This thread discusses the Content article: Richard Dutcher: 'Parting words' on Mormon movies

I've started a film-maker carrer. I'm a colombian. I'll always be a mormon. Those things define me from the core of my being... and those are the things that make my life harder than it should be.

The first time I learned about Richard Dutcher was while serving a mission in Chile, and during a lunch a sister in the church put the God's Army DVD while the meal. It was in that moment that I realized that the cinema was meant to be for a living for me.

Back in home, after reading Dutcher's letter, first I felt betrayed, as he said, for I thought "how can somebody support something if he's not a part of it?", but in a great meaning of the word, I understand him. Cinema is not suppoused to be a brainwashing technique to show life as a perfect-idilic voyage (as some Mormon commercial cimena show), but to show a viewpoint, nothing more, nothing less.

If mormon cinema goes like crap, it's because it's not leading the viewer to anything, ergo, i't doesn't show a interesting viewpoint. Some comedies are pretty good, even here in Colombia, LDS members understand the jokes, but then what? Are those movies depicting the life of a normal mormon or just show the jokes surrounding the mormon culture? Mormon culture implies God, scriptures, temples, challenges, sin, forgiveness, life-changing experiences, even anti-mormon expressions, among other things, and if a LDS movie avoid at least some of those subjects, it's just a waste of time.

In other words, even while inactive, Brother Dutcher is right. Where's the real mormon viewpoint on commercial cinema?

I understand what Richard Dutcher is saying. Mormon filmmaking should not be tepid. It should not be facetious. It should not be cut and dry. It should be raw, edgy, honest and passionate. Honestly, when I watched an eagerly awaited movie about the journey of Lehi and his family into the wilderness, I could not believe that after many years of wandering they did not have a hair out of place, all looked like they had just stepped out of a shower, and their clothes looked factory woven, freshly cleaned and pressed. I guess the wilderness was not as grueling as I expected it to be. Coming hot on the heals of the greasy haired, dirty faced, rumpled clothing of Lord of the Rings it seemed quite disingenuous.

The gospel is blow-your-mind amazing! To me more fascinating than the most creative movie ever made or book ever written. The book of Mormon itself has more edgy action, blood and gore than the most prolific action movie. It has more passion than any love story ever put on film. Sacrifice, honor, redemption! A thousand stripling warriors! Abinadi's sermon before being tossed into the fire! Samuel the Lamanite standing steadfast on the wall while arrows are showered on him! And my kids' favorite - Ammon smiting off the arms of his aggressors.

How about the true life testimony I heard in person some 37 years ago. That Samoan brother told how his parents had been sent to a small island as missionaries. The chief and tribesmen came and built a great fire outside of their hut. He demanded they stop telling their lies and leave the island at once or they would chop their entire family up into small pieces and throw them into the fire. The mom started getting the family ready to flee but the father instead had them all dress in white. Then he, his wife and his small children all knelt on the ground in front of their home. The father told the chief that he and his men could carry out their threat, but his family was not leaving because they were bringing the truth to the inhabitants of the island. They were allowed to stay.

The stories of the pioneers are spectacular. With so much great material to draw from, why would Mormon filmmakers crank out such frivolity? I guess perhaps because the real thing just would not sell or would cost too much to make. How about just an honest depiction (not devoid of humor) of what it means to struggle daily to do what is right?

I'm writing a screenplay inspired by another first hand testimony I heard at a Sacrament meeting. The gentleman recalled how as a young man he had hopped in the car with his best friend and when they backed out of the driveway they ran over their neighbor's toddler. The dad screamed and screamed at them for what they had done. A year later he asked the two young men to go for a ride with him in his pickup. They got in but both thought they were gonners - dead meat. When they stopped and got out at a secluded clearing, the father apologized for his behavior at the time of his little child's death and asked for their forgiveness. The testimony bearer said they all sobbed and knelt down in prayer and finally had closure. You can read a summary in short story form (Sawdust Winter) at www.lumberjacksdaughter.com