God's Army

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.

I attended an open house for the recently completed 97th Mormon Temple and was once again impressed by these 'true believers' - men and women of steadfast religious conviction (some would say, the product of communal brainwashing). But judging by "God's Army", an honest and down-to-earth depiction about Mormon conversion, you have to say the young members are far from being willing robots, ready to accept their faith. It took a lot of guts for writer, director, and star Richard Dutcher to make this mainstream religious feature that, on the whole, is both inspiring and entertaining. But in his quest for a wide audience, Dutcher has toned down the religious preaching and built up a story about multi-ethnic characters in the heathen Los Angeles. Devoid of some proselytizing however, we don't fully appreciate the Mormon beliefs nor their missionary work. The various conflicts in the story and their syrupy resolutions also lent themselves more to the "Touched by an Angel" TV series. That being said, "God's Army" has several good points. The humor is both refreshing and yet self-directed: in their pristine mission quarters, the men have a posted cockroach board with specimen and species identification; Elder Sandoval boosts himself above a railing to face the famous Hollywood sign as he delivers his salvation message even as his fellow missionaries are throwing pieces of food at him; and the house antic is to take pictures of fellow missionaries sitting on the commode. The acting (mostly first-timers) is surprisingly good, especially the genuine chemistry between Elder Dalton (Dutcher) the mentor and Elder Allen (Matthew Brown) the student. In their shared dialogues, we learn much about a disciplined lifestyle that will lead to personal growth and salvation. It isn't afraid to air out dirty laundry in discussing issues of black bigotry and dissent to the Book of Mormons. It shares with us flawed characters trying to overcome their barriers - Elder Allen raised by a stepfather who baptized him to the Mormon faith and later landed in prison for child molesting, Sister Fronk unable to commit to a Mormon suitor because of her inadequate faith, and Elder Kinegar who could not overcome his religious disbeliefs. "God's Army" isn't a film for everyone because in witnessing men and women struggling to understand their faith and commitment, we are bound to ask ourselves the same questions.

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.

Most people don't know who this Richard Dutcher is nor do they know the real personal beliefs of the LDS church, AKA Mormons. Some say they're gay haters and others say they've neglected blacks and woman rights and privileges.

Richard Dutcher does not have to prove anything to anyone. He is himself and does what he feels and wants just like the rest of us. While he stays peacefull about his work, others critic and show thier anger. Some LDS and non LDS members are against what he does but my personal opinion is this. Gods army is a film that helped him put his own missionary experiences on film. Stuff that might have happened in his life and I know he is proud to see it put up on screen. He doesn't have to be contraversial like all this art house cinema garbage. Bad language nudity, and politics dont have to be a part of every film. This movie explained the things he wanted to explain and helped me understand more about the LDS community. Not all of them are the same and not all of them are strong in the faith. The movie does let us know that some how these young men can change the lives of many for Good. Ive seen more Reverence,happiness, and success in this religion than any other in my life. I believe after seeing this film it would be important for me to be a part of it. I dont hate anyone no mater how extreme or different they are. Their all Gods children. This movie lets us know that some need a little more help than others. This is my review and I suggest the next time someone critics without knowing how to make a film or without having made one ever, they should keep to themselves or show us they can do better Smile everyone, Life is beautiful Jeffrey

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.