There
haven't been a lot of films based on the LDS religion. Usually when there are,
their played as a joke (like in the insipid Orgazmo). For it's insightful look
at a Los Angeles mission, I respect God's Army for it's openness.
Written
and directed by Richard Dutcher (who also plays a role in the film), God's Army
shows the daily rigors of missionary work through the eyes of a group of young,
wide-eyed missionaries.
I'm
not a member of the church and what I really admired about God's Army is that
it doesn't seem to look down on non-members. In fact, there are many moments in
the film in which, during discussions, important questions are asked. Questions
that a lot of non- members may have. In the end, the message I got is that maybe
the church isn't for everybody. I like the fact that Dutcher had the sense to
write a well rounded story. There is, however, a moment near the film's end that
aggravated me. A moment which, to me, came across as dishonest and something you'd
be likely to see on one of those evangelist TV shows.
God's
Army does have relatively good production values. It seems like a Hollywood production
with the exception of Matthew Brown's performance. He came across as stiff and
slightly uncomfortable.
God's
Army isn't a great film. It's sappy at times and moves at a slow pace, but I do
respect it for showing a side of the church that I've never seen in film before.
Hollywood has a regrettable tendency toward making characters that hale from Utah
into psychos.
