EP 539 – Once I Was Engaged – Lisa Valentine Clark, Hailey Smith, and Tanner Gillman

The Boss

The stars and creative forces behind "Once I Was Engaged" join us for a riveting discussion on LDS cinema.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 49:58 — 45.8MB) | Embed

We’re pumped to have back in the TWiM dungeon Lisa Valentine Clark and Hailey Smith – threepeating! – and Tanner Gillman, stars of the new film, Once I Was Engaged, a sequel to 2015’s Once I Was a Beehive, for which we interviewed Lisa and Hailey at the time.

So how did a sequel to a beloved film about girls camp come about, this time focusing on a different character and following a different arc? How did COVID affect filming plans, particularly in Hawaii, where BYU and the Polynesian Cultural Center were basically shut down at the time? What inspirations did the actors take for their characters.

Learn more about the state of Latter-day Saint cinema, what’s working, and what we can do as the paying public to make it even better and more accessible. Is it difficult to make a film that is broadly appealing while keeping the overall plot in an LDS lane?

Once I Was a Beehive reasonably subverted expectations upon its release, is Once I Was Engaged designed to do the same?

You can also listen to Hailey and Lisa talk improv comedy on their BYUtv program, Show Offs, which recently concluded its third season, in a previous interview below.

EP 452 – ‘Show Offs’ with Lisa Valentine Clark and Hailey Smith

Big thanks to everyone for being part of this week’s show. Once I Was Engaged will be out in Utah cinemas on July 21st, and as is the case with most LDS cinema, a strong first week can make all the difference. So if you are interested in seeing the film (we have, and we recommend it), make haste to the cineplex!