"Gordon B. Hinckley: A Giant Among Men" movie poster.
Tonight was the screening at The District. It was a lot of fun! Here are some fun pictures.
Levi Larsen portrays the young Gordon B. Hinckley.
...With Lauren Brady (portrays Ada Hinckley, Gordon's mother).
It was so nice of my parents to come and also my friend Craig Miner.
A few things from this week:
Filmmaker re-creates early life of President Gordon B. Hinckley
November 24th, 2008 @ 6:14pm
By Carole Mikita
A Utah filmmaker has made a movie about the early life of President Gordon B. Hinckley and is donating the ticket sales to a charity.
"Gordon B. Hinckley: A Giant Among Men" will show in two theaters tomorrow evening, and the proceeds will go to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' Perpetual Education Fund. President Hinckley created the fund to help young Latter-day Saints in third-world countries who have served missions with training or education.
The film focuses on President Hinckley's childhood and early years, giving viewers a look at his life long before he became the 15th president of the Church.
"[I] found wonderful material to illustrate his life as a boy and what he learned that brought him to a prophet," said T.C. Christensen, the film's writer and director.
Christensen's biggest challenge was casting the adult Gordon Hinckley and Marjorie Pay. "I looked at a lot of historical photographs and I would just think, 'Who do I know who looks like that?' And Levi Larsen and Tamilisa Wood were just two who came to mind," he said.
The young actress playing Marjorie Pay had been told she resembled her before. "When I got to the auditions, T.C. also had a picture of Marjorie Pay Hinckley, and sure enough, it kind of looked like me," Wood said. "It's such a privilege to portray her and look like her and be like her and think about her."
Larsen says he never imagined playing this role. "To be a part of that, and to be able to possibly help people change their lives through the stories of President Hinckley, is really cool," he said.
"Gordon B. Hinckley: A Giant Among Men" will play at the Megaplex 17 at Jordan Commons in Sandy and the Megaplex 20 at the District in South Jordan Tuesday night at 7:00. It will also be released on DVD on Tuesday.
E-mail: cmikita@ksl.com
Lois Blackburn FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 20, 2008
Hi-Res Photos Available Upon Request
Lois Blackburn
President Hinckley Film to be Released Nov. 25
Profits of Screening to be Donated to Perpetual Education Fund
SALT LAKE CITY – A Gordon B. Hinckley tribute event will be held Tuesday, November 25, 2008 to release a new film about the life of the former president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
“Gordon B Hinckley: A Giant Among Men” will be played at two Megaplex theaters on Tuesday night, and proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to the Perpetual Education Fund, an LDS charity created by Hinckley while he was President.
The movie will air at 7 p.m. at the Megaplex 17 at Jordon Commons in Sandy, Utah, and the Megaplex 20 at District in South Jordon, Utah. Tickets will cost $8 for adults and $5.50 for children and seniors. Movie-goers can get more information and purchase tickets at Megaplextheaters.com.
Lois Blackburn The film was directed by T. C. Christensen and produced by Living Scriptures, and will also be released on DVD Tuesday, Nov. 25.
Because the film is a drama, Christensen had to find seven President Hinckley look-a-likes to play the part of the former LDS president. The seven actors represent Hinckley from ages 5 to 92, and they all come from Utah. (Comparison Photos available for print)
“I looked at old pictures of President Hinckley and his family, and I thought who do I know who looks like that?” Christensen said.
Young brothers Koleman Stinger, Kalvin Stinger, and Kaleb Stinger from Farmington, Utah, play Hinckley from ages 5 to 12.
Levi Larsen from Orem plays the role to depict the future President from ages 18-40. The older years are played by David Emett from Salt Lake City and Austin Garner from South Jordon.
“The appearance really is uncanny,” Christensen said. “I think it makes all the difference to the viewers that the actors actually look like the man they know so well.”
Christensen said he hopes as viewers watch the depictions of President Hinckley’s life, they will understand that prophets start out like any other men, but the people and the choices they face along the way make all the difference.
“Prophets are men too,” he said. “They have experiences as they are growing up. They get prepared along the way. They don’t live this sanctified holy existence the whole time. They are people just like us.”
Christensen said the trait that sets Hinckley apart is that he listened, he learned, and he assimilated quickly to the lessons his parents tried to teach him. One scene in the film portrays the boy Hinckley coming home from school and swearing. His mother quickly washes his mouth out with soap, and Hinckley records that he basically never swore ever again.
The film also depicts the beloved story of Elder Hinckley struggling on his mission and writing to his father that he wanted to come home. When his father responds that he should forget himself and get to work, Hinckley declares that he decided to listen to the advice and that every good thing that happen to him in his life could be traced back to that decision.
“I think viewers will connect to that experience and that moment,” Christensen said. “Everyone needs to have a day in their life when they decide to keep going, where they say, ‘I am not going to give up. I am going to stick with it.’”
In addition to depicting Hinckley’s relationship with key characters in his life, the film also depicts Hinckley’s life and decisions during many hard times. Hinckley battled through times of economic depression, unemployment, war and political strife. Viewers are likely to see their own life experiences through President Hinckley’s eyes in Gordon B. Hinckley: A Giant Among Men,” Christensen said.
