017, The Trek Continues!)
It is too easy to forget what our pioneer ancestors sacrificed for their faith and for our good. I hope families can sit down together and share the movie and talk about how grateful we should be for the men, women, and children who marched into the unknown following a prophet of God so long ago. And, I hope they will talk about the challenges they face today as members of the church as we march forward into the unknown. Do you feel like Tom and wonder where God is? How do we connect with Him? What do we do when we feel weak and alone? Hopefully, TREK helps us know that our Heavenly Father is there and that He cares.
