It took eighteen years. Most sequels happen within three, maybe five years if the studio is dragging its feet. But the gap between the original film and The Other Side of Heaven 2: Fire of Faith was long enough for an entire generation to grow up. If you remember the first one, you probably remember a young Anne Hathaway and Christopher Gorham in a story about a missionary in Tonga. It was a sleeper hit, a quiet DVD staple in households that wanted something earnest.
Then, silence.
For nearly two decades, the story of John H. Groberg just sat there. Honestly, most people assumed the book had been fully closed. But in 2019, Mitch Davis returned to the director's chair to tell the "rest of the story," and it wasn't exactly what people expected. It wasn't just another "missionary in a foreign land" trope. It was more about a father, a sick child, and an incredibly tense intersection of faith and medicine.
What actually happened in The Other Side of Heaven 2?
The movie picks up in the 1960s. John Groberg, played again by Christopher Gorham (who somehow looked exactly the same despite the massive time jump), returns to Tonga. This time he isn't a bumbling 19-year-old kid who doesn't know how to husk a coconut. He’s the mission president. He’s got his wife, Jean—played this time by Natalie Reese instead of Anne Hathaway—and a bunch of kids in tow.
Here is the thing: the stakes shifted from external survival to internal crisis.
When their sixth child is born with a life-threatening illness, the movie stops being a travelogue and starts being a hospital drama set against a tropical backdrop. There’s a specific scene involving a blood transfusion and a Tongan minister that basically anchors the entire emotional weight of the film. It’s based on Groberg’s actual memoir, The Fire of Faith, and it leans heavily into the idea that miracles don't always look like magic tricks. Sometimes they look like people from different religions stopping a feud to save a baby.
The Anne Hathaway factor and the casting shifts
People always ask why Anne Hathaway didn't come back. Let's be real. In 2001, she was a newcomer. By 2019, she was an Oscar winner with a schedule that likely didn't have room for a niche indie sequel filmed on a tight budget.
Natalie Reese stepped into the role of Jean Groberg. It’s a tough spot to be in—replacing a massive star—but she played Jean with a certain grit that the sequel required. The first movie was a romance. This one was about a marriage under fire.
Why the long wait?
Money. It’s almost always money.
Mitch Davis has been very open in interviews about the struggle to fund independent films that don't fit the "blockbuster" mold. The Other Side of Heaven 2 wasn't backed by a massive studio like Disney or Warner Bros. It was a labor of love funded by private investors and people who felt the original film’s message was worth continuing.
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Wait. Let’s look at the filming locations too. The first movie was filmed in the Cook Islands because Tonga was a bit harder to navigate for a film crew at the time. For the sequel, they actually got onto the ground in Fiji. It gives the film a different texture. It feels less like a postcard and more like a lived-in place.
Faith-based films and the "sequel curse"
The faith-based film industry is weird. Usually, these movies are one-and-done. You get a hit like Fireproof or God's Not Dead, and then the creators move on to something else. Making a direct sequel to a movie that came out during the George W. Bush administration was a massive gamble.
Did it pay off?
Critics were split. Some felt it was too sentimental. Others argued that in an era of cynical, dark cinema, something unapologetically hopeful was necessary. If you look at the audience scores on sites like Rotten Tomatoes, there’s a massive gap between what the "pros" thought and what the families watching it thought.
One detail most people miss is the participation of the Tongan people themselves. The film used hundreds of locals as extras. It wasn't just a Hollywood crew dropping in; it was a collaborative effort. That matters. It’s why the cultural beats in the film feel authentic rather than caricatured.
The true story behind the "Fire of Faith"
John Groberg is a real person. He’s not a fictional character created for a screenplay.
The events in The Other Side of Heaven 2 are pulled from his journals. The specific incident where the Tongan community, including those who were traditionally at odds with the LDS missionaries, came together to pray for his son is a documented event.
- The Medical Crisis: The baby, John Junior, was born with a condition that required immediate, sophisticated medical care not readily available in the islands at the time.
- The Minister: The relationship between Groberg and the Tongan minister (played by Russell Dixon) represents the real-world religious tensions that existed—and were eventually overcome—during that era.
- The Legacy: Groberg eventually became a high-ranking leader in the LDS church, but he always pointed back to these years in Tonga as the defining moments of his life.
Honestly, the movie is less about "converting" people and more about the universal experience of feeling helpless when your kid is sick. That’s why it resonates beyond its specific religious niche.
Production hurdles and the Fiji shoot
Filming in the Pacific isn't a vacation for a film crew. You’re dealing with humidity that kills electronics, sudden tropical storms, and the logistical nightmare of getting equipment to remote islands.
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Mitch Davis had to navigate these same issues twice, nearly twenty years apart.
In the sequel, the cinematography is noticeably more modern. They used drones for sweeping shots of the reefs and the lush greenery, which gives the movie a much bigger "feel" than its budget would suggest. It’s a beautiful film to look at, even if you’re just watching it for the scenery.
Is it better than the first one?
It’s different.
The first movie has that "first love" energy. It’s about discovery. The sequel is about endurance. If you go into it expecting the whimsical charm of the original, you might be surprised by how heavy it gets. It deals with death, doubt, and the sheer exhaustion of service.
But that’s also its strength.
Most sequels just recycle the plot of the first movie. This one didn't. It grew up with its audience. The kids who watched the first movie on VHS were now parents themselves, likely dealing with their own "fires of faith" in their marriages or careers.
Understanding the cultural impact in Tonga
In Tonga, these movies are a big deal.
John Groberg is a household name there. The way the films portray Tongan culture—focusing on family, faith, and community—has earned them a lot of respect in the South Pacific. It’s rare for a Western film to treat an island nation with that much reverence instead of just using it as a background for an action scene.
The premiere of the film actually saw significant involvement from the Tongan royal family. That’s the level of impact we’re talking about. It’s not just "another movie" to them; it’s a piece of their modern history.
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What you should do after watching
If you’ve seen the film and want to dig deeper into what actually happened, there are a few things worth checking out.
First, read the actual book, The Fire of Faith. Movies always have to trim things for time. The book goes into much more detail about the specific cultural clashes and the internal thoughts Groberg had during the crisis with his son.
Second, look into the history of Tonga in the 1960s. It was a time of massive transition for the islands. Understanding the political and social climate of the time makes the stakes in the movie feel much more grounded.
Finally, check out the behind-the-scenes documentaries. There is a lot of footage showing how the crew interacted with the local villagers in Fiji. It’s almost as interesting as the movie itself.
Final takeaways for fans of the franchise
The Other Side of Heaven 2 serves as a rare example of a sequel that takes its time to get things right. It doesn't pander. It doesn't try to be "cool" or "edgy." It stays in its lane as a sincere, heart-on-sleeve drama about what it means to believe in something when everything is going wrong.
If you're looking for an action-packed blockbuster, this isn't it. But if you want a story that feels human, messy, and ultimately hopeful, it’s worth the two-hour investment.
To get the most out of the experience:
- Watch the original film first to refresh your memory on the characters' origins.
- Look for the cameos—there are several nods to the first film hidden in the background.
- Pay attention to the soundtrack; it incorporates traditional Tongan hymns that are hauntingly beautiful.
- Read up on the real John Groberg’s later life to see how his experiences in the sequel shaped his subsequent decades of service.
The film stands as a testament to the fact that some stories don't need to be rushed. Sometimes, waiting eighteen years provides the perspective necessary to tell the story the right way.