''17 Miracles'' is a 2011 historical adventure film directed by

T. C. Christensen Thomas C. Christensen (born 1953) is an American cinematographer, film director, and writer best known for his work on films related to the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), including '' Joseph Smith: The ...

. It was released in 2011 by

Excel Entertainment Group Deseret Book () is an American publishing company headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, that also operates a chain of bookstores throughout the western United States. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Deseret Management Corporation (DMC), the ...

. Based on the experiences of members of the

Willie Handcart Company The Mormon handcart pioneers were participants in the migration of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) to Salt Lake City, Utah, who used handcarts to transport their belongings. The Mormon handcart movement b ...

of Mormon pioneers following their late-season start and subsequent winter journey to

Salt Lake City Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the capital and most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the seat of Salt Lake County, the most populous county in Utah. With a population of 200,133 in 2020, th ...

in 1856, the film emphasizes miracles individual participants reported having during the journey. The film was released in select theaters across the United States in the summer of 2011.

Plot

When Levi Savage, a former

Mormon Battalion The Mormon Battalion was the only religious unit in United States military history in federal service, recruited solely from one religious body and having a religious title as the unit designation. The volunteers served from July 1846 to July ...

member and

missionary A missionary is a member of a religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thomas Hale 'On Being a Mi ...

to Asia, agrees to assist the Willie Handcart Company as they journey to

in 1856, the late start and onset of a bitter winter leaves the pioneers unprepared and suffering as they cross the plains of the Midwestern United States. Elizabeth Panting, a woman who has converted to

the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a nontrinitarian Christian church that considers itself to be the restoration of the original church founded by Jesus Christ. The ch ...

(LDS Church), escapes her drunken husband with her two little children, joining the handcart company. With the threat of winter starvation, illness, wolves, freezing river crossings, and death following them throughout their journey, Levi and others also witness the occurrences of divine miracles that enable them to complete their journey and arrive in Salt Lake City.

Reception

Reviews of the film have been mixed. Critic Sean P. Means of '' The Salt Lake Tribune'' thought that Christensen's eye for striking cinematography gave the film a "glossy look" and Wade's portrayal of the hardy Levi Savage "held the film together." However, Means suggested that the film's structure as a series of vignettes was "wearying" and some of the low-budget effects were "distracting."

Notes

References

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External links

* * {{IMDb title, 1909270 2011 films 2010s adventure films 2010s biographical films 2010s English-language films American biographical films Mormon cinema Films set in the 1850s Films set in the United States Films directed by T. C. Christensen 2010s American films