September Dawn

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September Dawn

R

2007

1h 50m

History

Drama

Western

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

17%

Tomatometer

54 Reviews

49%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

In 1857 Capt. Alexander Fancher leads a wagon train of settlers across Utah to California. The Mormons eye the pioneers with suspicion when they stop in Mountain Meadows and demand that Fancher and his followers leave. Bishop Jacob Samuelson (Jon Voight) allows the travelers to stay for two weeks, and sends his son Jonathan (Trent Ford) to spy on them. What Jonathan does not know is that his father has dire plans for the innocent travelers, including the woman (Tamara Hope) Jonathan loves.

Critics Consensus

With its jarring editing, dull love story, and silly dialogue, September Dawn turns a horrific historical event into a banal movie.

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J. R. Jones

Chicago Reader

The villainous turns by Jon Voight (as a hard-hearted Mormon bishop) and Terence Stamp (as a bloodthirsty Brigham Young) would have been more fun if they weren't part of such a clumsy campaign to lay this tragedy at the church's doorstep.

Dec 3, 2007

Full Review

Marjorie Baumgarten

Austin Chronicle

Muddled, sloppy, and obfuscating.

Rated: 1/5

Aug 31, 2007

Full Review

Mark Olsen

Los Angeles Times

The workmanlike craftsmanship of Cain's filmmaking almost (but never quite) smooths over the ham-fisted way he conceives the story.

Rated: 2.5/5

Aug 30, 2007

Full Review

David Lamble

Bay Area Reporter

Cain and Schutter concoct a faux star-crossed young lovers tale to personalize the mayhem.

May 26, 2020

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Janos Gereben

Entertainment Insiders

Predictable, obvious, often silly.

Rated: 0.5/4

Nov 8, 2007

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Matthew Sorrento

Film Threat

Drama may benefit from attention to history, but history doesn't always make for good drama.

Rated: 1/5

Oct 16, 2007

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Audience Member

141011: Movies like this always make me wonder what the truth really is. Tragic story of which the producers obviously had a position. Not sure what the true story is, but always saddened by films featuring human hate. It's ok but can't give it more than three.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Looks like a high school project and thinks like a junior high school project.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

02/24/23

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Audience Member

This movie portrays Mormons as if they were a biker gang on the streets of L.A.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

01/17/23

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Audience Member

Quality film that all should see. Disturbing bit of history.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/29/23

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Audience Member

Underrated. 13%! It may not be great, but it is quite good and reasonably accurate (aside from the fictional romance).

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/02/23

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Audience Member

I'm pleased that this dark chapter of the Mormon Church, and of westward expansion has been addressed in film, but it's a shame that the result is so sappy and ham-handed.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

01/20/23

Full Review

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Christopher Cain

Director

Jon Voight

Bishop Jacob Samuelson

Trent Ford

Jonathan Samuelson

Tamara Hope

Emily Hudson

Jon Gries

Jon D. Lee

Lolita Davidovich

Nancy Dunlap

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Synopsis

In 1857 Capt. Alexander Fancher leads a wagon train of settlers across Utah to California. The Mormons eye the pioneers with suspicion when they stop in Mountain Meadows and demand that Fancher and his followers leave. Bishop Jacob Samuelson (Jon Voight) allows the travelers to stay for two weeks, and sends his son Jonathan (Trent Ford) to spy on them. What Jonathan does not know is that his father has dire plans for the innocent travelers, including the woman (Tamara Hope) Jonathan loves.

Director: Christopher Cain
Producer: Scott Duthie, Christopher Cain, Kevin Matossian
Screenwriter: Christopher Cain, Carole Whang Schutter
Production Co: Voice Pictures Inc., September Dawn LLC
Rating: R (Violence)
Genre: History, Drama, Western
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 22, 2007, Wide
Release Date (DVD): Jan 1, 2008
Box Office (Gross USA): $1.1M
Runtime: 1h 50m