Writer-director Richard Dutcher, who single-handedly advanced the notion of Mormon cinema with last year's independent success story "God's Army" (which went on to gross almost 10 times its $300,000 budget), builds on that promise with "Brigham City", an honest-to-goodness Mormon murder mystery.
Very much in the "Witness" mold, this involving, nicely crafted whodunit achieves the neat trick of remaining culturally and theologically true to its environment without being heavy-handed or preachy.
While it should be a respectable niche market performer for its Salt Lake City-based distributor, Excel Entertainment Group, the picture actually has some crossover potential. It would certainly be the perfect companion for something like A&E's "Murder in a Small Town".
Dutcher also steps in front of the camera to play the part of Wes Clayton, the soft-spoken sheriff of the compact, insulated town of Brigham who also serves as a Mormon bishop when not officially keeping the peace.
But the community's nominal tranquility is uprooted when a woman visiting from California is found murdered, and Clayton and his devout posse -- including young deputy Terry (Matthew A. Brown), retired sheriff Stu (Wilford Brimley, crusty as ever) and his spirited secretary, Peg (Carrie Morgan) -- find themselves having to answer to a big-city FBI agent (Tayva Patch) dispatched to solve the crime.
When it subsequently becomes apparent that the murder was the work of a serial killer, and suspicions shift from being cast upon outsiders to the disturbing likelihood of the perpetrator being one of their own, the once friendly town becomes engulfed in a sea of paranoia as doors are locked and windows are shuttered.
Meanwhile, Clayton, who previously lost his wife and child to a tragic accident, suffers a crisis of faith through his inability to nab the murderer and quell the growing fears of his neighbors and congregation.
Working within the well-defined boundaries of the classic movie murder mystery, Dutcher manages to sneak in a couple of genuine surprises in this well-paced if slightly overlong production that benefits greatly from its carefully detailed Mormon backdrop.
Although Dutcher's earnest but mechanical performance proves he's no triple threat, the rest of his predominantly Mormon cast is solid, with effective work from the always reliable Brimley as well as from Patch, who, as the constantly observing but nonbelieving FBI agent, essentially takes the viewer on a guided tour through Dutcher's very personal universe.
Production values certainly go a long way in this $1.2 million production, specifically director of photography Ken Glassing's quietly evocative visuals and Kee L. Miller's convincingly homey production design.
BRIGHAM CITY
Excel Entertainment Group
A Zion Films presentation
Director-screenwriter: Richard Dutcher
Producer: Richard Dutcher
Director of photography: Ken Glassing
Production designer: Kee L. Miller
Editor: Michael Chaskes
Costume designer: Camile J. Morris
Music: Sam Cardon
Color/stereo
Cast:
Wes: Richard Dutcher
Terry: Matthew A. Brown
Stu: Wilford Brimley
Peg: Carrie Morgan
Ed: Jon Enos
Meredith: Tayva Patch
Garcia: Jeff Johnson
Glen: Sterling Brimley
Running time -- 120 minutes
MPAA rating: PG-13...
Very much in the "Witness" mold, this involving, nicely crafted whodunit achieves the neat trick of remaining culturally and theologically true to its environment without being heavy-handed or preachy.
While it should be a respectable niche market performer for its Salt Lake City-based distributor, Excel Entertainment Group, the picture actually has some crossover potential. It would certainly be the perfect companion for something like A&E's "Murder in a Small Town".
Dutcher also steps in front of the camera to play the part of Wes Clayton, the soft-spoken sheriff of the compact, insulated town of Brigham who also serves as a Mormon bishop when not officially keeping the peace.
But the community's nominal tranquility is uprooted when a woman visiting from California is found murdered, and Clayton and his devout posse -- including young deputy Terry (Matthew A. Brown), retired sheriff Stu (Wilford Brimley, crusty as ever) and his spirited secretary, Peg (Carrie Morgan) -- find themselves having to answer to a big-city FBI agent (Tayva Patch) dispatched to solve the crime.
When it subsequently becomes apparent that the murder was the work of a serial killer, and suspicions shift from being cast upon outsiders to the disturbing likelihood of the perpetrator being one of their own, the once friendly town becomes engulfed in a sea of paranoia as doors are locked and windows are shuttered.
Meanwhile, Clayton, who previously lost his wife and child to a tragic accident, suffers a crisis of faith through his inability to nab the murderer and quell the growing fears of his neighbors and congregation.
Working within the well-defined boundaries of the classic movie murder mystery, Dutcher manages to sneak in a couple of genuine surprises in this well-paced if slightly overlong production that benefits greatly from its carefully detailed Mormon backdrop.
Although Dutcher's earnest but mechanical performance proves he's no triple threat, the rest of his predominantly Mormon cast is solid, with effective work from the always reliable Brimley as well as from Patch, who, as the constantly observing but nonbelieving FBI agent, essentially takes the viewer on a guided tour through Dutcher's very personal universe.
Production values certainly go a long way in this $1.2 million production, specifically director of photography Ken Glassing's quietly evocative visuals and Kee L. Miller's convincingly homey production design.
BRIGHAM CITY
Excel Entertainment Group
A Zion Films presentation
Director-screenwriter: Richard Dutcher
Producer: Richard Dutcher
Director of photography: Ken Glassing
Production designer: Kee L. Miller
Editor: Michael Chaskes
Costume designer: Camile J. Morris
Music: Sam Cardon
Color/stereo
Cast:
Wes: Richard Dutcher
Terry: Matthew A. Brown
Stu: Wilford Brimley
Peg: Carrie Morgan
Ed: Jon Enos
Meredith: Tayva Patch
Garcia: Jeff Johnson
Glen: Sterling Brimley
Running time -- 120 minutes
MPAA rating: PG-13...
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