Prodigal

Wonderful heartfelt movie about real life issues.

Lost Coin Productions did a first rate job of producing a Christian-based movie that's not cliché or syrup-y. We laughed and we cried and we walked away understanding that none of us are perfect and we don't have to be. That being a Christian doesn't mean things are always rosy but that we always have somewhere to go---we're not alone.

The pacing was right on until the end; I think it was resolved too quickly, or maybe I just didn't want the story to end so soon. The characters were believable and I was invested in them.

Good job cast and crew!

I went with my wife to view the film's premiere. The thing that struck me was that the storyline was gripping from the start to the finish. There were no slow parts where I drifted off even momentarily. There were also many funny scenes which added a comedic element to the movie which is primarily a very dramatic storyline which had my wife in tears at the end. (it was dark, so I'll never reveal how it struck me). Technically, As a photographer, I was also impressed with the cinematography - great roll focus depth of field in most of the scenes, although not overdone either. The locations were also varied and fit the scenes that were in them. We overwhelmingly loved the movie and would love to see it again.

This movie is exceptional! It is incredibly professional, from the directing, acting, and production. I hope they continue to make more movies. The storyline is great. It flowed very well and there is never a single dull moment where it lost my interest. The actors did a great job and I really enjoyed these characters.

Dylan Borger, Bill Cooper, Alix Kermes and Jeff Litfin play the main characters this film follows, and they really are the four stand out performances. There are a few scenes that really stuck out to me where the cinematography was great and the scenery and setting really brought out the feeling of the scene. The writing in this movie was great. They clearly knew what the goal of this movie was and they not only reached that but it even went above my already high expectations for it.

The acting was decent, but what I hated was how they made Tyler's decision to drive drunk as no big deal, all is forgiven. He killed his best friend and his dad presents him with a car and his mom makes his favorite meal? The realty is that in real life, their would be a tremendous amount of healing for both families to go through. When you make it all seem so simple, your just forgiven without showing the real life emotional consequences you make the Christian faith seem cheesy and out of touch. Throughout the film they embraced people who sinned, but they don't show the consequences. When you have a child outside of marriage, its hard on the mother (who we should support to have the child) and the child. When you drive drunk and someone dies, life doesn't simply just go on like nothing ever happened. I wish Christians would not characterize believers like everything always great even when it's not. It's a disservice and offensive to those outside the faith. Life is complicated and messy and sin has real consequences whether forgiveness is given or not. If you're going to deal with these issues, at least approach it honestly.

"Prodigal" is a poignant, modern day take on the well known Biblical parable of the prodigal son. In this clever retelling by writer/director Aaron Huggett young Levi (played so realistically by novice actor Dylan Borger) resents being slighted by his much maligned pastor father (Jeff Litfin) and runs away from home on a rebellious whim. Levi and his worldly childhood compadre, Tyler(Dan Huggett)blow a considerable windfall as they embark on a perilous adventure through the mean streets of Minneapolis, Minnesota. I particularly enjoyed Huggett's and Borger's portrayals of young men, disenchanted with adult preoccupations and religious hypocrisy. Although they are film newcomers, both Borger and Huggett have wonderful, naturalistic acting chops as well as heartthrob good looks. I sincerely recommend this film as a relevant, bittersweet morality tale that will entertain adults and kids alike. Kudos to the inventiveness and vision of Aaron Huggett and to the beautifully captured images of young cinematographer Ryan Grams. I predict both of these young men will make many memorable movies together. Loved it! See it with the entire family!