John H. Groberg's book, In the Eye of the Storm, is the basis for the 2001 Disney film, The Other Side of Heaven, relating Groberg's time as a Mormon missionary on the South Pacific Tongan islands.
Set in the 1950s, The Other Side of Heaven focuses primarily on the actual experience of being a "stranger in a strange land". Groberg's (Christopher Gorham) story begins at college, where he meets and falls in love with Jean (Anne Hathaway). Dispatched to Tonga for his mission, he is taken aback by the primitive land, as well as by the animosity of the natives. Despite the hostility, along with hurricanes and pressure from his superiors, Groberg perseveres, aided greatly by letters from Jean.
Filmed in New Zealand, the film made liberal use of locals for extras, which lends a convincing realism to the production. Co-producer Gerald R. Molen, a protege of Steven Spielberg, won an Academy Award for 1993's Schindler's List.
