The Singles Ward (film series)

Last updated
The Singles Ward
The Singles Ward film series.logo.jpg
Official film series logo
Based onCharacters created by
John E. Moyer
Starring
Distributed by Halestorm Entertainment
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$500,000 (1 films)
Box office$1,250,798 (1 films)

The Singles Ward film series consists of two low-budget Mormon comedies based on original characters, co-written by Kurt Hale and John Moyer. The overall premise centers around members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) who are not yet married and their religious congregations, known as wards. The story details the humorous experiences for attendees in these congregations.

Contents

Films

FilmU.S. release dateDirectorScreenwriter(s)Story byProducer(s)
The Singles Ward January 30, 2002Kurt Hale John Moyer & Kurt HaleJohn MoyerDave Hunter
The Singles 2nd Ward December 11, 2007Kurt Hale & John E. MoyerDave Hunter, George Dayton and Bryce W. Fillmore
The Real Life Singles Ward March 1, 2011John E. MoyerJohn E. Moyer, Mario DeAngelis and Brad Olsen

The Singles Ward (2002)

After faithfully serving a full-time mission, then getting married, Jonathan Jordan finds himself divorced and once again attending one of the church's single-adult wards. As he attends a congregation specifically for unmarried adults, where the ultimate goal is eternal marriage, he quickly becomes disenchanted with the experience and stops going to church. As he copes with his experiences, he creates a standup routine lampooning the nature and lifestyle of being a member. His resistance to the church continues, until he falls for Cammie Giles, who is an active member at a local singles ward. Suddenly, Jordan finds church attendance more appealing, but he begins to question whether he is going for the right reasons or if it is just to impress his new girlfriend.

The Singles 2nd Ward (2007)

Dalen Martin, a young professor at Brigham Young University, becomes engaged to his girlfriend Christine, who is an student attending the university and a recent convert to the LDS Church. As the couple prepares for their upcoming wedding, Christine's divorced parents arrive with their new partners for the occasion. The couple explores their relationship and preparations while attending the church's congregation of single adults. Dalen tries to create a lasting relationship with Christine's separated parents, who are critical of the religion, and assists his friend Jonathan with developing a feature film based on his experiences in a Latter-day Saint singles ward. Together, Dalen and Christine build on their love and look forward to being married in a Latter-day Saint temple, although they must explain to her parents why they cannot attend their own daughter's marriage ceremony.

The Real Life Singles Ward (2011)

Filmed in a documentary style, the movie follows the real-world experiences of a few Latter-day Saints attending their singles-ward activities. Over the course of the production, the project examines the positives and negatives of dating, while exploring the young men's journey in trying to find their eternal companion. This occurs through various aspects of the process including engagement for someone who is divorced versus one who has never married. Each of the young men answer questions regarding their faith and their desires to grow closer to God in their pursuits at church. [1]

Main cast and characters

List indicators

This section includes characters who will appear or have appeared in more than two films in the series.

CharacterTitle
The Singles Ward The Singles 2nd Ward The Real Life Singles Ward
Principal cast
Jonathan Jordan Will Swenson
Cammie Giles-Jordan Connie Young
Dalen Martin Kirby Heyborne
Christine McClintock-Martin Erin Chambers
Eldon Coates Daryn Tufts
HyrumMichael Birkeland
DeVerlLincoln Hoppe
Zak AldridgeRobert Swenson
JennyLisa Higbee
WillardBrad Johnson
LauraKatherine Purdie
KateKelly Hennessey
Scott "Skippy" Jessophimself
Nathan Smith Joneshimself
Micah Lisonbeehimself
Supporting cast
Mrs. MartinMichelle GouldLiz Winter
Mr. Giles Ron McBride
Brother Angel Wally Joyner C
Emotional Ward Member Jeremy Hoop C
Sunbeam Teacher Danny Ainge C
Auto Mechanic Shawn Bradley C
Brother Niner Steve Young C
Miniature Golfer LaVell Edwards C
Julie Stoffer herself P C
Thurl Bailey himself C
Gordon Jump himself C
Wes the Neighbor Richard Dutcher C
Mitch English himself C

Additional crew and production details

FilmCrew/Detail
ComposerCinematographer(s)Editor(s)Production
companies		Distributing
company		Running time
The Singles Ward Cody Hale Ryan Little Wynn HougaardHalestorm EntertainmentHalestorm Distribution1 hr 42 mins
The Singles 2nd Ward Brandon ChristensenJohn Lyde1 hr 27 mins
The Real Life Singles Ward —Mario DeAngelis, Brad Olsen
& Kyle Raney		Mario DeAngelis, Brad Olsen
& Zachary B. Marsh		Halestorm Entertainment,
4Ever Films		1 hr

Reception

In the book Religious Humor in Evangelical Christian and Mormon Culture, Elisha McIntyre highlighted the proposal scene between Dalen and Christine, stating that it was "a delicate balance of the serious and humorous mode." [2]

Box office and financial performance

FilmBox office grossBox office rankingVideo
sales gross		Worldwide total
gross income		BudgetWorldwide total
net income		Ref.
North AmericaOther territoriesWorld-wideAll time
worldwide		North America
The Singles Ward $1,250,798—$1,250,798#8,369#13,967Figures not publicly available>$1,250,798$500,000>$750,798 [3] [4]
The Singles 2nd Ward —————Figures not publicly available>$0Figures not publicly available>$0—
The Real Life Singles Ward —————Figures not publicly available>$0Figures not publicly available>$0—
Totals$1,250,798$0$1,250,798x̅ 2,790x̅ 4,656>$0>$1,250,798>$500,000≤$750,798

Critical response

Film Rotten Tomatoes
The Singles Ward50% (8 reviews) [5]
The Singles 2nd Ward[ to be determined ] [6]
The Real Life Singles Ward—

In other media

The Singles Ward soundtrack

The soundtrack is a collection of Latter-day Saint artists performing songs from the LDS Church's hymnbook and its Children's Songbook . The soundtrack album was released by Guapo Records.

References

  1. ↑ Letterboxd staff (March 30, 2011). "The Real Life Singles Ward (2011)". Letterboxd. Retrieved January 15, 2023.
  2. ↑ McIntyre, Elisha (2018-01-25). Religious Humor in Evangelical Christian and Mormon Culture. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 78. ISBN   978-1-350-00550-1.
  3. ↑ "The Singles Ward (2002)". The Numbers . Nash Information Services LLC. Retrieved January 15, 2023.
  4. ↑ "The Singles Ward (2002)". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved January 15, 2023.
  5. ↑ "The Singles Ward". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved January 15, 2023.
  6. ↑ "The Singles 2nd Ward". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved January 15, 2023.
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