The Best Two Years

2004
PG
1h 52m

IMDb RATING

7.5/10

1.7K

YOUR RATING

Two pairs of Mormon missionaries from America live in a beaten-up apartment in the Dutch city of Haarlem. Their personalities are distinctly different. Appropriately, the most responsible one, Elder Johnson, is the District Leader and oversees their efforts. His companion, the vain Elder Van Pelt, seeks to become the assistant to the mission president (the top post available) as soon as possible, and he receives letters from three girlfriends he left behind. The capable Elder Rogers has become disillusioned and inattentive to his duties ever since a previous missionary companion returned to America, looked up and married Elder Rogers' girlfriend. As a result he is simply marking time until he returns home in a few weeks time. The three meet Elder Rogers' new companion, Elder Calhoun, in the train station. This new elder is a nerdy but enthusiastic "greenie" that has just arrived from the Missionary Training Center (MTC) in Utah. Unfortunately his training did not give him much fluency in the Dutch language, but as luck would have it, the first person he approaches to proselytize is a fellow American named Kyle. In the weeks that come, Elder Johnson and Van Pelt increasingly irritate each other while in contrast Elder Rogers and Calhoun begin to relate in a positive fashion as they teach Kyle about the Mormon faith.

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Comedy Drama

Two pairs of Mormon missionaries from America live in a beaten-up apartment in the Dutch city of Haarlem. Their personalities are distinctly different. Appropriately, the most responsible on... Read allTwo pairs of Mormon missionaries from America live in a beaten-up apartment in the Dutch city of Haarlem. Their personalities are distinctly different. Appropriately, the most responsible one, Elder Johnson, is the District Leader and oversees their efforts. His companion, the va... Read allTwo pairs of Mormon missionaries from America live in a beaten-up apartment in the Dutch city of Haarlem. Their personalities are distinctly different. Appropriately, the most responsible one, Elder Johnson, is the District Leader and oversees their efforts. His companion, the vain Elder Van Pelt, seeks to become the assistant to the mission president (the top post av... Read all

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.5/10

1.7K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Videos1

Trailer 1:49

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Storyline

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Trivia
The entire film was shot in four weeks. All exterior shots were filmed in Haarlem, a suburb of Amsterdam, while the interior shots were filmed in Alpine, Utah.

Goofs
When Elder Rogers pulls the Book of Mormon from the trash can the title clearly says "Das Buch Mormon", which is German. When he later returns the book to Elder Calhoun the title is written in Dutch.

Quotes
Elder Steven Van Pelt: Get lost?
Elder John Rogers: How'd you mean that? As in, did I? Or you'd like me to?

Connections
Referenced in It's Latter-Day Night! Live Comedy (2003)

Soundtracks
The Best Two Years
Composed by Michael McLean

User reviews27

Review

Featured review

Moving and with great acting

I saw this last night with my wife while we were down visiting her family in Cedar City and I was moved by the acting and by the touching messages. It was more of a serious, realistic storyline with still a lot of great humor. Unlike Singles Ward and RM (where if you aren't LDS, you might not get the one liners and jokes) this is something for a non-LDS audience to enjoy and be touched deep inside as well. I think that BEST TWO YEARS rivals GOD'S ARMY as far as warm human emotions. All four Elders were great as well as the "convert" I think that the producers have shown in this film, while they're still getting off of the ground, and maybe a bit rough around the edges, that they are trying to have versatility, versatility that they need to continue to succeed. The Comedies (HM Teachers, RM, and SIngles Ward) and the more serious and touching (Best Two Years and God's Army). I hope that they continue to make more LDS films-practice makes perfect.