You Learn Something New…
By way of finding out that the director of Napoleon Dynamite (along with the writer and much of the cast were of LDS (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) persuasion, I also found out that one of my favorite playwrights was Mormon.
That the creators of Napoleon Dynamite were Mormon did not surprise me. That Neil LaBute is a practicing Mormon surprised the shit out of me. To be honest, for the exception of perhaps Quentin Tarentino or David Mamet, LaBute would be the last Hollywood writer I would peg for being a devout, conservative Christian. After all, this is the man who gave us In the Company of Men, a dark, dark, comedy about a couple of woman haters. Lest you forget, this film includes the following gems:
Women. Nice ones, the most frigid of the race, it doesn’t matter in the end. Inside they’re all the same meat and gristle and hatred just simmering.
Never trust anything that can bleed for a week and not die.
Fuck her! Let’s get a sandwich!
Look at you! You are fucking handicapped! You think you can choose? Men falling at your feet?
His other movies are a lot like that too…
Hmmm. I would make an analysis here about how his religion ties into his writing, why it may shed some light on his blistering portrayal of people (and women) in his movies, but I don’t want anyone to hit me on the head with a hammer when my back is turned.
As a practicing Mormon, I can say with some fair and appropriate discernment that with regards to our church LaBute is probably off the beaten path, at least a little if not a lot. I can appreciate the fact that he is one of your favorite playwrights, and I don’t judge the man as inhuman or incapable of goodness. I don’t hold any personal vendetta against him, per se. But I’m not sure as to the validity of your source whether or not LaBute is truly “practicing.” If you’ve ever attended a Mormon service, words such as “practicing Mormon” are usually spoken with a particular emphasis and meaning. When one is “practicing,” they are truly devoted to Mormon beliefs, and it is plain from much of LaBute’s writing that he isn’t quite clear on the Mormon perspective on things. While I don’t hold anything personal against LaBute and I would consider him a brother, I find it unfortunate that such a successful man casts such a shadow, because, at least from the way I understand things, he truly doesn’t represent the values and mores of the Mormon church. He is certainly the exception, and not the rule.