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Carole Mikita ReportingWe told you about a new movie, last night, "September Dawn" -- the story of the Mountain Meadows Massacre, a tragic event in Utah territorial history. Carole Mikita did some digging today and discovered where and how the filmmaker may have come up with his ideas.
The soon-to-be-released film "September Dawn" is a fictitious story based on the infamous Mountain Meadows Massacre. "Burying the Past," by U. of U. Film Studies Professor Brian Patrick, is a documentary on the same subject. It premiered in 2004 and has won 11 awards at film festivals, one of them in Los Angeles, where he met actor Dean Cain.
Cain later ordered a copy of the documentary for his father, Christopher Cain, writer and director of "September Dawn."
Brian Patrick, Ph.D., U. of U. Film Studies: "It's a pretty good film. I do feel like it sort of does feel like it attacks the church in ways that are really totally unnecessary."
Professor Patrick says he has no corner on history but there are too many coincidences in the two scripts.
Brian Patrick: "The movie feels like they didn't do any research at all, they just saw my movie and then wrote this fictional story. And that's a little bit irksome. I wish they would have like had the decency to call me."
Historians have disagreed. Now it appears filmmakers will too, about how this story should be told.
The documentary has been well-received. The film will likely reach a larger audience. It's reception is yet to be determined.
We contacted "September Dawn" Writer-Director Christopher Cain's agent. He said they would have no comment on the documentary.
