This Friday Preacher's Kid, a modern retelling of the
story of the prodigal son, will hit the silver screen with a message of
redemption and unconditional love.
"It's the story of the prodigal child brought forward into modern time," said the film's distributor, Matt Crouch, chief executive officer of Gener8Xion Entertainment, Inc. "What we were able to do is put a film camera on a story that Jesus told, trying to describe His love for man and God's unconditional love for man."
Preacher's Kid, which opens in roughly 100 major-market theaters nationwide, stars Letoya Luckett, a former member of the R&B girl-group Destiny's Child, as Angie, a sheltered pastor's daughter who decides to strike out from her strict father's home by joining the cast of a traveling gospel play. She soon discovers that her "Christian" cast members aren't very Christ-like and she finds herself in compromising situations and ashamed to return home.
"More of the underlining theme is that you can always come back home," said Stan Foster, the film's writer, director and producer. "With so much negativity going on in the world, with war and the economy, this is one of those films that is a good family film and you can walk away feeling good about life and about the family."
Foster says the film, which is rated PG-13 for its mature themes, is grounded in the Bible. He says the film is not "preachy" but uses relatable characters to bring a message of redemption to both Christian and non-Christian audiences.
"It resonates with each demographic for different reasons," said Foster, who also wrote the 2004 film adaptation of Bishop T.D. Jakes' book, Woman Thou Art Loosed. "[I wrote] characters that were flawed. My bad characters have a little bit of good in them, and good characters have a little bit of bad."
"In my film everyone has a cross to bear," he told Charisma. "Redemption is inevitable."
Crouch agreed. "Everything about the movie is on the firm foundation that you're watching a motion picture where Jesus is the story teller and that He is trying to describe God's unconditional love for man," Crouch said. "That's what the story is."
Foster and Crouch hope the film will have a strong debut this weekend not only because of its redemptive message, but because 100 percent of its distribution proceeds will be given to charities helping the victims of the recent earthquakes in Haiti.
"Ultimately the celebratory moment of opening weekend and opening week that is upon us is somewhat filtered through the thought that we're celebrating at the same time that Haiti is suffering," Crouch told Charisma.
Crouch believes it was a "God idea" to donate opening night distribution proceeds to support relief work in Haiti because he was able to get all of the necessary approvals and signatures within 24 hours.
"Obviously it was the Lord's idea," Crouch said. "Possibly somewhere between $3 and $4 of every ticket, if you pay $10, will go to Haiti."
The money will be donated to several charities, including Smile of a Child, Friend Ships and Samaritan's Purse.
