The Prodigal Trilogy

Last updated
The Prodigal Trilogy
The Prodigal Trilogy.jpg
Directed by Tad Munnings
Produced by Jason Hildebrand
Starring Jason Hildebrand
Music by Mike Janzen
Release date
  • 2008 (2008)
Running time
24 minutes
CountryCanada
LanguageEnglish
Budget$65,000

The Prodigal Trilogy is a 2008 independent Christian short film that tells the Parable of the Prodigal Son from the Bible, from a modern perspective. It was made in a combination of theatrical and cinematic styles, and was filmed in the Orillia Opera House in Orillia, Ontario, Canada.

Contents

Plot

The film is divided into three acts, each act containing the three characters' monologues. Each character is played by Jason Hildebrand. [1]

Act I

Act I is the younger son's story. He tells of how he demanded that his father should give him his inheritance right away, and how he then ran away and spent himself on every pleasure he could think of. When his money was spent and his pleasure all gone, he tells of how he went back home to his father, and how his father accepted him back into the family.

Act II

The second act contains the story of the older brother, who tells of his own righteousness and his disgust at what his younger brother did. When his brother returned home, he watched in horror at how his father welcomed back his son, going so far as to even throw a party for him, even though he had never given his elder (and more upright in standing) son a party.

Act III

Act III gives us the father's perspective on the whole situation. He speaks of how, deeply saddened by his younger son's actions, he did the only thing a parent could do in a situation like this – he prayed, and continued loving. When his son finally came home, he joyfully accepted him back into the family with his complete heart. The only thing that saddens him still is that his older son, though doing all the right things outwardly, is more lost than the younger son ever was, because of his heart-attitude.

Production style

The production style of the film was as much a part of the story as the characters were. Key elements of the story were further communicated through the use of a few simple props, which each served their purposes during each act. For instance, an ornate scarlet cloth was used both as a robe and a tablecloth at different times throughout the three acts.

Each act made use of a different cinematographic style, as well. Act I was shot in a hand-held style, Act II had smooth dolly and tripod styles, and Act III combined both styles in a smooth Steadicam style. This was done in order to convey the personalities of the characters of the Younger Son, Elder Son, and Father, respectively. [2]

Awards

The Prodigal Trilogy has won several awards and honors, including:

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luke Skywalker</span> Character in Star Wars

Luke Skywalker is a fictional character and the protagonist of the original film trilogy of the Star Wars franchise created by George Lucas. Portrayed by Mark Hamill, Luke first appeared in Star Wars (1977), and he returned in The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983). Over three decades later, Hamill returned as Luke in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, cameoing in The Force Awakens (2015) before playing a major role in The Last Jedi (2017) and The Rise of Skywalker (2019). He later played a digitally de-aged version of the character in the Disney+ series The Mandalorian, appearing in the second-season finale, which premiered in 2020, and The Book of Boba Fett, in the sixth episode, released in 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ron Howard</span> American filmmaker, and actor

Ronald William Howard is an American director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. He first came to prominence as a child actor, guest-starring in several television series, including an episode of The Twilight Zone. He gained national attention for playing young Opie Taylor, the son of Sheriff Andy Taylor in the sitcom The Andy Griffith Show from 1960 through 1968. During this time, he also appeared in the musical film The Music Man (1962), a critical and commercial success. He was credited as Ronny Howard in his film and television appearances from 1959 to 1973. Howard was cast in one of the lead roles in the coming-of-age film American Graffiti (1973), and became a household name for playing Richie Cunningham in the sitcom Happy Days, a role he would play from 1974 to 1980.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sean Astin</span> American actor

Sean Patrick Astin is an American actor. His acting roles include Samwise Gamgee in The Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001–2003), Mikey Walsh in The Goonies (1985), Daniel Ruettiger in Rudy (1993), Doug Whitmore in 50 First Dates (2004), Bill in Click (2006), Lynn McGill in the fifth season of 24 (2006), Oso in Special Agent Oso (2009–2012), Raphael in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2012–2017), Bob Newby in the second and third seasons of Netflix's Stranger Things, and Ed in No Good Nick (2019).

The Deptford Trilogy is a series of inter-related novels by Canadian novelist Robertson Davies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parable of the Prodigal Son</span> Parable taught by Jesus Christ of Nazareth according to the Christian Gospel of Luke

The Parable of the Prodigal Son is one of the parables of Jesus Christ in the Bible, appearing in Luke 15:11–32. Jesus shares the parable with his disciples, the Pharisees and others.

<i>Aparajito</i> 1956 film by Satyajit Ray

Aparajito is a 1956 Indian Bengali-language drama film written and directed by Satyajit Ray (1921–1992), and is the second part of The Apu Trilogy. It is adapted from the first half of Bibhutibhushan Bannerjee's novel Aparajito. It starts off where the previous film Pather Panchali (1955) ended, with Apu's family moving to Varanasi, and chronicles Apu's life from childhood to adolescence in college.

<i>Festen</i> 1998 Danish black comedy-drama film

Festen is a 1998 Danish dark comedy-drama film directed by Thomas Vinterberg and produced by Nimbus Film.

<i>Through a Glass Darkly</i> (film) 1961 film

Through a Glass Darkly is a 1961 Swedish drama film written and directed by Ingmar Bergman, and starring Harriet Andersson, Gunnar Björnstrand, Max von Sydow and Lars Passgård. The film tells the story of a schizophrenic young woman (Andersson) vacationing on a remote island with her husband, novelist father (Björnstrand), and frustrated younger brother (Passgård).

<i>Arabian Nights</i> (1974 film) 1974 film

Arabian Nights is a 1974 Italian film directed by Pier Paolo Pasolini. Its original Italian title is Il fiore delle mille e una notte, which means The Flower of the One Thousand and One Nights.

<i>Winter Light</i> 1963 film

Winter Light is a 1963 Swedish drama film written and directed by Ingmar Bergman and starring his regulars, Gunnar Björnstrand, Ingrid Thulin and Max von Sydow. It follows Tomas Ericsson (Björnstrand), pastor of a small rural Swedish church, as he deals with an existential crisis and his Christianity.

<i>Babel</i> (film) 2006 psychological drama film

Babel is a 2006 psychological drama film directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu and written by Guillermo Arriaga. The multi-narrative drama completes Arriaga's and Iñárritu's Death Trilogy, following Amores perros and 21 Grams. It is an international co-production among companies based in the United States, Mexico and France. The film features an ensemble cast and use of hyperlink cinema, which portrays interwoven stories taking place in Morocco, Japan, Mexico, and the United States.

<i>And Life Goes On</i> 1992 film by Abbas Kiarostami

And Life Goes On is a 1992 Iranian film directed by Abbas Kiarostami. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1992 Cannes Film Festival. It is considered the second film in Kiarostami's Koker trilogy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jason Reitman</span> Canadian-American filmmaker and actor

Jason R. Reitman is a Canadian-American actor and filmmaker, best known for directing the films Thank You for Smoking (2005), Juno (2007), Up in the Air (2009), Young Adult (2011), and Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021). He has received one Grammy Award, one Golden Globe, and four Academy Award nominations, two of which are for Best Director. Reitman is a dual citizen of Canada and the United States. He is the son of director Ivan Reitman, and known for frequently collaborating with screenwriter Diablo Cody.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luke 15</span> Chapter of the New Testament

Luke 15 is the fifteenth chapter of the Gospel of Luke in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. The book containing this chapter is anonymous, but early Christian tradition uniformly affirmed that Luke the Evangelist composed this Gospel as well as the Acts of the Apostles. This chapter records three parables of Jesus Christ: the lost sheep, the lost coin and the lost or 'prodigal' son, a trilogy about redemption that Jesus tells after the Pharisees and religious leaders accuse him of welcoming and eating with "sinners".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prince Hamlet</span> Character in Hamlet

Prince Hamlet is the title role and protagonist of William Shakespeare's tragedy Hamlet (1599–1601). He is the Prince of Denmark, nephew to the usurping Claudius, and son of King Hamlet, the previous King of Denmark. At the beginning of the play, he struggles with whether, and how, to avenge the murder of his father, and struggles with his own sanity along the way. By the end of the tragedy, Hamlet has caused the deaths of Polonius, Laertes, Claudius, and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, two acquaintances of his from childhood. He is also indirectly involved in the deaths of his love Ophelia (drowning) and of his mother Gertrude.

<i>Margot at the Wedding</i> 2007 American film

Margot at the Wedding is a 2007 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Noah Baumbach. It stars Nicole Kidman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Jack Black, John Turturro, Ciarán Hinds and Halley Feiffer. The film is about the familial storm that arises when Margot, a writer, comes to visit her sister Pauline on the eve of her wedding.

<i>Ashes of Paradise</i> 1997 film

Ashes of Paradise is a 1997 Argentine crime drama film directed by Marcelo Piñeyro. It tells in flashbacks how the untroubled private happiness of a family – a judge and his three grown-up sons – crumbles between loyalty and betrayal, blind trust and suspicions.

<i>Ajami</i> (film) 2009 film

Ajami is a 2009 Israeli Arab drama film. Its plot is set in the Ajami neighborhood of Jaffa, Tel Aviv, Israel.

<i>In a Better World</i> 2010 film

In a Better World is a 2010 Danish drama thriller film written by Anders Thomas Jensen and directed by Susanne Bier. The film stars Mikael Persbrandt, Trine Dyrholm, and Ulrich Thomsen in a story which takes place in small-town Denmark and a refugee camp in Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kimberly Reed</span> American film director and producer

Kimberly Reed is an American film director and producer who is best known for her documentaries Prodigal Sons and Dark Money which premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival. In 2007, Filmmaker magazine named her one of the "25 New Faces of Independent Film."

References

  1. "The Prodigal Trilogy (DVD)". Vision Forum . Retrieved 2009-06-01.
  2. "The Prodigal Trilogy: Interview with Jason Hildebrand". HOSFU . Retrieved 2010-01-12.
  3. "Awards 2008" . Retrieved May 2, 2009.[ dead link ]
  4. "Film Festival Followup 2008" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on December 5, 2008. Retrieved May 2, 2009.
  5. "San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival Announces 2009 Jubilee Award Winners". January 12, 2009. Archived from the original on February 27, 2009. Retrieved May 2, 2009.
  6. Kimball, Josh (January 12, 2009). "Christian Film Festival Awards $101K Prize to 'Widow's Might'". The Christian Post . Retrieved June 1, 2009.
  7. "2009 Award Of Merit/Film". Archived from the original on January 17, 2010. Retrieved May 2, 2009.
  8. "Second Spanish Director Wins Golden Leo" . Retrieved May 2, 2009.