Was Director Hot For Main Actress?

Ok, I get how usual Hollywood films are. Focusing on the sexy and provocative physical aspects of their cast, even if the movie's plot is utterly unrelated to such a repeated foreground imagery. But this is a mormon movie, and shouldn't have been happening at all.
And yet, despite this religious context as well as the the film's decent storyline and strong narrative, there was repeated moments in scenes where the focus was stolen from the building plot to lie instead on the main actress. I didn't get and didn't like how often scenes would steal the film's focus to remark on the main actresses appearance.
Was the director sexually obsessed with her or something? Her appearance should've just been allowed to stand on its own merits. But yet the movie had at least 6 separate moments where the audience needed to be reminded of how they should feel about her looks.
It was just such a detraction and distraction from the actual decent overall plot.

Really wish this wasn't done.