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Brigham City
Spartan Home Entertainment // PG-13 // April 30, 2002
List Price: $29.99 [Buy now and save at Amazon]
As sheriff, Wes Clayton (Richard Dutcher) has devoted his life to protecting the people of Brigham City, and until recently, that has mostly involved supervising parades and breaking up fistfights; as a bishop in their close-knit Mormon community, he's also devoted to their spiritual and emotional well-being. But both those responsibilities begin to weigh much more heavily on him when an abandoned car at the outskirts of town is found to contain the body of a murdered woman. A killer is among them, like a wolf among sheep, and Wes must make the troubling and difficult change from peaceful shepherd to wary hunter.
Brigham City is a polished, well-crafted thriller that balances an intelligent and interesting plot with thoughtful characterizations. The characters, particularly the main character of the sheriff, offer realistic and sympathetic portrayals of small-town inhabitants. Contrary to popular stereotype, small-town law enforcement officers aren't all pining for some "excitement" to liven up their dull routines; Wes is honestly concerned with protecting the people of Brigham City, and if he does his job well, he has very little work to do. When Wes finds the murdered woman, he's more than happy to hand over the case to the FBI as being out of his jurisdiction, out of a realistic desire to stay out of a high-profile criminal investigation that, as far as he is concerned, can only upset the balance of life in Brigham City. But when it turns out that the situation is more complicated and the lives of his citizens are at risk, Wes does his utmost to solve the case.
Brigham City is set in Mormon-dominated Utah, and the characters, apart from the FBI agents sent from Salt Lake City, are all Mormons. As the film shows us the characters and involves us in their lives, their religion becomes a continual, strong element in the story. It's tough to handle religious content in a film without "stacking the deck" for the viewer in one direction or another, but even in this touchy area, director Richard Dutcher handles the religious content extremely well. There's no attempt to present their beliefs as right or wrong; the story simply involves characters who have these beliefs. The characters themselves identify their small-town community as a "paradise," and it has undeniable appeal in many ways, but as stress is applied to the situation, we can also see the weak spots in the fabric, ways in which an element that is usually a strength (their sense of community through the church) can also be a source of weakness.
FBI agent Meredith (Tayva Patch) acts as a stand-in for the viewer in some respects, offering the presence of an outside viewpoint to those who aren't Mormon. The fact that this character is presented with the same tone as the other characters, and with equal respect, goes a long way toward establishing the general even-handedness of the film. The only quibble I would have with the religious content is that there are one or two scenes involving communion that are not entirely clear in their significance; someone who has some familiarity with the ceremony will probably get more of the nuances of the scene.
We can see in the film that the religion of Brigham City is more than a "Mormon" label stuck on to give some local color to the film; it deeply informs the way the characters live their lives and relate to each other, such that Brigham City would not be the same film if it were set in a different community. Similar, yes, in the sense that small towns share certain characteristics no matter where they are, but not the same. And that's an element that adds strongly to the appeal of Brigham City: it's highly individual.
I've spent a substantial amount of time here discussing the background and theme of Brigham City, without commenting much on the actual body of the story. It's essentially a crime thriller, a "whodunit" in a way, in which the entire town is a potential suspect for a crime that no one wants to believe that his neighbor is capable of. The storyline develops in an interesting and logical manner, with some surprises along the way; though the main focus of the story tends to be on the way the characters respond to the situation, Dutcher has quite creditably kept the plotline engaging and suspenseful all the way to the end. Drawing on the general atmosphere of paranoia that has developed among the characters, Dutcher throws out a few well-aimed hints as well as misdirections, so that the conclusion is surprising yet makes sense in retrospect.
Interestingly, Brigham City is essentially a one-man show, with Richard Dutcher not only the lead actor, but also the director, producer, and writer. That's no mean feat, considering that the film is very well-crafted; it will be worth keeping an eye on Dutcher for future productions.
Video
Brigham City is presented in a non-anamorphic widescreen transfer at its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio. The image appears to be entirely free of noise, print flaws, and edge enhancement, resulting in an overall "clean" feel to the image. Colors are vibrant and natural-looking, as can be seen especially in some outdoor scenes with early-autumn foliage and clear blue skies. Contrast is also excellent, with detail preserved in dark and dimly-lit scenes.
The major flaw in the transfer of Brigham City is its lack of anamorphic enhancement. It's particularly noticeable in scenes with heavy, patterned detail, like leaves on trees, in which there's a resulting distortion of the image; there's also a degree of blurriness evident in the background of shots other than close-ups. It's certainly an excellent transfer, but it could have been outstanding.
Audio
Viewers have the choice of a Dolby 5.1 or a Dolby 2.0 soundtrack for the film. The 5.1 soundtrack supports the film well, with dialogue coming across clearly and with appropriate depth throughout the film. The surround channels aren't used as much as they could be, but the overall effect is one that's pleasant to listen to.
Extras
In the special features section itself, we get a trailer and a cast filmography. There's also an audio commentary track from director/writer/producer/actor Richard Dutcher, but it's hidden in the "set-up" menu instead of the "special features" menu.
Final thoughts
I hadn't heard anything at all about this movie, so I was very pleased to find that it was a well-made, enjoyable, and interesting film. Brigham City offers a fresh perspective on the genre of crime thrillers, one that takes a thoughtful approach rather than flying in with guns blazing, and that has enough substance to merit repeated viewing. I recommend picking up a copy.
Brigham City is a polished, well-crafted thriller that balances an intelligent and interesting plot with thoughtful characterizations. The characters, particularly the main character of the sheriff, offer realistic and sympathetic portrayals of small-town inhabitants. Contrary to popular stereotype, small-town law enforcement officers aren't all pining for some "excitement" to liven up their dull routines; Wes is honestly concerned with protecting the people of Brigham City, and if he does his job well, he has very little work to do. When Wes finds the murdered woman, he's more than happy to hand over the case to the FBI as being out of his jurisdiction, out of a realistic desire to stay out of a high-profile criminal investigation that, as far as he is concerned, can only upset the balance of life in Brigham City. But when it turns out that the situation is more complicated and the lives of his citizens are at risk, Wes does his utmost to solve the case.
Brigham City is set in Mormon-dominated Utah, and the characters, apart from the FBI agents sent from Salt Lake City, are all Mormons. As the film shows us the characters and involves us in their lives, their religion becomes a continual, strong element in the story. It's tough to handle religious content in a film without "stacking the deck" for the viewer in one direction or another, but even in this touchy area, director Richard Dutcher handles the religious content extremely well. There's no attempt to present their beliefs as right or wrong; the story simply involves characters who have these beliefs. The characters themselves identify their small-town community as a "paradise," and it has undeniable appeal in many ways, but as stress is applied to the situation, we can also see the weak spots in the fabric, ways in which an element that is usually a strength (their sense of community through the church) can also be a source of weakness.
FBI agent Meredith (Tayva Patch) acts as a stand-in for the viewer in some respects, offering the presence of an outside viewpoint to those who aren't Mormon. The fact that this character is presented with the same tone as the other characters, and with equal respect, goes a long way toward establishing the general even-handedness of the film. The only quibble I would have with the religious content is that there are one or two scenes involving communion that are not entirely clear in their significance; someone who has some familiarity with the ceremony will probably get more of the nuances of the scene.
We can see in the film that the religion of Brigham City is more than a "Mormon" label stuck on to give some local color to the film; it deeply informs the way the characters live their lives and relate to each other, such that Brigham City would not be the same film if it were set in a different community. Similar, yes, in the sense that small towns share certain characteristics no matter where they are, but not the same. And that's an element that adds strongly to the appeal of Brigham City: it's highly individual.
I've spent a substantial amount of time here discussing the background and theme of Brigham City, without commenting much on the actual body of the story. It's essentially a crime thriller, a "whodunit" in a way, in which the entire town is a potential suspect for a crime that no one wants to believe that his neighbor is capable of. The storyline develops in an interesting and logical manner, with some surprises along the way; though the main focus of the story tends to be on the way the characters respond to the situation, Dutcher has quite creditably kept the plotline engaging and suspenseful all the way to the end. Drawing on the general atmosphere of paranoia that has developed among the characters, Dutcher throws out a few well-aimed hints as well as misdirections, so that the conclusion is surprising yet makes sense in retrospect.
Interestingly, Brigham City is essentially a one-man show, with Richard Dutcher not only the lead actor, but also the director, producer, and writer. That's no mean feat, considering that the film is very well-crafted; it will be worth keeping an eye on Dutcher for future productions.
Video
Brigham City is presented in a non-anamorphic widescreen transfer at its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio. The image appears to be entirely free of noise, print flaws, and edge enhancement, resulting in an overall "clean" feel to the image. Colors are vibrant and natural-looking, as can be seen especially in some outdoor scenes with early-autumn foliage and clear blue skies. Contrast is also excellent, with detail preserved in dark and dimly-lit scenes.
The major flaw in the transfer of Brigham City is its lack of anamorphic enhancement. It's particularly noticeable in scenes with heavy, patterned detail, like leaves on trees, in which there's a resulting distortion of the image; there's also a degree of blurriness evident in the background of shots other than close-ups. It's certainly an excellent transfer, but it could have been outstanding.
Audio
Viewers have the choice of a Dolby 5.1 or a Dolby 2.0 soundtrack for the film. The 5.1 soundtrack supports the film well, with dialogue coming across clearly and with appropriate depth throughout the film. The surround channels aren't used as much as they could be, but the overall effect is one that's pleasant to listen to.
Extras
In the special features section itself, we get a trailer and a cast filmography. There's also an audio commentary track from director/writer/producer/actor Richard Dutcher, but it's hidden in the "set-up" menu instead of the "special features" menu.
Final thoughts
I hadn't heard anything at all about this movie, so I was very pleased to find that it was a well-made, enjoyable, and interesting film. Brigham City offers a fresh perspective on the genre of crime thrillers, one that takes a thoughtful approach rather than flying in with guns blazing, and that has enough substance to merit repeated viewing. I recommend picking up a copy.
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