The R.M.

Infobox_Film
name = The R.M.

|250px
director = Kurt Hale
producer = Dave Hunter
writer = Kurt Hale, John E. Moyer| starring = Kirby Heyborne, Daryn Tufts, Will Swenson, Britani Bateman, Tracy Ann Evans, Merrill Dodge, Michael Birkeland, Maren Ord
distributor = Halestorm Entertainment
released = 2003
runtime = 101 min.
language = English
imdb_id = 0341540
music = Cody Hale
awards =
budget = $500,000
tagline = Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the world . . .

"The R.M." is a 2003 comedy film about the experiences of an LDS returned missionary. "RM" is an LDS initialism for "returned missionary." It is one of the new line of LDS comedy films by Kurt Hale and John E. Moyer.

Overview

"The RM" is very LDS-centric and generally meant to appeal to an LDS audience. Most non-LDS viewers would not understand the numerous references and satires of the LDS—and Utah—sub-culture.

Plot

Jared Phelps returns home from his mission in Wyoming to find a world very different from the one he left two years ago.

This movie opens with a send-off at the airport full of family and friends of Elder Phelps. He serves a two year mission in the Wyoming, Evanston South Mission. The opening credits are shown by using instant photographs. They also show Elder Phelps going from a greenie (new missionary), to district leader, to zone leader and finally to an assistant to the mission president.

Upon returning home, things don't go so well. His parents thought that he was coming home the following month, so no one is there to meet him at the airport. He didn't receive the letter that his family had moved, so he is surprised by the greeting of the new homeowner in the form of a karate kick. His bed is now occupied by a foreign exchange student from Tonga. Jared's girlfriend, who promised to wait for him to return, is getting married in two weeks. The jewelry store where he bought the ring won't take it back. And his former employer who promised to give him a job upon his return has sold the business and started an Internet enterprise and the only job opening is to mine diamonds in South Africa.

Things get worse from there. He quickly goes through a series of jobs, and even considers selling knives. He develops a romantic relationship with the daughter of H. Ronald Powers, a general authority that, to his embarrassment, he is unfamiliar with (despite the fact that he gave a "great talk" in the previous general conference). He also gets boils, and eventually gets arrested due to the actions of a friend. Because of the arrest, he is released from his church calling as elders' quorum president. He has to seriously consider whether to lie and keep him and his friend out of jail, or to tell the truth and send himself and/or his friend to jail.

The audience is treated to a heavy dose of the Utah-Mormon subculture as Jared struggles to get back on his feet and adapt to post-mission life. There are ups as well as the downs. It eventually ends on a positive note.

elected credits

Cast

*Kirby Heyborne, Jared Phelps
*Britani Bateman, Kelly Powers
*Will Swenson, Kori Swenson
*Gary Crowton, Bishop Andrews
*Fred Derbyshire, Crazy grandpa
*Wally Joyner, Brother Jensen

Crew

* Kurt Hale, director
* Kurt Hale & John E. Moyer, writing

Trivia

* When Jared Phelps' ex-girlfriend shows him the wedding announcement, he notices that the man's name is Kirby. He says, "Kirby! That's not even a name! That's a vacuum cleaner!" Kirby Heyborne plays Jared Phelps.
* The Tongan foreign exchange student's name (Humuhumunukunukuapua'a) is actually the name of the Hawai'i State Fish.
* Because Evanston, Wyoming is such a small city it does not have a south mission. In fact the entire city is part of the Ogden, Utah mission.
* When Jared puts up a poster to sell his wedding ring, his phone number is 867-5309, a popular song from the Eighties. Kurt Hale's previous film, "The Singles Ward", also employed this number.
* Former BYU head coach Gary Crowton made an appearance as Jared's bishop
* The film used local Salt Lake City television station ABC4 for a segment in the film. Personalities Ruth Todd, Randall Carlisle and Angie Larsen each gave a cameo appearance.

ee also

* "The Singles Ward" — 2002
* "The Best Two Years" — 2003
* "The Home Teachers" — 2004

External links

*imdb title|id=0341540|title=The R.M.