Dutcher sinking lower

[a-train]

Fully turned to the Dark Side Richard Dutcher now is.

The sad story:

Richard Dutcher leaves the Mormon church and a genre - Los Angeles Times

-a-train

[Jenamarie]

Well that article was a whole lotta nothin'. How many times did they had to repeat it was a "spiritual crisis" that lead him out of Mormonism? At least he still seems respectful of the church, even if he's left it. No cries of "deception!" or anything.

[Flyonthewall]

This could be a matter of active faith getting in the way of a career. He may see the church and LDS cinema as being a hinderance to what he wants to do, so he is setting it aside for now. Just guessing but that is how it struck me first.

[Truegrits]

I thought the same as Flyonthewall...I think he wanted a bigger career than producing Mormon films would give him.

[WANDERER]

Fair enough. So he's got some stuff to deal with. Just sounds like he's plain tired and probably needs to balance out his life a bit. Reminds me of jettisoning cargo to lighten a ship...not the best point at which to do your thinking...but sounds like he's in the process of working himself out..wherever that will take him.

[MorningStar]

Yeah, sounds like he used the church to get ahead in his career. Makes me happy I didn't like any of his movies that I saw.

[prisonchaplain]

Well...here's some irony for you. I really enjoyed God's Army I, and found that it offered a compelling vision of your church. Yes, there was the one missionary who, struggling with his own doubts and consuming anti-LDS materials, leaves the mission field and presumably resigns from the church. Yet, even this inclusion served as authentication, rather than "planting seeds of doubt."

God's Army II - States of Grace was more controversial, and better, again, imho. Yes, a missionary gave into temptation, and yes, the sometimes hardshell attitudes (I'd rather have you come home in a casket than disgraced) gets uncomfortable. And yet, the mission president offers such compassion, and then there is the interfaith aspect, where a Pentecostal and a Baptist pray for the LDS missionary. Again, the film appeared authentic and mature, not "anti" or intentionally racy.

Ultimately, Dutcher's work gave me a greater respect for your church and the people of it. I found no fodder against your specific faith in those films. The difficult social/cultural issues he grappled with are common to most rigorious religious traditions.

You may mourn his religious choices, but those do not discount the value of the films he created.

[HiJolly]

Originally Posted by MorningStar

Yeah, sounds like he used the church to get ahead in his career. Makes me happy I didn't like any of his movies that I saw.

I liked God's Army ok, it actually was quite a lot like my mission (major US city).

I loved Brigham City (all about the sacrament) and States of Grace (about the atonement). Two fantastic films.


HiJolly

[a-train]

Now, no one wants to call themselves a Mormon filmmaker because you're associating yourself with a genre that's fallen into disrepute. It's like having porn on your résumé.'

This is the poignant part as far as I can tell.

-a-train

[prisonchaplain]

Originally Posted by a-train

This is the poignant part as far as I can tell.

-a-train

It's a juicy phrase "Mormon filmaker akin to porn filmaker"...but we know that what he meant was that both care little about true art or production values, and have relied instead on inexpensively making stories that will please their target audiences.

It still was not nice, but again, Dutcher takes his craft seriously, and he has intentionally not said anything negative about the Church or its teachings.