Redeeming Love (2022 film)

Last updated

Redeeming Love
Redeeming Love (2022 film).jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by D.J. Caruso
Written by Francine Rivers
D. J. Caruso
Based on Redeeming Love
by Francine Rivers
Produced by
  • Cindy Bond
  • Brittany Yost
  • Simon Swart
  • Wayne Fitzjohn
  • Michael Scott
Starring
Cinematography Rogier Stoffers
Edited byJim Page
Music by Brian Tyler
Breton Vivian
Production
companies
Distributed by Universal Pictures
Release date
  • January 21, 2022 (2022-01-21)
Running time
134 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$30 million
Box office$9.46 million

Redeeming Love is a 2022 American Christian Western romance film directed by D.J. Caruso, who co-wrote the screenplay with Francine Rivers. The film is based on Rivers' 1991 novel of the same name, which was based on the Biblical story of Hosea, and is set in the American Old West during the California Gold Rush. It stars Abigail Cowen, Tom Lewis and Logan Marshall-Green.

Contents

The film was co-produced by Pinnacle Peak Pictures, Mission Pictures International, and Nthibah Pictures, and was filmed in Cape Town, South Africa. It was theatrically released by Universal Pictures on January 21, 2022, and received generally negative reviews from critics. Redeeming Love was nominated for the GMA Dove Award for Inspirational Film/Series of the Year at the 2022 GMA Dove Awards. [1]

Plot

During the California Gold Rush, a beautiful young woman called Angel works as a prostitute in the fictional town of Pair-a-Dice. Despite being the object of desire for the local men, she survives through hatred and self-loathing. Meanwhile, a visiting farmer named Michael Hosea prays for God to send him a wife. Later that day, he sees Angel walking through town and falls in love at first sight.

Flashbacks reveal that Angel's real name is Sarah and that she knows only abuse from men. As a child, she overhears her father, Alex Stafford, saying that she should never have been born. Sarah learns that her father is married and her mother, Mae, is his mistress. Alex eventually cuts off support for Mae, obliging her to become a prostitute and eventually become sick and die. Distraught, Sarah rejects her mother's Catholic faith. Afterward, Mae's pimp sells an 8-year-old Sarah to a man named Duke, who renames her "Angel" and forces her into prostitution. One night, when Angel is a teenager, one of her customers is her father, and she knowingly has sex with him to punish him for how he treated her mother. He does not recognize her, but when he finds out the next morning, he commits suicide. This prompts Angel to escape from Duke. She arrives in California with hopes of beginning a new life but, penniless, once again becomes a prostitute at a brothel there.

In the present day, when Michael enters Angel's room and tells her he wants to marry her, she is thrown off-guard but remains aloof toward him. It is not until after she is nearly beaten to death by a brothel guard, that she agrees to marry Michael and leaves with him. He nurses her back to health at his home, despite her continued aloofness toward him. Michael continues to surprise her as he claims to love her as his wife, and refuses to have sex with her. Afraid to trust him, she runs away at her first opportunity, but Michael finds her and convinces her to come home.

As the two begin their life on the farm, Angel develops feelings for Michael but runs away again when she realizes that he wants children, as she believes herself to be sterile. She gets a ride with Michael's brother-in-law, Paul, who resents her because of her past and demands that she pay him for the ride by having sex with him. Back in Pair A Dice, Angel reluctantly returns to the brothel to get the gold she is owed, from Duchess. She finds that the brothel had been burned down by Macgowan with the Duchess, Lucky and Mei Ling inside. With no money and no place to live, she reluctantly goes back to prostitution with one of the town's bar owners. When Michael arrives to rescue her from her employers, she is relieved to return home with him. He forgives her, and their relationship begins to blossom based on honesty and affection.

As Angel falls in love with Michael, she becomes convinced that he will be happier married to someone else who can have children, leading her to leave him once more. Having learned to cook while with Michael, she is able to get a job at a cafe in the city rather than returning to prostitution. However, by chance, she encounters Duke, who has relocated to California. He compels her to return to prostitution by threatening the life of her employer. He places her on a stage in his new establishment for his patrons to view. There, in a moment of desperation, she regains the faith she lost after her mother's death and tells the audience about Duke's sexual trafficking of young girls. Duke denies the allegations and attempts to murder Angel, but an African American man, implied to be an old friend of Michael's, subdues him and the captive girls escape into the audience, resulting in Duke being lynched by an outraged mob. Afterward, Angel starts a successful mission to help rehabilitate other young prostitutes.

Three years later, Paul finally comes to find her and tells her that Michael still loves her. Angel returns home to Michael, offering her love and revealing her real name. They reunite and are shown to eventually have children.

Cast

Production

The film was shot in Cape Town, South Africa in February 2020. [2] The film itself was announced in April 2020, with D.J. Caruso directing and Roma Downey and Francine Rivers executive producing. [3] [4] Rivers also wrote the script, along with Caruso. [3] [5] Redeeming Love marks the second collaboration between producers Cindy Bond and Simon Swart, the first being 2018's I Can Only Imagine . Wayne Fitzjohn, Michael Scott, and Brittany Yost also produce. [6] [7]

Release

Redeeming Love was originally scheduled to be released in spring 2021. However, it was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The film was released in theaters on January 21, 2022, in the United States and Canada. [8]

The film was released for VOD platforms on February 8, 2022, followed by a Blu-ray and DVD release on March 8, 2022. [9] It was available for streaming on Peacock beginning March 10, 2022. [10]

Reception

Box office

Universal Pictures put the film went into wide release, in 1,903 theaters, on January 21, 2022. [11] Projected to gross less than $5 million domestically in its first three days, [12] it earned $3.5 million in its opening weekend, finishing fourth at the box office. [13] The film dropped out of the box office top ten in its fourth weekend, finishing twelfth with $354,835. [14] The film was a box office bomb, taking in $9.46 million worldwide, [15] against a budget of $30 million. [4]

Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 11% of 28 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 4/10. [16] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 32% based on reviews from 7 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews". [17] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale. [18]

Mike McCahill of The Guardian gave the film 2/5 stars, saying it "thinly scatters a parable's worth of plot across 134 minutes and resembles HBO's Deadwood recut for Sunday-school purposes: pious, puzzling and punitive, with a sternly wagging finger never far from entering the frame." [19] RogerEbert.com's Nell Minow gave it 2/4 stars, writing, "The biggest problem is that the most touching moments are hammered so hard. Redeeming Love could have tried to reach a broader audience but settles for preaching to the choir." [20] The A.V. Club's A. A. Dowd criticized the love story as "icky", saying it "hinges on a fundamental power imbalance: Angel literally can't say no to Michael's evening visits... and when she finally does accept his proposal, it's while lying bruised and battered after one of her employer's thugs beats her within an inch of her life." He gave the film a grade of D+. [21]

The Mercury News's Randy Myers gave it a score of 2.5/4, writing, "Love might be best embraced by the faithful, but it is well made and has much to say about the healing power of love and how we all deserve second chances." [22]

Related Research Articles

<i>The Docks of New York</i> 1928 film

The Docks of New York is a 1928 American silent drama film directed by Josef von Sternberg and starring George Bancroft, Betty Compson, and Olga Baclanova. The movie was adapted by Jules Furthman from the John Monk Saunders story The Dock Walloper.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brothel</span> Place of prostitution

A brothel, bordello, ranch, or whorehouse is a place where people engage in sexual activity with prostitutes. However, for legal or cultural reasons, establishments often describe themselves as massage parlors, bars, strip clubs, body rub parlours, studios, or by some other description. Sex work in a brothel is considered safer than street prostitution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Famke Janssen</span> Dutch actress and model

Famke Beumer Janssen is a Dutch actress. She played Xenia Onatopp in GoldenEye (1995), Jean Grey / Phoenix in the X-Men film series (2000–2014), and Lenore Mills in the Taken film trilogy (2008–2014). In 2008, she was appointed a Goodwill Ambassador for Integrity by the United Nations. She made her directorial debut with Bringing Up Bobby in 2011. She is also known for her roles in the Netflix original series Hemlock Grove (2013–2015), FX's Nip/Tuck (2003–2010), and ABC's How to Get Away with Murder (2014–2020). Janssen starred in the 2017 NBC crime thriller The Blacklist: Redemption.

<i>Pretty Baby</i> (1978 film) 1977 American historical drama film by Louis Malle

Pretty Baby is a 1978 American historical drama film directed by Louis Malle, written by Polly Platt, and starring Brooke Shields, Keith Carradine, and Susan Sarandon. Set in 1917, it focuses on a 12-year-old girl being raised in a brothel in Storyville, the red-light district of New Orleans by her prostitute mother. Barbara Steele, Diana Scarwid, and Antonio Fargas appear in supporting roles. The film is based on the true account of a young girl who was sexually exploited by being forced into prostitution by her mother, a theme which was recounted in historian Al Rose's 1974 book Storyville, New Orleans: Being an Authentic Illustrated Account of the Notorious Red-Light District; it is also based on the life of photographer Ernest Bellocq, who photographed various New Orleans prostitutes in the early twentieth century. The title, Pretty Baby, is derived from the Tony Jackson song of the same name, which is featured on the film's soundtrack.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David A. R. White</span> American actor

David Andrew Roy White is an American actor, film director, screenwriter, film producer and businessman. He is a co-founder of Pinnacle Peak Pictures, a distribution and production company specializing in Christian faith- and family-themed films. He is best known for his role as Reverend Dave in the God's Not Dead film series.

<i>Hallelujah</i> (film) 1929 film by King Vidor

Hallelujah is a 1929 American pre-Code Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer musical directed by King Vidor, and starring Daniel L. Haynes and Nina Mae McKinney.

<i>Adua and Her Friends</i> 1960 film

Adua and Her Friends, also known as Hungry For Love, is a 1960 Italian film directed by Antonio Pietrangeli with a collaborative screenplay by the film's director together with Ruggero Maccari, Ettore Scola and Tullio Pinelli. The movie is about four prostitutes who start a restaurant after their brothel is shut down by the Merlin law, which made brothels illegal in Italy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prostitution in ancient Greece</span> Aspect of ancient Greek society

Prostitution was a common aspect of ancient Greece. In the more important cities, and particularly the many ports, it employed a significant number of people and represented a notable part of economic activity. It was far from being clandestine; cities did not condemn brothels, but rather only instituted regulations on them.

<i>Working Girls</i> (1986 film) 1986 film by Lizzie Borden

Working Girls is a 1986 American independent drama film, written, produced and directed by Lizzie Borden working with cinematographer Judy Irola. Its plot follows a day in the life of several prostitutes in a Manhattan brothel.

<i>Angel</i> (1984 film) 1984 American film directed by Tom DeSimone

Angel is a 1984 American exploitation thriller film directed by Robert Vincent O'Neil, written by O'Neil and Joseph Michael Cala, and starring Donna Wilkes, Cliff Gorman, Susan Tyrrell, Dick Shawn, and Rory Calhoun. Its plot follows a teenage prostitute in Los Angeles who faces danger when a serial killer begins stalking and murdering young prostitutes.

<i>Baaghi</i> (1990 film) 1990 film by Deepak Shivdasani

Baaghi: A Rebel for Love is a 1990 Indian Hindi-language romantic action drama film, starring Salman Khan, Nagma, Kiran Kumar and Shakti Kapoor, which was released on 21 December 1990.The movie was a blockbuster and was the seventh highest grossing film of 1990. It was Nagma's first role in Bollywood; as the opening credits note, she was 15 years old when the film was released. The DVD cover has a warning noting that the movie is "suitable only for persons of 15 years and older," presumably because the plot revolves around prostitution. The subtitle "A Rebel for Love" does not appear on the DVD box, nor in the Hindi titles or license at the start of the movie.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lupanar</span> Ruined brothel in Pompeii, Italy

The Lupanar is the ruined building of an ancient Roman brothel in the city of Pompeii. It is of particular interest for the erotic paintings on its walls, and is also known as the Lupanare Grande or the "Purpose-Built Brothel" in the Roman colony. Pompeii was closely associated with Venus, the ancient Roman goddess of love, sex, and fertility, and therefore a mythological figure closely tied to prostitution.

Francine Sandra Rivers is an American author of fiction with Christian themes, including inspirational romance novels. Prior to becoming a born-again Christian in 1986, Rivers wrote historical romance novels. She is best known for her inspirational novel Redeeming Love, while another novel, The Last Sin Eater, received its own film adaptation released in 2007 by Fox Faith. A film based on Redeeming Love was released on January 21, 2022 through Pinnacle Peak Pictures and Universal Pictures.

Daniel John Caruso Jr. is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. His work encompasses a variety of genres, including thriller, drama, horror, and action. He has also directed numerous episodes of television series such as The Shield, Over There, Smallville, and Dark Angel. The majority of his films fall into the thriller and action film genres.

<i>Redeeming Love</i> Book by Francine Rivers

Redeeming Love is a historical romance novel by Francine Rivers set in the 1850s Gold Rush in California. The story is inspired by the Book of Hosea from the Bible, and its central theme is the redeeming love of God towards sinners. In 2020, a film adaption was announced with D.J. Caruso as director. The novel has sold over three million copies worldwide since its publication in 1991, and has been translated into 30 languages.

<i>King of Thieves</i> (2004 film) 2004 film

King of Thieves is a 2004 German movie directed by Ivan Fíla, starring Lazar Ristovski, Jakov Kultiasov, Katharina Thalbach, Paulus Manker, Birol Ünel and Werner Daehn.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gomer (wife of Hosea)</span> Beloved adulterous wife of prophet Hosea

Gomer was the wife of the prophet Hosea, mentioned in the Hebrew Bible's Book of Hosea (1:3). English translations of Hosea 1:2 refer to her alternatively as a "promiscuous woman" (NIV), a "harlot" (NASB), and a "whore" (KJV) but Hosea is told to marry her according to Divine appointment. She is also described as the daughter of Diblaim.

<i>Barrios bajos</i> 1937 Spanish film

Barrios bajos is a 1937 Spanish black-and-white film directed by Pedro Puche. It is a melodrama that has been noted to possess some formal elements that foreshadowed neorealist cinema. It was produced by a team of the anarchist Union of the Entertainment Industry Films while film production in Barcelona was collectivized by the CNT.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abigail Cowen</span> American actress (born 1998)

Abigail Cowen is an American actress and model. She is known for playing Dorcas in Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and Bloom in Netflix's live-action adaptation of Winx Club titled Fate: The Winx Saga.

References

  1. ↑ Longs, Herb (August 10, 2022). "Watch: Nominations For 53rd Annual GMA Dove Awards Announced - TCB". The Christian Beat. Retrieved October 9, 2022.
  2. ↑ Singh, Prerna (January 20, 2022). "Where Was Redeeming Love Filmed?". The Cinemaholic. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
  3. 1 2 Millenaar, Eline (May 12, 2020). "Bestselling Francine Rivers novel 'Redeeming Love' is coming to big screen". Christian Post . Retrieved November 1, 2022.
  4. 1 2 Welk, Brian (April 29, 2020). "DJ Caruso Adapts Romance Novel 'Redeeming Love' With Abigail Cowen, Tom Lewis". TheWrap . Retrieved November 1, 2022.
  5. ↑ Pearson, Ben (April 29, 2020). "D.J. Caruso to Direct Faith-Based 'Redeeming Love', Which Stars Logan Marshall-Green, Famke Janssen, and More". /Film . Retrieved November 1, 2022.
  6. ↑ Law, Jeannie (May 1, 2020). "Bestselling novel 'Redeeming Love' to be turned to movie produced by Roma Downey". Christian Post . Retrieved November 1, 2022.
  7. ↑ N'Duka, Amanda (April 29, 2020). "Logan Marshall-Green, Abigail Cowen, Nina Dobrev, Famke Janssen & More Star In 'Redeeming Love' Adaptation From 'Eagle Eye' Helmer D.J. Caruso". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved November 1, 2022.
  8. ↑ "Redeeming Love to Release in U.S., Canada Through Universal Pictures in 2022". Movie Guide. August 11, 2021. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
  9. ↑ "Redeeming Love DVD Release Date". www.dvdsreleasedates.com. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
  10. ↑ "How to Watch 'Redeeming Love': Where Is it Streaming Online?". Collider. March 8, 2022. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  11. ↑ Grobar, Matt (October 19, 2021). "'Redeeming Love' Trailer, Release Date: Abigail Cowen & Tom Lewis Star In Universal Romance Pic". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved November 1, 2022.
  12. ↑ Rubin, Rebecca (January 19, 2022). "Box Office: Faith-Based Drama Redeeming Love No Match for Scream, Spider-Man". Variety.
  13. ↑ "Domestic 2022 Weekend 3". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved November 1, 2022.
  14. ↑ "Domestic 2022 Weekend 6". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved November 1, 2022.
  15. ↑ "Redeeming Love | All Territories". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved November 1, 2022.
  16. ↑ "Redeeming Love". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media . Retrieved October 10, 2023.
  17. ↑ "Redeeming Love". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved November 1, 2022.
  18. ↑ "Find CinemaScore" (Type "Redeeming Love" in the search box). CinemaScore . Retrieved March 29, 2023.
  19. ↑ McCahill, Mike (September 12, 2022). "Redeeming Love review – pious Bible-story western struggles for salvation". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved December 27, 2023.
  20. ↑ Minow, Nell. "Redeeming Love movie review & film summary (2022) | Roger Ebert". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved December 27, 2023.
  21. ↑ "Seduction is conversion in the faith-based romance Redeeming Love". The A.V. Club. January 18, 2022. Retrieved December 27, 2023.
  22. ↑ Myers, Randy (January 19, 2022). "What to watch: A 'Redeeming' Gold Rush love story; 'Fraggle Rock'". The Mercury News. Retrieved December 27, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.