God's Army

I had a chance to see a screening in Utah with Richard Dutcher. He said that he made the film for the LDS community so they could see a bit of themselves on screen in an entertaining way. After having seen the movie, I agree that is what he accomplished.

For a Mormon to wade through movies where they are portrayed as rustics, idiots or laughing-stocks (My Five Wives, or Orgazmo, anyone?) is tiring. For a Mormon to wade through other movies about people who act immorally (in their view) and are praised in the movie for it (any action film, and many romances) is equally tiring or even offensive. He thought 5 million Mormons in the US wanted to see something different. He was right.

He did not make the film to proselytize to non-mormons, address or explain "issues" about the Mormon church, teach doctrinal points or any other such thing. Anyone saying otherwise probably missed the entire "raison d'etre" of the movie.

The plot was a bit more formulaic than one might like, but less so than any "Action movie blockbuster" of the year (For example, did anyone really *wonder* how the plot of "Gladiator" would develop?).

The acting was solid. That's pretty suprising for essentially an indy. Dutcher said that only a few of the actors were Mormon, but they were convincingly Mormon. The dialog was good and too jargon-filled for any non-mormon to follow 100%. It wasn't the movie's intent to provide explanations for these things. If you need a glossary for the movie, ask the target audience. The music was well done, contributed to the movie without being to obtrusive. The production was very professional, even considering it was done on a shoestring budget and shot in less than 3(?) weeks.

Compared to such high-profile stinkers as the Blair Witch Project, this movie was masterpiece. Compared to a masterpiece, it was good, not stellar but good.

That's my $.02 opinion. Take it for what it is.

N.

P.S. For those who wonder if the movie is a "realistic" portrayal of Mormon missionary life, the answer is "yes, it is inasmuch as a 108 minute movie can do."

Let me first say that I am not a member of the LDS church. In fact I am agnostic. I recommend that if you are Mormon, you skip over this review.

I enjoyed watching this film. The way you enjoy listening to a lecture about an ancient civilization. The story is very simply about Mormon missionaries, with subplots that have varying degrees of creditability. This film is not a sanitized, sugar coated view of missionary life (aside from an obvious lack of profanity from those who slam the door in the face of missionaries). In fact, the opening scene of the movie consists of a drive through LA. Along the way you see tattoo parlors, strip clubs, and cops in the process of arresting a criminal. This film even contains a pair of prostitutes (don't get to excited, there is nothing going on).

The films main character is Elder Brandon Allen, a 19-year-old kid from Kansas. Allen is confused about the purpose of his mission and is struggling with the collapse of his family (his mom is leaving the church and his step-dad who brought him into the church is in prison for molesting children). Brandon's companion is Elder Dalton (played very well by director Richard Dutcher), a 29-year-old missionary who is dying of brain cancer. The relationship that develops between Allen and Dalton is predictable, but at the same time has the feel of realism.

There are a few scenes where we see the two missionaries attempting to share their religion with other, usually with the cliché reaction.

One thing that pleased me about this movie was the definite lack of religious ideas. Sure the missionaries pray and talk about God, but we are never given any real insight in to the fundamental ideals of Mormonism. In fact the film seem so devoid of these ideals that you get the impression that Dutcher was intentionally leaving them out. Perhaps because the majority of the audience will already know them and because the "others" don't need to hear them presented by this medium.

At times, God's Army starts to feel like an anti-Mormon movie. There is even a missionary who is reading books that question the validity of the ideas in the Book of Mormon.

The down points of this film include a under developed relationship between Allen and a female missionary. This relationship almost feels obligatory.

I was very drawn into the movie right up until the final 20 minutes. Dutcher ends the film in a way that is clearly intended to satisfy the Mormons.

If you like independent film and have an open mind, I would recommend seeing God's Army. If you like to go to a movie strictly for entertainment and don't like to think about what you're watching, you might want to skip this one.

I have seen this movie about three times. I consider it one of the best movies made by LDS. The movie portrays reality of LDS missionaries. I am a convert to the church (I was raised catholic), so I can relate to the scene with the dad and the two daughters. The movie is interesting all the way. I could not think of one dull moment. I like the fact that prayers were expressed throughout the movie in complete form. I was moved by the scene when the elder was ill. The reaction of the "greeny" was real: a nineteen-year old that did not know what to do in such a situation. I was also impressed by the other missionaries who quickly reacted by doing the proper procedures to prevent the ill missionary from getting hurt while having a seizure. I loved the eloquence with which the missionaries taught.

Some of the reviewers seem to have expected a movie that preaches mormonism. That is not what this movie appears to be. It is simply a snapshot of people's lives, living in a very unusual way in modern times. The characters seem real, the situations mostly non-contrived, and the writing is good.

This is just as much a movie about Mormons as Witness was a movie about the Amish. You get a glimpse into their lives and a small taste of what they believe and do, but the story is the important part.

Dutcher has stated that his purpose was to make movies for the mormon market, and if other people enjoyed them then that was ok. While it can be a little rough around the edges, it is a fine piece of independent cinema, and a joy to watch.

I really enjoyed it and I am looking forward to Dutcher's next effort, The Prophet, the story of the mormon prophet Joseph Smith. He is an interesting character and lived an interesting life, whether you believe he was a prophet or not.

Considering that 95% of all movies are the same old crap, it's a nice breath of fresh air when something new comes along. God's Army is the story of a Mormon missionary as he begins his mission in Los Angeles. Elder Brandon Allen (Matthew Brown) is from Kansas and a little unsure of what he is doing as a missionary. His companion is Elder Dalton (Richard Dutcher) who is teaching him the ropes. The two elders have to learn how to work together, and how to work with God, in order to help share the salvation that Jesus Christ offers his children. Some of the stuff that happens to them is pretty common, and some of it isn't. For the most part, it is generally accurate in its depictions of the Mormon missionaries, but some of it is a bit drawn out for the dramatic interest.

God's Army was marketed mainly to the LDS markets in the Western United States, so if you don't live there, you might have a hard time locating a copy of this one. If you have any interest in learning more about the Mormon missionaries or what they do, then this isn't a terrible movie. If you are a member of the LDS church, then this will be a pretty enjoyable movie. However, if you don't belong in either of those two categories, then you probably aren't going to like this movie very much. It deals with some highly spiritual topics in a fashion suited towards the LDS religion, and is all about sharing that gospel with the people in Los Angeles. It doesn't contain anything offensive to other religions, but it probably won't be too enjoyable to someone who isn't interested in learning more about the Mormon Religion. If you don't mind learning about other religions or just want to watch something different, anything different, then it's not a bad one to check out; but while the movie wasn't produced or sanctioned by the LDS Church, it does have quite a bit of that propaganda feel to it, so consider yourselves warned.