Brigham City Movie Reviews

Related Subjects: Family Movie Review
Family movie reviews for "Brigham City" sorted by average review score:
Brigham City
Released in Theatrical Release by (30 March, 2001)
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Director: Richard Dutcher
Starring: Richard Dutcher and Wilford Brimley
Richard Dutcher’s Brigham City is a rare find in the recent onslaught of murky religion-based thrillers and Satanic conspiracies--a modern crime thriller with a powerful and passionate spiritual message. In some ways it plays like a contemporary Western, with Dutcher as the upright county sheriff and local church bishop of a rural Utah town terrorized by a serial killer. Like the marshal of a peaceful frontier community, he first tries to shield his town from the horror, then pulls the good churchgoing citizens into a veritable posse. His cinematic skills may be a bit clumsy and his modern take on frontier justice naïve, but his heart is in the right place. He creates a portrait of family values, community ties, and neighborly caring with an honest, unaffected forthrightness. Ultimately, fear and suspicion is the real snake in Eden. --Sean Axmaker
Average review score:

A bit too dark for me.
I really didn't like this movie. It was just too dark for me. But, if you like a good murder mystery, you may enjoy it.

You don't have to be a Mormon...
I'm not Mormon, or even religious, but I found this a very thought-provoking and enjoyable movie. Instead of pounding the viewer on the head with a Bible (anybody see "The Omega Code"?), director Dutcher focuses on the ubiquity of the Mormon faith in the town of Brigham City.

That faith has bound the main character's community together, making it a place where the outside world cannot enter--the protagonist, Wes, won't listen to National Public Radio because he feels the news has no bearing on his life. And he likes it that way, too. The film's conflict comes from the tension between the peace of the community and the fear of the world outside. Should Brigham City keep everyone calm by pretending that the violence never happened, or will doing that amount to clearing the way for further sad events? Wes, as the sheriff, tries desperately to maintain a balance of acting for his community and protecting it from tragedy.

The story is paced just right, with enough suspense to keep you watching. The characters are well-developed with no "Mainstreet USA" yokels or stereotypical Mormons--Wil Brimley as former sheriff Stu battles his conscience over cigarettes, and a local bar does a thriving business. The cinematography is excellent, with a lot of breathtaking shots of the desert scenery.

Even so, my main recommendation for this film is that (in spite of one or two mildly gory scenes that might not be good for those under 10) it's a "family" film with none of the forced quality that so many "family" films have. It examines things you want to discuss with young people, like faith and trust, without any cheesiness of either the religious or the Hollywood variety. Brigham City is a believable story with a believable resolution that people of any religious persuasion can understand and appreciate.

Mormon Cops....What a Concept!
I had been waiting for this one to come out on DVD for a long time. You see, I am LDS and a police officer. From my own experiences, I know it can be difficult to manage at times the quandary of duty to God and duty to man. I feel that Mr. Dutcher's film does this dilemma, to make a bad pun, "justice". Mr. Dutcher plays the lead role in the film, Wes Clayton, a sheriff in a small Utah town. At first, Wes seems like......sort of a dumb redneck. And I mean that in a good way. His beliefs almost seem child-like. However, as the movie progresses, Wes rises to the challenge to find the serial killer who terrorizes the town he is responsible for. Wes is also a Mormon bishop in the town, and so is looked at not just as the local law enforcement leader but as a spiritual leader as well. He handles the situation admireably.

I won't give away the plot; suffice it to say the film comes to a shocking yet satisfying ending. Also, at the risk of sounding like a prude, mainstream Hollywood directors could learn a lot from Mr. Dutcher's subtle approach to the subject matter. The film easily gets some unpleasant ideas across without being over the top in violence and sexual subject matter.

Do yourself and your family and friends a favor. Buy this DVD and share it with as many people as you can.

Brigham City
Released in DVD by Spartan Home Enterta (30 April, 2002)
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Director: Richard Dutcher
Starring: Richard Dutcher and Wilford Brimley
Richard Dutcher’s Brigham City is a rare find in the recent onslaught of murky religion-based thrillers and Satanic conspiracies--a modern crime thriller with a powerful and passionate spiritual message. In some ways it plays like a contemporary Western, with Dutcher as the upright county sheriff and local church bishop of a rural Utah town terrorized by a serial killer. Like the marshal of a peaceful frontier community, he first tries to shield his town from the horror, then pulls the good churchgoing citizens into a veritable posse. His cinematic skills may be a bit clumsy and his modern take on frontier justice naïve, but his heart is in the right place. He creates a portrait of family values, community ties, and neighborly caring with an honest, unaffected forthrightness. Ultimately, fear and suspicion is the real snake in Eden. --Sean Axmaker
Average review score:

A bit too dark for me.
I really didn't like this movie. It was just too dark for me. But, if you like a good murder mystery, you may enjoy it.

You don't have to be a Mormon...
I'm not Mormon, or even religious, but I found this a very thought-provoking and enjoyable movie. Instead of pounding the viewer on the head with a Bible (anybody see "The Omega Code"?), director Dutcher focuses on the ubiquity of the Mormon faith in the town of Brigham City.

That faith has bound the main character's community together, making it a place where the outside world cannot enter--the protagonist, Wes, won't listen to National Public Radio because he feels the news has no bearing on his life. And he likes it that way, too. The film's conflict comes from the tension between the peace of the community and the fear of the world outside. Should Brigham City keep everyone calm by pretending that the violence never happened, or will doing that amount to clearing the way for further sad events? Wes, as the sheriff, tries desperately to maintain a balance of acting for his community and protecting it from tragedy.

The story is paced just right, with enough suspense to keep you watching. The characters are well-developed with no "Mainstreet USA" yokels or stereotypical Mormons--Wil Brimley as former sheriff Stu battles his conscience over cigarettes, and a local bar does a thriving business. The cinematography is excellent, with a lot of breathtaking shots of the desert scenery.

Even so, my main recommendation for this film is that (in spite of one or two mildly gory scenes that might not be good for those under 10) it's a "family" film with none of the forced quality that so many "family" films have. It examines things you want to discuss with young people, like faith and trust, without any cheesiness of either the religious or the Hollywood variety. Brigham City is a believable story with a believable resolution that people of any religious persuasion can understand and appreciate.

Mormon Cops....What a Concept!
I had been waiting for this one to come out on DVD for a long time. You see, I am LDS and a police officer. From my own experiences, I know it can be difficult to manage at times the quandary of duty to God and duty to man. I feel that Mr. Dutcher's film does this dilemma, to make a bad pun, "justice". Mr. Dutcher plays the lead role in the film, Wes Clayton, a sheriff in a small Utah town. At first, Wes seems like......sort of a dumb redneck. And I mean that in a good way. His beliefs almost seem child-like. However, as the movie progresses, Wes rises to the challenge to find the serial killer who terrorizes the town he is responsible for. Wes is also a Mormon bishop in the town, and so is looked at not just as the local law enforcement leader but as a spiritual leader as well. He handles the situation admireably.

I won't give away the plot; suffice it to say the film comes to a shocking yet satisfying ending. Also, at the risk of sounding like a prude, mainstream Hollywood directors could learn a lot from Mr. Dutcher's subtle approach to the subject matter. The film easily gets some unpleasant ideas across without being over the top in violence and sexual subject matter.

Do yourself and your family and friends a favor. Buy this DVD and share it with as many people as you can.

Related Subjects: Family Movie Review