User Reviews

Since most Mormon films seem to cater toward the Mormon audience, I was pleasantly surprised to see that this film, while having Mormon characters, is not necessarily geared toward a Mormon audience. While it is probably best enjoyed by Mormon girls and women who have attended camp, it could easily be enjoyed by anyone. There are very few specifically "Mormon" references so it is relatable to a wide audience. That being said, it is a low-budget independent film, so don't expect to be wowed. However the acting quality is good, the soundtrack is good, and the plot, while fairly predictable, was not quite the touchy-feely conversion story that you'd expect from a religious film. It reminded me of the 2012 movie "Amazing Love". This film is a fairly accurate (though satirical) depiction of a Mormon girls camp. And yes, we really do sing "Noah's Arky" and "Mormon Boy"! It's tradition!

I am a film fanatic, so like everybody else I seek entertainment in the films I watch. But if it delivers a message or gives a lesson, I'll take it as an inspiration, no matter what category it belongs to.

I mean I belong to no religion, but there are many good things about them other than wasting time in the temples and churches for the fantasy things. So that is where this film comes in, even for the non- believers.

It might be about a Mormon related theme, that does not mean it is a propaganda or anything, but obviously that's how it looks like. In fact, it is a very enjoyable film, not just for the kids or the women, but anyone and mostly for the families.

Because it was not about the god stuff, it was about the human bond and having faith in each other to work together. In many parts, that's what the film characters express through the dialogues and makes us comfortable for further viewing.

The story was narrated from an atheist teen girl's perspective, but her condition of life had an impact for telling a beautiful and semi- emotional tale. It was a quality of the television product, mainly because it is PG rated.

The wonderful cast and shot in the nicest places. So just enjoy its contents as a human being with the emotions and ignore the religious stuffs if you think it is overshadowed by that. Because, because of watching it you won't turn a Mormon in an overnight.

6/10

I came across this movie on Netflix. It was really good, and really other than the 'Young Women" reference, it took me a while to realize it was Mormon. It seemed to be just strictly Bible - It's a really good movie to show how girls interact and that even grownups lose their tempers and have the same identity issues. We're all just on a journey. My only one "complaint".. they should have done a bit more research on service animals verses emotional support animals and where they are allowed. Although, Roxie is adorable and helps calm Phoebe - she cannot be called a service animal. She is not trained to do work or a task! She simply calms Phoebe by being near her. An animal that calms just by their presence is an Emotional Support animal and is NOT allowed anywhere the person goes. A service animal is NOT a pet and other people would not be petting her. I only bring it up because it is a huge issue now and this movie is just adding to that confusion.

Well done.

Hello people, this is my first review, as I was motivated so much from this film. English is not my native language, so forgive any of my mistakes, only if you wish to do so.

Secondly, I'm not a Mormon, I'mo not a fanatic of religion, not even a so called Hellas citizen, but as Socrates says (yes,says,not "said"), I am a citizen of this world.

The film is truly excellent, one of it's kind, strong enough to carry each one of us deep into the most simple truth in life..difference is only to the outside. Cause inside of us, each person carries the unity not only of human kind, but the unity of universe itself, the unity of the whole universe into one soul mind and body..and this beats everything.

As Socrates one day said, while going to a spring to drink water with his cup, that this child beat me in simplicity, when seeing a child by drinking with his own hands from the spring. Then he dropped the cup away, so that he could act the same as the child did.

So, I'm admitting the same. This film beats me in simplicity, by being witness of their strength, by their pure wisdom, by their effort to help each other in every and each possible way, seeing each other's weaknesses, not to criticize them, but wanting to change them to their best possible strength again, finding themselves in this world throughout their pure good will intentions..throughout unity.

Eventually, the human spirit and the governments of this world, could have learn enough if not all, from the very best example of.. at least once they were a Beehive.

10 stars from me..they deserve the whole world.

Thank you all.

I started this movie thinking it was a Christian film. There were Christian references but it was mainly a film of Mormon characters. That was disappointing since I am a Christian. I stuck with it though and all in all it wasn't a horrible movie.

I didn't notice a lot of Mormon evangelism. However, there were references to prayer and the existence of Jesus. There was a strong emphasize on the need for teamwork which was the main theme of the movie.

I think many people will enjoy this movie. It would be great for a family movie night. The acting is great, there's humor and friendship.

Full disclosure I am a member of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints ( a Mormon) and I have been to girls camp so the humor cultural relevance was especially funny to me .

It wasn't a great film but it's a good movie and a good message and some really funny parts - you have to realize what demographic it is made for ( which I really think is anyone with any kind of faith looking for a clean film ) and realize it's low budget and made to lift you up not to win the Sundance film festival. If you go in with the right attitude you will laugh and cry and leave feeling uplifted .

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!

This movie fails on every single level.

Acting is awful, comedy is nonexistent, script was super forced and non of the characters felt real, cinematography sucked, etc...

I watched this with a friend the other day, and I'm not gonna lie, we had a good time. Not because it was a good film, but because it was awful.

This movie will only be funny or make sense if you grew up mormon, which I did. If you didn't I would imagine you wouldn't understand a lot of the "jokes".

Overall, this movie is crap and you should watch anything else.

I had the opportunity to catch this film as it was still being fine tuned at the LDS Film Festival in early March of 2015. It was being screened just prior to a session in which a film that I had made was being screened. I'm always interested in seeing what other LDS filmmakers are doing and this one (which at the time didn't have a final title selected yet) sounded like fun. "Once I Was a Beehive" turned out to be one of the highlights of the festival -- a delight from start to finish. I laughed and cried and thoroughly enjoyed the film from start to finish. McAllen Nelson, who directed and wrote the screenplay, has done a wonderful job of taking the viewer into a world of young women learning to value who they really are. The young players, headed by Paris Warner as a non-Mormon who has lost her father to cancer and finds herself at the girls camp when her mother remarries a Mormon man, are all very warm and believable. Special mention must be given to character actress Barta Heiner (who was so wonderful as the senior teacher in "The Cokeville Miracle") who lights up the screen every moment that she appears. Everything about this film works from the directing, fine script, excellent cinematography and the catchy score. I rank this as one the best films that a family could enjoy together. It's worth seeing in the theatre (if you have a chance with its limited release) and certainly purchasing on a Blu-ray or DVD. Did I say that it was for all ages? I was 76 when I saw it and went through at least six hankies!

I went with my 14 and 17 year old daughters, who, by the way, had just returned from camp. We all laughed and laughed. Not sure if guys will find the movie as funny because there are so many inside jokes related to the LDS girls' camp experience. The script includes inserting all the stereotypical personalities in a group of teen girls without being too cheesy. I felt like they captured the real dynamic of a disjointed youth group. The actors were all well chosen. Favorite line "And it's not true that there are no 'mean girls' in Young Women." What I liked the most about the movie was that the ending wasn't perfect. It didn't neatly try to solve the problem and wrap it up with a bow. I felt like the script handled the issues very realistically.

You don't have to be a 12 year old girl to enjoy this film. My wife and I (50 years old) have watched this movie twice and we love it. Yeah, it's full of stereotypes and there's nothing especially groundbreaking here, but it's fun, wholesome, has some nice music, and is remarkably well produced for such a small budget film. I can see bright futures for several of the actors in this film as well.

Most of the reviewers feel compelled to mention Mormonism (many of the makers of this film are LDS and it was originally released to target LDS audiences in Utah) but rest assured if you're one of those folks that have unfortunately formed some weird preconceived notion of what that means, get over it! Yes, I think these characters and values do accurately reflect LDS members, but I can't fathom how this movie would be any different if you substituted any other church. And it's NOT a preachy church movie! Just characters with good and wholesome values who are having a great experience at Bible camp. Drat! Now I went and mentioned it too!

Just relax and have fun. Share it with your kids and grand kids. There are some wonderful messages here, especially for the young ladies.

I went to see this movie with my wife (who has been to a girl's camp of that kind, and my two "girls" now adults and no longer living with us who were participated in those camps and the program for Young Women in the LDS church. We all laughed and cried during the movie because it was fun, serious, and entertaining at the same time. It was not intended to make fun of the women's camp, no character was actually retarded as we see in LDS movies so often. I like this director because the characters can be funny without being stupid. That is hard to do and still have a movie to be funny.

The story is very well drafted and the plot flows without losing track of the main character while building on the character of every one except the father, mother, and stepfather of the main character. I thought it was OK. They could have cast guys that could act a little better but their part was short, we just had to know that they existed anyway. Disney does that all the time.

So, I say go watch and enjoy a nice movie with some good messages not only for young women but everyone in the family. This way the boys get to know what the girls do at these camps they never get to go to... LOL... I thought it was interesting and sometimes would ask "do you do that a these camps?" and they would nod saying yes.. which I thought was really funny.

I can't stop thinking about this film and all the individual talent that came together to make it. Maclain Nelson writes and directs an eloquent script that guides audiences through the delicate subject of death and adolescence, with an excellent pulse on todays young culture. Joel Remke's cinematography stands out, as his work holds the best of a feature and an indie film's attributes; be that his choice in dolly shots, playful angles, organic zooms and movements. There are scenes of Utah that are forever forged into my mind, thanks to this cinematography. Composer Michael Lee Bishop and the sound department brought their many talents to this film. This heartfelt journey was smartly orchestrated by editor Kristi Shimek. Her comical cuts and emotional rhythm to the film where refreshing, and made all the difference. There was a scene in which the audience was quietly crying and while Paris Warner's performance was lovely, it was clearly Shimek's editing that held the audience in tears. Mary Pickford is quoted for saying, "Make them laugh, make them cry, and back to laughter. What do people want to go to the theatre for? An emotional exercise." As far as acting goes, actress Paris Warner is a natural. Whatever she is doing, keep with it, because her tender and raw performance has a way of pulling you in, scene after scene. Such a talented cast, I wish there were more time to show off the campers's personalities. Actresses Kaley McCormack Allie Jennings have a bright comical future ahead of them.

The main character is really judgemental and all of the other actors are very vapid people who don't get better. I went to girls camp for six years and we were very willing to help clean up and do what we needed in order to make it a pleasant experience. any person with half a brain would put effort in doing a good job in building a tent because that is where you will live for the next five days. I grew up in the church but it defiantly didn't mean my life was easy and that I was clueless about the world around me. I had a lot of friends who were not of my faith including some who went with us to girls camp and we always worked to help them feel included and loved. so basically this movie stereotypes teen girls in the worst way possible without bothering to improve them by the end so you leave the movie with a sour taste in your mouth. All of the adults are rude and judgemental and don't even try to help the girls. In real life the adults would be taking time off of work and using vacation days to go to girl's camp. It's a real sacrifice for them. Why try to make a movie about something you clearly know nothing about? Many teen girls who saw the movie after even said it's not even close to that in real life.

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 movie taught me a lot, actually. I'm not mormon or anything, but this made me enjoy camping a lot more! The beginning was heart warming and sad. I love this movie so much! I just wish I could watch it for the first time again.

I didn't know what to expect watching this but I have to say, it was pretty good. Not great, but heartfelt and enjoyable to watch. The characters were fine to watch, the story was easy to follow to sympathize with and the pacing's pretty good. It's laid back. As for the dialogue, it's pretty well written. Simple yet effective. If you like dramas then watch this.

Paris Warner does such a good job as a basically good but somewhat rebellious teen who is conned into spending several days in the woods with a bunch of perky Christian girls. And she effectively acts as narrator as well. Although she has a naughty side, Lane tries hard to be good when she can and quietly illustrates what a good Christian should be without being "goody-goody", even though she doesn't have the faith her father did. It's hard to watch her cry and it is assumed the crying went on and on and on, but editing reduces what we see to a few seconds. It's enough to show Lane is really hurting.

Mila Smith is the real standout here, nerdy and quirky but quite appealing. Phoebe has difficulty with socializing and like so many smart people, can't stop herself from bragging and wondering why others don't know these things. But she's basically a good kid.

I don't remember the name Nedra but it's the only name left in the credits. The photo with "Diantha's Crossing" is definitely her. Barta Heiner is the other real standout, a motorcycle-riding tough old granny. But she's basically good and has the faith the others have. And she won't accept nonsense, and she blows that bugle too early.

Adam Johnson isn't around long but he impresses with his excessively optimistic attitude. And it is made clear later it is his faith that gives him that.

There are only a few scenes where the girls are excessively perky. Even though these girls are Mormons, they are pretty much like everyone else. Bree is in charge and won't let you forget it, and it most scenes she is just like girls who think they are better than everyone else because they are popular. The difference is she does pray and she does admit to having faith.

And on the subject of faith, I don't know whether Mormons are any different (I know they don't want that name used any more, but it was used in this movie). The strong faith messages of this movie could apply to any Christians. Yes, we are constantly reminded these girls are Christians and, yes, we are constantly reminded some of them are still behaving like brats and need forgiveness.

Working together is shown to be important, and each person has her own strengths. The movie really inspires as different people are willing to let each other do their best.

So much love and caring is shown in this movie, and it goes both ways. Lane and Phoebe needed help and ended up helping those they were with just as much. And not everyone has faith: Lane has been influenced by faith, I'm sure, but it will take some effort for her to have faith on her own.

I will say this: a game involved looking up Bible verses. Isaiah is not in that part of the Bible. Galatians, maybe.

I often find myself saying there is music for every taste in movies that I watch. That's not quite true here, but there is pleasant acoustic guitar music in the background a lot. I'm not in the target audience for this movie by any means, being male and probably as old as Nedra. The first song played during as the family drives through the gorgeous Utah mountains has the annoying vocal style of someone like Colbie Caillat along with acoustic guitar that is pleasant enough. I don't know that the family is actually listening to that, but later there is nice smooth jazz. Lane wishes her father would play something else, but I don't. Whether I like smooth jazz or not depends on the song, and this one was a good one. The girls sing corny Christian songs which, while not familiar to me, sound like they could have been camp songs decades ago. Later, as background music, there is annoying Contemporary Christian or worship music I personally could do without. It's not as bad as what in 2021 is called "adult contemporary" when it is secular. There are also some more pleasant songs that appeal to me, and I think one had a banjo.

Is this family friendly? I think it is, so why did someone feel the need to put a "TV-14-D" on this movie when I saw it? I may have heard a couple of bad words because these girls are not perfect angels. The most concerning scene was one involving a bear which was really tense and could have really ended tragically in a different kind of movie. And there are scenes with loss. Very sad scenes. All of this makes the movie somewhat questionable for some younger children. As a faith movie, this would be highly recommended.

I had a good time and I think you will too. I don't even think you have to be a teenage girl.

Lane would be a close encounter to that of a non-member in they way they think and feel about the church. I like how she grew to understand the value and importance of this religion because she sees how it affects the leaders and young women in a positive light.

I also like how they didn't convert anybody and that it was a genuine film mostly about love and working together. It also interesting to see non-member actors and actresses portray Latter-Day Saint members as well.

Although some of the content was false, like the made-up "Mormon" songs lol, I'm glad the producers did some background research on the religion: acknowledgement of Young Women's values, spiritual hymns and of course the bible.

An inspirational movie that takes me back to when I was in Young Women's where we participated in many fun activities and formed a spiritual and sisterly bond.

A great movie for those who appreciate simplicity and spiritual inspiration.