I didn't have much hopes from this movie but boy was I wrong. My wife and I had no other choice so we decided to watch it and she immediately pointed out that this seems like a kids/teenagers movie. Although the focus of the movie and young people mostly but it is NOT a movie for kids. It has a very clear and strong message. It is not your typical movie. If you are looking for a lively beginning, developing middle part and a thrilling climax - then this movie is not for you. This is a movie that is a message in its entirety: that you can find solace in the most unlikeliest of places. Don't judge a book by its cover. When you are down and out, people you least expect can be your strength. And above all the movie teaches us to love and accept. I'd give this movie 8 out of 10 stars. I am giving 10/10 to balance some narrow minded reviews who cannot appreciate life imitating art, they brains are only big enough for John Wicks and Fast and Furiouses.

This was a heartwarming and engaging family film. We were looking for something the family could watch together on Mothers Day and stumbled across this little coming-of-age drama on Netflix. My wife and kids bought into the characters and situations. Personally, the longer I watched it, the more disturbing I found it. Folks, this movie is grade A, pure manipulation and propaganda. It's crafted to take evangelical Christians (especially young people) on a journey with the main character, Lane, from seeing Mormons as off putting cultists to "special people, the best Christians." I'm sure that was the agenda. Here are some details to support my claim: 1. Other than terminology for God (Heavenly Father) and church leaders (the bishop), not one shred of Mormon doctrine comes up in the movie. Instead, we see Mormons as a tight knit community of flawed but well meaning people who just love to study the Bible. Some of them are very knowledgeable about it. There is no reference to Joseph Smith, the Book of Mormon, Doctrines and Covenants...nothing! 2. The main character has been struggling to believe in anything after the death of her father so the Mormons are not seen as recruiting Christians out of their own traditions but rather as providing experiences which will help rescue doubting young people from abandoning their Christian beliefs. 3. At one point one of the characters affirms that hope that Lane has that her father will be in paradise. Isn't it great that we're all just Christians and will all be saved together. 4. Lane discovers that prayer really does work as the dog who was believed dead is found at the end of the movie by no less than the bishop. Man, that was a good one. I have to hand it to the writers on that one. In one stroke, they intimated that Mormon prayers are powerful and Mormon leaders are heroes. 5. The movie deprecates Mormons at the beginning, humanizes them in the middle and celebrates them at the end. Ha! Genius! 6. Through out the movie, we (young adults) get acculturated to Mormon idiosyncrasies. We see that the bishop has to be present but only from a distance. We come to appreciate the moralism and conformity. And best of all, we get introduced to one of Mormonisms best brainwashing tools - the testimony meeting. 7. During the credits, we get to see photos of actual youth camps like the one depicted in the movie. The attempt at manipulation was not lost on my 10-year-old daughter. She said, "Wait, so they really have camps like that!" This is the part that actually took me from ill to outraged. This movie was a carefully constructed two hour PR spot for Mormonism targeted specifically at Christian youth. Bravo to the web weavers of Salt Lake!

Once I Was a Beehive is a pretty bad movie. It is an independent film, but it still didn't really deliver. I can see how someone might enjoy it, but from a film critic's standpoint that really appreciates well made films and is bothered by filmmaking flaws, the movie isn't that good. I'll admit, I did laugh out loud a few times. There are a few pretty good jokes in the movie, but most of them fall flat. Another thing I do like is some of the emotion that is shown throughout. Other than that, the writing and acting is very weak. I found a lot of the actors to be annoying, but the best actor in the film is probably Mila Smith, who played Phoebe. There are also a lot of plot points that were predictable. If you're a young woman who is Mormon and has been to Girls Camp, then you might like the movie. Otherwise, do something valuable with your time.

I really enjoyed this film. Sometimes (seemingly) overtly religious films pander to their audiences to make a buck at the box office. Especially if they appear to appeal to the "teenager" demographic. BEEHIVE is not one of these films.BEEHIVE dispels many Mormon myths head on, and in the wake of this transformation leaves you both laughing and crying. I appreciated that very much.But what I enjoyed most about this film is there was no "happily ever after." Not everyone was converted. Hardship still existed. All the story plots did not resolve into a nice, trite ending. However, you knew that the characters changed--that they were better people for what they had experienced, and they were now better equipped to go through other challenges in life. They had the ability to live with uncertainty, keep a smile on their faces, and move forward. For me, that was the hidden redemptive power in this film, and that is one of the biggest reasons I highly recommend it!