Could you defend your religion in court? This is the question asked and answered on May 1st when Day of Defense is released onto DVD.
Day of Defense is a film based on a book by A. Melvin McDonald, former U.S. Attorney under President Ronald Reagan and former Supreme Court Justice of Arizona. Written in 1963 under the title The Day of Defense, McDonald's book questions religious diversity and what would happen if someone had to defend his or her beliefs in a court of law. The screenplay was written using the book’s premise and brings in the emotional picture of dramatic events portraying both sides of the argument of religious freedom and belief in a small community.
The story begins as two Mormon missionaries are arrested for unlawful proselytizing and a Catholic attorney, Thomas Bryant, is ordered to defend the missionaries in a court of law. The movie follows Thomas’s inner struggle between his loyalty to the town and his empathy with the missionaries.
While the film was not intended to be based on a true story, the case depicted is not so far from reality. In the spring of 2002, a similar case involving proselytizing and free expression of religion started in a small town in Ohio and graduated to the United States Supreme Court.
Today, Mitt Romney seeks the Presidential nomination with the Republican party, questions have been raised across the United States regarding his religion. Many have taken the position that he is not Christian, and strong, heated arguments have ensued on numerous platforms related to his religion and its validity in Christian society. Day of Defense approaches and delves much deeper into these questions in a dramatic portrayal that raises and answers theological doctrine in and out of the courtroom.
The film's intriguing court battle, together with a significant and surprising twist of fate for Thomas, leads to a strong critical ending that has Audrey Rock-Richardson from Reel Talk describing the film as a “compelling and intense story.”
Day of Defense the DVD will be on sale online at dayofdefense.com and in select retail outlets throughout the nation May 1st, 2012.