September Dawn (2007) on Netflix
R20071h 51mDramaHistoryWestern
A wagon train bound for California crosses Utah in 1857. Emily Hudson, a pastor's daughter, and Jonathan Samuelson, a bishop's son, meet as suspicion grows between the settlers and the Mormons.
- Netflix3.3/5
- IMDb5.8/103,140 votes
- Rotten Tomatoes16%
Trailer
Plot summary
The Fancher party crosses Utah in 1857 on its way to California. Mormon militiamen advise the travelers to move on; Bishop Jacob Samuelson calms the encounter, but what he learns about them troubles him. One woman wears men's clothing, the group is taking racehorses to California for gambling, and some of the settlers come from Missouri, which he holds responsible for Joseph Smith's death and for the suffering of his people. He tells his sons Jonathan and Micah to keep watch. Jonathan and Emily Hudson, the daughter of the party's pastor, begin a relationship while Mormon leaders get ready to defend their territory against federal troops.
Cast
- Franklin E. Levinsonas Captain Baker
- Barbara Gates Wilsonas Martha Hudson
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about September Dawn (2007)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- The film is controversial because it represents the view that Brigham Young had a direct role in the massacre, while the LDS Church maintains that "the weight of historical evidence shows that Brigham Young did not authorize the massacre".
- Director Christopher Cain drew on historical records of the massacre, excerpts from speeches by Brigham Young, and the signed confession of John D. Lee, who led the attack. The massacre in the film was based on Lee's confession and staged as he had described it.
