Dang it!

http://www.heraldextra.com/content/view/217694/

(I'll save you the trouble. It's Richard Dutcher's farewell plea to Mormon filmmakers. Farewell, because he also anounces, way down at the very end, that he is leaving the church.)

The thing is, it's a very well-written plea, and I agree with everything he says.

The other thing is that I don't think he has any right to say it. He can't speak to us anymore ("us" being people trying to produce great art about and for Mormons FROM WITHIN THE COMMUNITY).

Yes, yes I know. It doesn't matter what a person's religious persuasion is, really, when it comes to telling the truth. His membership or lack thereof doesn't change whether or not what he says is accurate or true.

But!

I just wanted him to prove everyone wrong. He was the one who was managing to tell hard stories truthfully. He was my hope for raising literary standards among Mormon consumers of art. I think he was going to succeed, if he could have hung in there. There was always the feeling, for me, of "Richard Dutcher is doing it. We can do it too."

Dang it, dang it, dang it!

I imagine I'll have more to say about this when I can think more clearly.