First produced in 1999, “One Man, Six Wives, and 29 Children” tells the surreal story of a polygamist who lives with his large group of children in the middle of the Utah desert. The filmmakers document the family’s day-to-day lives and explore controversial aspects of the fundamentalist Mormon beliefs that shape their way of life.
Tom Green, 51, is the head of the family. Twenty years ago, he left The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to practice polygamy, a practice long banned by church officials. Green, who was convicted after the film’s release and released from prison in 2007, came across as a genius who justified his actions out of indelible religious convictions.
His wives felt the same way. While acknowledging the concerns of the outside world, they feel that their lifestyles reflect a divine calling from God that they have longed for since childhood. They didn’t see their common husband as a pervert, and both claimed they felt valued, supported, and free to express their individuality. The cameras did not detect any signs of jealousy or discord, even though two of the women were revealed to be mother and daughter.
The children were home-schooled, and some were the same age or older than one or more of the father’s wives. The situation is further complicated when her father considers a seventh wife, who is also the crush of his young son.
As the film progresses, we gain insight into the family’s bizarre living conditions, their sex life, and the challenges of supporting such a large family on over $36,000 a year. We also learn that Green and his family aren’t as unique as one might think. During the production of the film, we were told that there were over 50,000 illegal polygamists in the area.
Most viewers are likely to be both horrified and fascinated by the reality depicted in “One Man, Six Wives, and 29 Children.”
Directed by: Jane Treays
