After making his first film, "Girl Crazy," Richard Dutcher thought he would never make another movie. Dutcher, the writer, producer, director and co star of "God's Army," truly believed that being a faithful Latter-day Saint and a filmmaker was impossible.
"After I had graduated from BYU I went down to Los Angeles and started writing and acting," says Dutcher. " I was totally caught up in the mainstream film mentality."
When "Girl Crazy" was completed, he had a meeting with a distributor that would change the path of his career forever.
"[The distributor] was talking to me about how we were going to sell this movie. He was talking seriously when he asked me to go back and film some nude scenes and insert them...[into] the film.
"It was at that point when I thought, this isn't going to work. I was married, I had a son, and it was then that I realized that more than I wanted to be a filmmaker, I wanted to be a faithful Latter-day Saint--or at least, try to be.
"I consider that my Abrahamic sacrifice," says Dutcher.
Shortly after giving up making movies, Dutcher was looking through a local newspaper and noticing that the independent cinema movement was growing Dutcher noticed how gay and minority films were thriving with their target audiences.
"I was a little frustrated, and just in passing I thought, man, why can't we do that?"
And, according to the director, that was the moment when it all started to click together.
"As soon as I had [given up filmmaking], I feel that the Lord just said, 'here's what you're really meant to do,'" Dutcher says.
Getting "God's Army" to the screen however, would be a challenge all in itself.
Receiving funding for the film was not an easy process. Dutcher first approached wealthy members of the LDS faith about investing in the film, but they didn't seem to catch the vision of what Dutcher wanted to accomplish. Surprisingly, one of the initial investments was made by a Christian Scientist.
Dutcher also received some funding from two of his friends from his ward in Burbank, California. It wasn't one of the larger investments, says Dutcher, but the most important--what he considers his "widow's mite." "These weren't rich guys at all... I value that small amount of money as much as I value the big amounts that came later because of the sacrifice these guys made."
During the three-week shoot, Dutcher was adamant about not filming on Sundays, and feels things went more smoothly because of that. "Most low budget shoots, if they did an eighteen day shoot, would shoot eighteen days straight because you save money," says Dutcher. "I think a lot of blessings came because [we did not shoot on Sundays]."
The result of four years of labor is still not done -- while the film opens in Utah County and the Salt Lake area this Friday, other areas of Utah will not see "God's Army" until March 24. Depending on how well it does here in Utah, Dutcher's film could play in other parts of America, most likely in the major cities where the LDS Church has a temple.
Directed by: Richard Dutcher
Starring: Matthew Brown, Richard Dutcher, Jacque Gray, DeSean Terry
MPAA Rating: PG (mild vulgarity/brief violence)
When you think of LDS cinema, you probably think of "Saturday's Warrior" or... "Saturday's Warrior."
Mormons are not famous for making films for and about Mormons. Sure, there are talented LDS filmmakers who have successfully made it in the Hollywood system (namely Don Bluth, the animation mastermind behind "Anastasia" and the upcoming "Titan A.E." and Oscar-winner Keith Merrill). But when it comes to LDS-oriented movies, Mormons are often left with melodrama and oversentimentality, or even a watered-down depiction of their way of life (case in point: "Same River Twice").
But now Mormons have the pleasure of seeing "God's Army," the story of a missionary's struggle to find his own testimony while serving in the Los Angeles Mission.
Writer/Producer/Co-Star/Director Richard Dutcher has successfully accomplished what was once thought impossible: a film richly immersed in LDS theology and culture without having to sacrifice the dramatic elements necessary for a good storytelling.
Elder Allen (Matthew Brown) feels lost in the Los Angeles mission. His companion, Elder Dalton (Dutcher) is ten years Allen's senior and very gung-ho about preaching the gospel. Allen's stepfather is in prison; his mother has left the Church. He has no idea why he's on a mission. He's not even sure he knows what he is teaching is true.
One would think that the basic plot--an Elder's struggle to find meaning in his calling and in his faith--would seem a little too simple to sustain a film with a running time of an hour and forty-five minutes. But Dutcher proves there is a wellspring of experiences that all must go through to affirm that what one believes is what one knows.
Dutcher unapologetically portrays the missionaries as who they are: nineteen year-old kids with one of the most important jobs in the world. Dutcher shows us the silly pranks the Elders play on each other; the difficulties of teaching LDS doctrine to those not ready to hear it; the true joy the Elders feel when and investigator is ready to be baptized; the heartbreak when things fall apart.
The cast is exceptionally good; Brown and Dutcher are thoroughly convincing in their respective roles. Jacque Gray, who portrays Sister Fronk, accurately embodies the cattiness that some (not all) Sister missionaries possess.
The other Elders, played by DeSean Terry, Michael Buster, Luis Robledo and Jeff Kelly, also portray their characters with honesty and integrity.
"God's Army" is truly a different experience for the LDS movie going audience. It is a glorious reflection of the culture of Mormon missionaries which has never really been given the chance to be seen.
Many returned missionaries can firmly testify there is much more to missionary work than baptisms and member-served meals. Those who have not served missions can not completely grasp the "missionary experience."
But now they can try.
Filmmaker Richard Dutcher has taken it upon himself to produce God's Army, a film about culture of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This film is opening Friday in Rexburg at the Holiday theater.
Dutcher said he felt a responsibility to follow the words of Spencer W. Kimball, president of the LDS Church in 1977.
Kimball spoke of a future day when talented, inspired Church members would film the stories of Mormonism, "... a day when our films, charged with the faith, heartbeats, and courage of our people would play in every movie center and cover every part of the globe. ... A day when Latter-day Saint filmmakers, with the inspiration of heaven, would produce masterpieces which will live forever."
Dutcher's film is revolutionizing the film industry by bringing the Latter-day Saint faith into focus. A topic only previously mocked or shallowly covered in films such as last year's Orgazmo, the Latter-day Saint culture is deeply explored in God's Army.
"It was excellent," said Daniel Jenson, a young man from Sandy, Utah, who is preparing to leave on his mission to Australia. "If you tune out the fact that you're in a theater it is totally a spiritual experience."
God's Army is centered on the mission story of Elder Brandon Allen, played by Matthew Brown.
The movie begins as Allen is "thrust into a mission in Los Angeles," according to Dutcher, and is forced to deal with a tragic history and his own developing faith.
The film covers everything from apartment cockroach collections to AWOL-companions, as well as an overbearing 29-year-old senior companion played by Dutcher himself. Many emotions such as discouragement, fear, despair and joy are touched upon through Allen's adventures.
Dutcher said he wrote the film to accurately portray humanity in missionary work.
"We (Latter-day Saints) never see ourselves represented accurately in the media," he said. "We need to tell our own stories because if we don't, other people are going to, and they're never going to get it right."
Some members of the Church did not approve of Dutcher's portrayal of religious ordinances, such as blessings and prayers, in the film. "There are some sacred things in it that shouldn't be shown to everyone," Jenson said.
God's Army is not sponsored or funded by the LDS Church but closely follows the doctrine of the Church and is written solely for its members, Dutcher said. He hopes that Mormon audiences choose to see God's Army instead of the other films Hollywood produces.
"They need to recognize I made it for them, not the rest of the world," he said.
God's Army is the No. 1 film in Salt Lake right now and will be opening around the country and in several international cities.
There will be a sneak preview of God's Army in Rexburg Wednesday at 7 p.m. Contact the Holiday Theater for details.
We wish there were even more new movie releases to tell you about that meet our criteria of being quality entertainment while being wholesome and decent. Hollywood continues to incorporate excessive violence and illicit sex in films and replacing wholesome entertainment with filth. However, despite this distressing news, we give our sincere compliments to Disney for The Straight Story and Toy Story 2 and to Fox 2000 for Anna & The King.
Return to Me...
The Straight Story...
My Dog Skip...
Stuart Little...
Anna and the King...
Toy Story 2...
Runaway Bride...
Tarzan...
God's Army
GOD'S ARMY is a story about those weird Mormon missionaries you see
around town in their shirts and ties, peddling by on bikes or just walking. In this story,
you'll see what happens to Brandon Allen and his companions on the streets of Los
Angeles--quite a contrast to back home in Kansas.
Brandon is paired up with a hard-nosed companion who has problems of his own.
The chemistry isn't there and the two don't hit it off well at all. As you'll see in this
true-to-life film, Allen and his companions are far from perfect. You may be surprised at
the clowning around a bunch of missionaries do in their apartment. You'll laugh at their
dumb mistakes. You'll get caught up in the lives of the people they meet. Whether you know
lots about the Mormons, or absolutely nothing, you'll find this powerful movie intriguing.
It's funny. It's sad. And it may be a little shocking in some places. If you think this is
a film produced about these missionaries by their church, it isn't--not at all. It's about
19 and twenty-something kids--who for the most part, try to do what's right--but who have
flaws and fleas. Two go AWOL. One goes home. The other decides to stay. But these are just
asides in a powerful drama that will tug at your heartstrings in between lots of laughs.
As a talented independent producer, Richard Dutcher set out to create stories
and films about his people, much in the same vein as Fiddler On The Roof tells a
story about people who are Jewish and The Sound of Music tells a story about a
family that is Catholic. However, God's Army is no musical and is much faster
moving than those two classics. Besides, Dutcher doesn't hesitate to bring up subjects
that antagonists of his religion like to talk about. Dutcher is a very good story-teller
and an excellent producer.
The casting couldn't be better. And what may surprise some, most of the cast
members are not Mormons. As you watch this movie, the acting is so good that you'll think
the characters are real people. In fact, the story is pure fiction, with some incidents
based on real experiences. But all these things are what make this an interesting and
entertaining movie.
As the final scenes faded from the screen in a special pre-release screening,
the audience erupted into a loud applause. Then the credits rolled. And after the credits
ended, this audience, which consisted of more non-Mormons than Mormons, broke out in a
second round of sustained applause. As I wiped the tears from my eyes, I knew Dutcher's
movie was going to be a success. By the way, if you are thinking of waiting for this film
to come out on video instead of seeing it at a theater, think again. This movie is not
coming out on video--for a long time--and you won't want to wait till then.
Produced and directed by Richard Dutcher. Starring Matthew Brown, Jacque Gray, Richard
Dutcher, Desean Terry, Michael Buster, Luis Robledo, Jeff Kelly, John Pentecost, Kelli
Coleman, Lynn Carr, Anthony Anselmi, Todd Davis, Peter Jackson, Seamus Hurley, and Doug
Stewart. 2000
Reviewed by:Carl
Date: 28 April 2000
Rank: 0 stars
The cheap shots were cheap. The humor was sophomoric and not representative of the majority of missionaries I have known. There are some things that should not be trivialized no matter what audience the filmaker is wishing to reach. There were some teachings that raised legitimate questions, but the film was too shallow to answer them in a meaningful way and it appeared to me that the missionaries did not have answers for investigators questions. They were nearly APOLOGETIC that they did not know the truthful reponses! The notion that this film was "spiritual" is wrong. It may have been "emotional" but I was left feeling quite uneasy about the treatment of sacred things on film. This film was mediocre as art and I would not recommend it to anyone.
Dubbed "the little Mormon movie that could" because it was the top-grossing movie in Utah a few weeks ago, "God's Army" is being marketed as a different kind of American independent film. According to the press kit, it's "an insider's look at what being a Mormon and being a missionary is all about."
It isn't always a pretty picture. These missionaries gang up on backsliding members in bus stations, where such seductive terms as "coward" and "deadbeat" are used to prevent the doubters from escaping. They tell leper jokes. They open the bathroom door and take flash pictures of each other on the toilet. They pour salt on each other's cereal.
They brightly announce "all right, let's do some good," as they move from house to house. They coerce a reluctant Catholic to accept the claim that "Jesus visited the Americas after his resurrection." In a showdown over literature, The Book of Mormon bests "War and Peace" and "The Grapes of Wrath."
In one scene, a black couple is given only vague rationalizations when they question Mormon treatment of African-Americans and women. Homosexuals are not mentioned, though the appearance of a pretty waitress makes it clear that all the males here are comfortably straight: "If you don't look once, you're not a man."
The hero of "God's Army" is a 19-year-old Kansas City innocent, Brandon Allen (played by Matthew Brown), whose stepfather has recently gone to prison for child molestation. Brandon is grateful that he wasn't one of his victims. His real father betrayed and abandoned him when he was 7.
When he arrives in Los Angeles to join what one of his new colleagues calls "the greatest mission in the world," more than one Mormon reminds him that he's not in Kansas anymore. In no time, Brandon is addressing his new mentor, Mark Dalton (Richard Dutcher), as "Pops."
Dutcher, who also wrote, produced and directed the movie, does a competent job of telling a story, but he's mostly preaching to the converted. And when his character insists that no one here is out to convert anyone ("We just give them the tools"), he's at his least convincing.
Rating: *1/2
"God's Army," with with Matthew Brown, Richard Dutcher. Written and directed by Dutcher. 107 minutes. Bella Bottega, Everett Mall, Uptown. "PG" - Parental guidance advised because of thematic elements and some language.