LDS movies getting too safe? Genre founder criticizes films

Richard Dutcher, the so-called "godfather of modern LDS cinema," has lately become one of the genre's harshest critics. And his criticisms even extend to his own work.

"No one else takes me to task quite like I do," Dutcher told the Deseret Morning News. "I'm never satisfied with anything, which may be why it takes me so long to get my movies done."

Dutcher appeared headed for Next Big Thing status after the success of his 2000 drama "God's Army." However, his follow-up films — the 2001 mystery/thriller "Brigham City" and the 2005 "God's Army" sequel "States of Grace" — did not fare as well.

Speaking from the Provo offices of his Main Street Movie Co., the 42-year-old filmmaker said both movies "did get good reviews, but apparently there weren't too many people outside of the critics who wanted to see them."

At one time he also planned to make a movie biography of Joseph Smith, with Val Kilmer playing the LDS Church founder. But the funding and support for that project collapsed. Since then, he's been distancing himself from the genre he helped popularize.

In the outspoken writer, director and actor's opinion, "Mormon cinema has gotten too safe for its own good. There's nothing new being said in these films, which is pretty sad. It's as if they're too afraid to upset the target audience."

Dutcher has been working on a couple of new film projects but has experienced a series of setbacks — including a fire at his Mapleton offices last March.

Although he's been busy digging out, Dutcher says he is in the post-production process for "Falling," a drama that was shot around the same time as "States of Grace." Notoriously tight-lipped about his movie's plots, Dutcher did reveal that one character in the film is a Latter-day Saint who questions some of his beliefs.

As controversial as that sounds, it's nothing compared to a horror-thriller he recently shot locally, which is titled "Evil Angel."

That film has also been subject to "all sorts of wild speculation," Dutcher said. "Apparently it's the movie that's going to get me thrown out of this state," he said with a laugh, referring to rumors that the film might get an NC-17 rating. "You never really know what the MPAA is going to do with ratings, but I think this one could go either way — that means a PG-13 or R, not NC-17. I guess we'll see."

Still, at this point in his career, he isn't afraid to challenge audiences, especially those in Utah. "I've never really worried about that. At the end of the day, if I have a film that at least I can be happy with, well, I can live with that."

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