Are you ready for an entertaining evening with three colorful characters from the Old West? If you are, than Story Tellers is a film you’ll enjoy.
Story Tellers Summary:
One cold night in the Utah Territory, three opinionated men, seemingly by chance, find themselves sharing a campfire as they tell tales, swap insults, and expound on their personal beliefs and philosophies. However, one of the men is not there by mere coincidence. Join Porter Rockwell, Mark Twain, and J. Golden Kimball for an entertaining and intriguing evening with three of the most colorful characters of the Old West.
Story Tellers Review:
If you’re a fan of Mormon history, Mark Twain or the old west, you’ll find this short film (1 hour, 7 minutes) entertaining. As the story begins J. Golden Kimball and Porter Rockwell happen to meet up in their travels through the Utah territory. At length, they are joined by a third man who turns out to be Mark Twain.
The three men spend the evening swapping tales and helping Mark Twain to reassess his beliefs about Mormons. One particularly interesting conversation involves J. Golden Kimball offering an alternative view about why some men (and women) entered into polygamous marriages. The stories are enlightening and in keeping with the personalities and writings (and what has been written about) all three men.
The film flows well, and the encounter doesn’t feel forced or contrived. I wondered how the film makers would remain true to J. Golden Kimball’s reputation for swearing and still keep this a family-friendly film, but they did so in a very entertaining way. They captured all three personalities well, and with lightness and humor, while avoiding making them into caricatures.
Story Tellers is an excellent addition to your family film library, especially for LDS families. It’s also a fun way to introduce some of Mormon history’s more colorful characters to your family.
Story Tellers: An Evening with Colorful Characters is available on DVD from Amazon.com. And if you click on this link to buy, you won’t pay a penny more, but you’ll help fund my movie habit with a small commission from Amazon.