Day of Defense
"Inherit the Wind" this ain't. Although, come to think of it, "Day of Defense" is pretty windy.However, seemingly endless scenes filled with religious and theological pontificating aren't the only things wrong with this drama, which is based on A. Melvin McDonald's best-selling novel. This well-intentioned but considerably flawed film is so stagy and so ham-fisted that it practically begs to be mocked by audiences, and it wears out its welcome in a hurry.
On the surface, "Day of Defense" would seem to have a lot going for it, not the least of which is a premise based on a subject — religious freedom — that's been on a lot of minds lately. Especially locally.
The subject is examined through the experiences of two LDS missionaries — Elder Burke (John Foss) and Elder Davis (Allan Groves). They've just arrived in Marysville, a (fictional) Midwest community that's not exactly open to proselytizing. In fact, the town has a law that prevents anyone from preaching within city limits unless they have a license to do so. And the only way to get such a license is to go before the Christian Town Council, which seems dead-set against giving them one.
So to prove their point, they take their disagreement to the courts. However, they've got quite a challenge facing them when they have to convince the public defender, Thomas Bryant (Andrew Lenz), to even take the case. He's extremely reluctant to do so. And it's not just because he's afraid to incur the town's wrath. It turns out the prosecuting attorney is his best friend, James Radner (Brooks Utley), who wants to preserve the status quo at all costs.
And the rather amateurish performances by all involved don't help. Utley and James Westwood (one of the film's producers) practically twirl moustaches as the villains, while Lenz (who also wrote this adaptation) sometimes has the look of a deer caught in the headlights.
"Day of Defense" is rated PG for two brief scenes of violence (a scuffle and a vehicular accident, which is overheard but not shown). Running time: 102 minutes.
E-MAIL: jeff@desnews.com