Man's Search for Happiness

I thought I would take a stab at uploading a brief video clip to illustrate my comments on one of Mormonism's most famous films, Man's Search for Happiness (1964).

This was the showcase piece of Third Wave institutional Mormon film, directed by Judge Whitaker and created for the New York World's Fair in 1964. It started a genre of films that took a similar approach, asking questions about the meaning of life, using a voice-over narrative and montage sequences to suggest contemplation by various Everyman characters. Another in this vein is In this Holy Place (1968), and in the Fourth Wave, What is Real (1989).

According to Mormon film historian Randy Astle, "Many consider this to be the most important film the LDS Church has ever produced; it at least proved a milestone and a turning point in Church film production. Created for the 1964 World's Fair in New York, it was the first film done by the BYU Motion Picture Studio in 35mm, their first done for a primarily non-LDS audience, and their first depicting premortality. Despite its short length it was one of their most expensive and difficult films up to that point. It was immensely successful at the Fair, showing to an estimated five million people, and it later played for years at Temple Square and was distributed extensively on 16mm film, especially in a version that contained Fair footage as well, called The Mormon Pavilion. It prompted an increase in the Church's efforts to dub its films into foreign languages, and it was even remade in 1970 in a Japanese version. Another remake, retaining the original narration, was done in 1987."

If you haven't seen it, here's a taste:

Comments

This was a pleasure to see. Thanks for going to the work of adding a clip to your blog entry. The authenticity of the film from 30 years ago still feels incredible today. Thanks!

[Trevor Banks]

I've been thinking of this film a lot lately. I've only seen the remake but it has stuck in my mind as the only film that deals with the preexistence in film aside from two other important Mormon films. But I've been thinking about "Defending your life" by Albert Brooks and am fascinated by how many similarities there are between what he did and this film.

Are there any other examples of the preexistence in other films (mainstream or not)?