Wonderful character development!

Some things I liked some I did not.

Great movie! If you want to be entertained and have a few good laughs, see this movie. The music is also very good,

This is a gorgeous movie made by a gorgeous spirit.

***PLOT SPOILERS***This is a slow moving western that is perhaps more about forgiveness than redemption. The film is based on a true story, one that was more interesting than the film portrays. This film focuses on the life of Henry Heath (John Freeman) a sheriff in Utah. After they find and convict Jean Baptise (David Stevens) of grave robbing, he is exiled to an island where Henry takes him food and water to the dismay of the people he wronged.The film holds your interest in a minimal sort of way as any docudrama might. I liked the scenery and costumes of the period, but the story was bland.They missed the good historical parts. For instance, Brigham Young had to assure the residents that their loved ones would still rise during the resurrection, even without wearing their clothes. The clothes were not found as the film depicts, but rather stacked neatly and folded in boxes. The clothes were all buried together so they can resurrect with their respective owners.Jean Baptise is seen as dying in the film in an attempt to escape. He apparently did escape and his fate was unknown. I thought history would have made a better ending, but the film maker chose for closure for Henry Heath.The film is light on religion, far less religion than I expected from the title and location.Parental Guide: No swearing, sex, or nudity.

Unbelievable no one knows about this film. Very well done, great performances all around.However, John Freeman's performance was especially poignant. And to think he was such an inexperienced actor at the time. His performance was befitting and seasoned veteran. I look forward to seeing him in more films.Very intelligently done, I love how the direction of this film left so much to the viewer. This proves that great film doesn't have to show/explain everything. The violence was inferred yet not glorified nor shown in graphic detail. Thank you to the cast and crew for a truly incredible film. And as another reviewer pointed out, Barry Corbin continues to just be such a pleasure to watch. From Six Pack and Permanent Record to No Country For Old Men, Mr. Corbin always knocks it out of the park.

(May contain a spoiler) To me, this was a very moving movie. All the folks in this town, are caught between a rock ... and a hard place. Sadly, most want to lash out, instead of try and forgive. And, they can't really be blamed. The acting was pretty good, with special nods to Kidder, Stevens, and Freeman. Stevens did excellent, as the centerpiece to the story. Kidder was pretty good, in her best role in years. And Freeman did a pretty good job with what he had to work with. To think of how we would react, under similar circumstances ... it gives a person quite a bit to think about. Most of us would probably be just like the townsfolk. But it all really boils down to ... can we forgive the hurt, and try to rise up and be something better? Or, do we succumb to the natural hurt and shock ... and not realize that, while criminals SHOULD be punished, there HAS to be a limit to the lengths that some would go to. Especially when the crime was not to the extent of, say ... perhaps a murder/murders.

Just finished watching this movie at about 2:00 this morning. Despite the late hour and the approach of sleep, I had to check in here to see what the word was: three reviews. To be honest, I was surprised at how few people took the time to do more than punch in rating numbers. I was deeply moved by this story, and characters who seemed less like actors than real people from the period. Barry Corbin, long a favorite, was wonderful, as was Margot Kidder. Yes, it was generally slow moving, but oftentimes so is real life. Struggle, sadness and redemption don't come with explosions and car chases. And "westerns" needn't always come with blazing guns and fistfights. Moreover, most of us don't fall into categories of good or evil. Everyone in Redemption did what they thought was right, or at least necessary. I think these considerations will remain as images in my mind's eye for a long time. I liked, cared for and understood these people. They are us.