With the 2000 success of Richard Dutcher's "God's Army," Mormon cinema was forever changed.

Dutcher's film was novel for its time. He portrayed the religion in a real way, and took a serious, yet oftentimes entertaining, approach to depicting the lives of ordinary missionaries in Los Angeles.

"God's Army" paved a road of success for future Mormon filmmakers.

Gideon Burton, a BYU professor and instructor of a Mormons and Film class at BYU, wrote several articles about the evolution of the subject matter and themes of Mormon films. In his article "Making Mormon Cinema: Hype and Hope" he wrote, "The backers of most of these films would not have believed in a return on their money if Richard Dutcher and his distributor, Excel Entertainment, had not proven the existence of a paying Mormon market during 2000-2001."

In an interview, Burton said Dutcher was one of the first Mormons to actually feature Mormons.

"Mormons weren't just incidental," Burton said. "The films were all about the Mormon experience, not just Mormons in a western. There were also a lot of other Mormon exploitation films, usually about polygamy. There was a big change with Dutcher. He thought he'd just take his own culture seriously and depict it."

Mormon films were not always blunt portrayals, such as missionary work in "God's Army." The evolution of the subject matter and themes of Mormon films has evolved from literal documentaries on the Mormon faith to focusing on specific aspects of Mormon life - such as the life in a singles ward, the experience of returning home from a mission and serving as a home teacher.

Mormon filmmakers have made films about their own faith since as early as 1913 with the production of "One Hundred Years of Mormonism," the church's first feature film.

In 1964, the 13-minute film "Man's Search for Happiness" was produced and exhibited to approximately 5 million people at the New York City World's Fair. Before this mid-century exhibition, Burton said, church films were not aimed at proselytizing. This was the first time a Mormon film was seen by a broad number of non-LDS people. This short film represents a significant turning point in the history of Mormon cinema because from this point onward, directing films toward those not of the LDS faith took on greater emphasis.

The Book of Mormon animation films in the 1970s were not box-office blockbusters, but these direct-to-videos were a hit with shoppers.

In 1971 the first student film produced at BYU, "Ice Cream and Elevators," was exhibited to 6,000 viewers. In 1992 a formal film festival for student films was organized on campus, and Final Cut showings continue to draw crowds today.

Burton said the skills and abilities that are taught in the BYU film program have supported the efforts of aspiring filmmakers. In the 1980s and 1990s a lot of student and amateur films were produced.

Burton said Mormon filmmakers nowadays are not producing Hollywood-esque films, but are producing more low budget, non-serious films. It is recognized that not many Mormons go to see films about their own culture. Burton said a smaller budget has been key to many successes.

"Those with a smaller budget have more of a chance to be profitable," Burton said. "There seems to be more interest in them. There's less risk and filmmakers feel freer with their creativity."

Randy Astle, in his BYU Studies article "Mormons and Movies: A History," examines the Five Waves of Mormon film. The fifth wave began with the production of "God's Army."

Burton goes on to say in his article, "Director Richard Dutcher and his Zion Films delivered to the world for the first time an attractive and curious creature: the independently produced, widely distributed, commercially profitable LDS motion picture. ... Dutcher's vision was not simply to address Mormon themes, but to create a Mormon viewership."

Richard Dutcher's success at Mormon-themed films really peaked with "God's Army." Burton said the film did so well because "it was a novelty for its time."

Following this film's success, however, were two other Mormon-themed attempts - "Brigham City" and "God's Army 2: States of Grace." Both films were not as well received. Burton said he believes Dutcher felt abandoned by his own people, and his subsequent leaving the church has led to the production of the "first R-rated Mormon film" - "Falling," the story of a Hollywood videographer's mental and spiritual collapse.

A Sampling of Recent LDS Films

God's Army (2000)

Brigham City (2001)

Single's Ward (2002)

The RM (2003)

The Best Two Years (2003)

Baptists at Our Barbeque (2004)

The Hometeachers (2004)

Mobsters and Mormons (2005)

The Dance (2007)