By Joel Jenks
Latter-day Saint singles will soon find themselves portrayed on the silver screen.
Again.
“The RM,” a new comedy from the creators of “The Singles Ward,” began filming in Provo last week.
“”The RM” is almost a modern-day story of Job,” said the director, Kurt Hale, who graduated from BYU in 1994 with a degree in film. “It”s about a kid who has his heart and his spirituality all in the right places, and yet his world falls apart all around him.”
The saga does not end on the mission — it chronicles life afterwards.
“It”s just the scenario of what happens when the worst can happen when you get off your mission,” Hale said.
Jed Ivie, 23, a senior from Farmington, N.M., majoring in communications, is the spokesman for HaleStorm Entertainment, the movie”s production company.
Ivie said the story focuses on a character named Jared who, upon returning home from his mission, finds that all he thought was waiting for him is gone.
Worst yet, his friend, who did not go on a mission, is receiving all the blessings Jared feels he deserves for himself.
“The message of the story is that in the face of everything, this guy who is fresh off his mission is not going to begin even questioning his testimony or questioning his religion or blaming God for any of this,” Hale said.
Despite being a comedy, “The RM” is very different from “The Singles Ward,” Hale said.
“Unlike ”Singles Ward,” which was punch line after punch line, in this movie a lot of the comedy is physical and very situational and it follows a pretty strong narrative,” he said.
Kirby Heyborne, 25, from Sandy, Salt Lake County, will be playing the part of Jared.
Jared exhibits many characteristics common in newly returned missionaries, Heybourne said, such as being afraid of girls.
“He also still has that positive attitude that gets him through the whole thing,” Heyborne said.
Maren Ord, 21, an LDS singer and songwriter from Edmonton, Alberta, will be playing the part of Jared”s sister, Sariah.
“Sariah is the supportive sister that helps Jared and tries to bring his spirits up,” Ord said.
In addition to starring in “The RM”, Ord has also written a song for the movie”s soundtrack.
The actors agree that despite dealing with the struggles that Jared faces, the movie is still a comedy.
“I think it”s going to be hilarious,” Ord said.
Heyborne agrees. “It”s so funny. even if I wasn”t in it, I would still love it,” he said.
According to Ivie, the movie is scheduled to end filming during the beginning of August and should be released in January 2003.
Following “The RM,” HaleStorm Entertainment will be making “Church Ball,” a film about LDS church basketball.
