3 LDS-genre flicks released on DVD

Three new DVDs of films in the so-called "Mormon genre" have been released in the past few weeks — though the first of these could break out of the pack as it is less LDS-specific.

• "Pride & Prejudice" (Excel, 2003, PG, $24.88). Just as "Clueless" was an update of Jane Austen's "Emma," so is this film an update of Austen's "Pride and Prejudice."

The first Mormon chick flick, if you will.

It's a cute, energetic, pastel-colored romantic comedy that never actually identifies its characters as LDS . . . they just happen to live in Provo, attend Brigham Young University and go to church together. And it's refreshing to see a modern movie about college-age kids that isn't a sleaze-fest.

Kam Heskin stars as Elizabeth Bennet, an aspiring novelist who works in a bookstore and is a bit haughty. Then, into her life comes British-born Will Darcy (Orlando Seale), who is even more arrogant . . . but there's something about him. Both actors are quite appealing, as are those in supporting roles.

The film is not without its flaws, including some big comic scenes — i.e. the girl who gets up and sings at a party and the church service that is hijacked by an obnoxious speaker — that prove to be too calculating and go on too long.

Yet, in many ways, the film far exceeds expectations and proves itself to be sweet and amusing, and a serious cut above most LDS comedies out there.

Extras: Widescreen, audio commentary (director Andrew Black , producer Jason Faller), text commentary, making-of featurette, outtakes, trailers, DVD-ROM application, optional English subtitles, chapters.

• "The Work and the Story" (Do It Now, 2003, not rated, $20.95). If ever there was a film that people outside the LDS faith won't get, this is it; the jokes are extremely inside.

A mock documentary in the tradition of "This is Spinal Tap" and "A Mighty Wind," "The Work and the Story" is about the LDS filmmaking community falling into disarray when Richard Dutcher, whose "God's Army" "created" the genre, disappears.

Dutcher proves to be a good sport by playing himself here, and he provides the film's highlight when he is finally "found" in a spoof of "Cast Away." And digressions about oddball filmmakers' projects and some of the comments from people who are interviewed are amusing. But the obnoxious main character, a failed LDS filmmaker — played by co-writer/director Nathan Smith Jones — wears out his welcome rather quickly.

In fact, the biggest problem here is that the film is just too long, although it's only an hour-and-a-quarter.

Extras: Widescreen, text commentary, deleted scenes, text biographies, (unreadable) newspaper clippings, trailers, art gallery, music video, chapters.