A review by Ryan Reeder

March 11, 2000

So what were my impressions of this movie? Well, before I saw it, I looked at everything I could get my hands on about it. I read their published review by Wade Major , Eric D. Snider's review from The Daily Herald, and reviews from BYU's The Daily Universe, The Deseret News, The Salt Lake Tribune, and The Ogden Standard Examiner . Their general consensus from a film critic's point of view was that it was well made, but starts to resort to cheap sentimentality toward the end. Overall, they indicated it was a good first step in a new field of Mormon Cinema. I also checked all of the characters' bios in the IMDB.com web page and saw the trailer several times. In addition there had started to be a bit of a backlash from people who felt that it didn't put Mormonism's best foot forward. It's similar to the attitudes some people have of spending all day cleaning house whenever someone comes by to visit; sure, the house may be dirty sometimes, but other people don't have to see that. God's Army, however, takes a decidedly different stance on the issue.

God's Army tells the story of Elder Brandon Allen (Matthew Brown), a new missionary from Kansas, and his experiences as he begins serving in the Los Angeles Mission of (The) Church of Jesus Christ of Lattter-day Saints. His companion, Elder Marcus "Pops" Dalton (Richard Dutcher) is assigned to be his trainer. The movie expores both positive and negative relationships between them, the other missionaries in their apartment and district, and with various investigators.

Not everything in the film was great. There were many instances that shocked me, or at least went against what I knew about missions. The absence of the titles, "Elder" and "Sister" is apparent about 90% of the time. Even the Mission President, from whom I would expect more, introduces Elder Dalton as "Dalton, but mostly we just call him 'Pops.'" I'm still unclear on the viability of marrying sisters from the mission. And talking about the number of investigators baptized bothered me ("Twelve is good. Eighty is better, but twelve is good"). Perhaps these sort of things happen more often in other missions.

Other instances rang true, however. Having a Cockroach Collection reminds me of the large bloodsucking bugs one companion of mine had taped inside his Missionary Manual. The truth that there are various kinds of missionaries as well as investigators is right on. All of the characters in the movie have problems; none are the 'perfect' missionaries seen in Called to Serve. Some are what we called 'snakes,' and they come as both investigators and missionaries. Here we see the hookers and Elder Sandoval taking on that role. There were some childish, immature pranks that went on, there was an 'Elder Foto' (he was one of my companions), and there were the missionaries that really knew why they were there, as well as those that had to find out at the beginning. It was no surprise to me that once Elder Allen discovered why he was there, for example, he was soon called to train and be a district leader. Oh yeah, and there were occasional flare-ups between Elders and Sisters, too.

At times it seems that this movie tries to pack in as much Mormon Doctrine as it can (though, come to think of it, polygamy was not addressed). We've got blacks and the priesthood, the word of wisdom (alcohol, tobacco, coffee), anti-Mormon literature, Joseph Smith, eternal families--you know, come to think of it, there were a lot of things it didn't take on. It just seemed that way from its not-so-subtle references.

As far as I could tell, despite the relative inexperience of the cast and crew (well, I don't know that much about the crew), the movie was extremely well acted and directed. At first, I was a little bothered by the seeming nowhereness of the plot, the lighting was generally low and the scenes were filled with crude humor such as missionaries taking pictures of each other on the pot, etc. Then comes the central scene. If this scene is missed, then it comes as no surprise when I hear that some people didn't like the movie.

SPOILER WARNING! Highlight the text with your mouse to read.

One of the missionaries, Elder Kinegar (Michael Buster), who has been studying anti-Mormon literature loses faith and goes to a bus stop at 2 a.m. Elders Allen and Dalton pursue him in the middle of the night. There is a heated exchange and a scuffle, but when Elder Dalton confronts Kinegar, he finds out it's really too late. The man denies his testimony and walks away. There's nothing that can be done. Elder Allen doubts his own testimony. In one of the many poignant scenes of the film, Elder Dalton tells him he has to find out for himself. He prays. Here the cinematic effects are especially well done. We hear outside a car that won't start, a police siren, and a chopper, representing perhaps, that nothing is happening, the words won't come, the urgency and eventual movement of the situation, and the words flying heavenward. Finally he gets his answer and he knows--and those that have ears to hear know--that it's all true and real. From here, things start looking up. The next scene shows him in a white room with Mr. Morales (who refuses to give permission for his daughter to be baptized). Earlier we were here and we felt uncomfortable. Now with the lighting and situation, we feel good, and Brother Morales prays and gives permission for his daughter to be baptized. She comes out, having overheard the exchange and embraces the elders. This scene is the hinge on which the entire movie rests.

True to life, however, once this first challenge is overcome, others follow quickly on its heels. Sometimes miracles occur, and sometimes they don't. When Elder Dalton gives Benny a blessing, I felt that Richard Dutcher was walking a tightwire and starting to tread on sacred ground. It was handled beautifully. The part that the critics complain about being sappy sentimentalization, I think, was what held the entire film together. This was the Christlike sacrifice, symbolizing the entire purpose for missionary work. Dutcher doesn't come out and hit you over the head with it--which is appropriate--but it's there. We know it's going to happen from early on in the movie--just as Christ repeatedly, and ever more explicitly informed his apostles of his impending and necessary death. Perhaps when the pills are dropped down the sink prior to the blessing scene is a key to this. There are some surprises in the movie. This isn't one of them.

Overall, I felt it was a good movie, especially for being the first entry in its field and its limited budget. There were some things that didn't seem appropriate at first, but when seen in the context of the whole movie, make sense. And that's the way it is with the plan of salvation. Not everything makes sense or even seems appropriate, or OK at first, but in the big picture it all works out. I've discovered several interesting points just while writing this. Perhaps it would have helped if the actors really knew what their characters portrayed--since only about ten percent of the cast were members of the Church. Some things can't be acted. However, the film was well done and watchable. The story was not just the eye candy which only allows two or three viewings as is the case in many of today's pictures, but a real story with many subtle points which would make it viewable many times. Kudos to Richard Dutcher. This is what real cinema is about.

(As an extra bonus, both Richard Dutcher and Matthew Brown were signing autographs outside when I came out. That was cool).