BAPTISTS AT OUR BARBECUE — ** — Dan Merkley, Heather Beers, Duane Stephens; rated PG (violence, mild vulgarity); see Playing at local theaters for theaters.

The one real disappointment with "Baptists at Our Barbecue" is that it's not funnier.

Technical gaffes aside (hey, it's a low-budget film), "Baptists" is the first LDS-centric comedy that tells a real story and looks like a real movie (aside from "The Best Two Years," which, arguably, isn't strictly a comedy).

In addition, the cast is appealing and genial enough to put a smile on your face.

But a punchier script with more quips certainly would have helped "Baptists" become more than merely a mild diversion, and maybe more than just a local sensation.

"Baptists at Our Barbecue" is based on the popular LDS novel about Tartan Jones (Dan Merkley, from "The Work and the Story"), a single Mormon who's on the cusp of his 30s. To escape marital pressures in Utah County, he's accepted a job as a forest ranger in the tiny community of Longfellow, affectionately referred to as "Longwinded."

Those living in the town are evenly divided over religion. Half the townsfolk are LDS, while the other half are Baptists. And few if any of them get along.

Tartan is doing what he can to change that. At the same time, he's attempting to romance another new arrival, Charity Hall (Heather Beers, from "Charly"), who's a bit leery of Tartan and his attention — especially since she was burned in a previous relationship.

The film is heavy on supporting characters, including the town's good-natured sheriff (Duane Stephens, of "Benji: Off the Leash"), the ranger whom Tartan replaced (Charles Halford) and Tartan's meddlesome mother (Jan Broberg-Felt), who comes to Longfellow to check up on her son.

The film's tone gets a little too serious in places, and co-screenwriter/director Chris Vuissa allows some scenes to run on a little long.

But he has pulled good performances from his cast; the Utah-based actors are among the film's strongest assets. Merkley and Beers demonstrate believable chemistry, and Stephens is a welcome comic presence (his character deserves more screen time).

"Baptists at Our Barbecue" is rated PG for a couple of scenes of violence (fisticuffs and brawling, done mostly for laughs), some mildly vulgar humor involving bodily functions and use of some creative profanity. Running time: 92 minutes.

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E-mail: jeff@desnews.com