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Prodigal Sons Prom Night in Mississippi
documentar
86 minutes a73 2008 a73 USA a73 In Competition 90 minutes a73 2008 a73 USA/Canada a73 In Competition
Thursday 3:20p
a73
Sunday 3:20p
a73
Monday 6:20p Thursday 3:40p
a73
Friday 10:10a
a73
Sunday 6:40p
Director/Producer/Editor: Kimberly Reed a73 Executive Producers: Richard Hawk, Gail Silva a73 Director/Screenwriter: Paul Saltzman a73 Executive Producer: Walter Dilts a73 Producers: Patricia
Producer/Cinematographer: John Keitel a73 Editor: Shannon Kennedy a73 Music/Composers: Aquino, Paul Saltzman a73 Cinematographers: Bongo, Paul Saltzman, Don Warren a73 Editors:
T. Griffin, Marc McKerrow a73 Principal Cast: Claire Jones, Marc McKerrow, Carol McKerrow, Stephen Philipson, Kevin Schjerning a73 Music/Composesrs: Asher Lenz, Jack Lenz a73 Principal
Todd McKerrow, Kimberly Reed a73
prodigalsonsfilm.com Cast: Morgan Freeman, Chasidy Buckley, Jessica Shivers a73
promnightinmississippi.com
ies
Prodigal Sons follows three siblings — a transgender woman, a In 1997, Academy Award–winning actor Morgan Freeman
gay man, and their adopted brother — back to their Montana offered to pay for the senior prom at Charleston High School
hometown. As each struggles to reconcile a new identity with a under one condition: the prom had to be racially integrated. His
complex past, the powerful and poignant story of their entire offer was ignored. In 2008, Freeman offered again. This time the
family’s transformation unfolds. The eldest brother’s life has school board accepted, and history was made. Until then,
been given meaning by the search for his birth parents and the blacks and whites had had separate proms even though their
corrosive rivalry with his younger brother, who was once a classrooms have been integrated for decades. Seemingly
straight-A student and captain of the football team and is now inconsequential rites of passage—shopping for dresses, renting
a woman living in New York City. tuxedos—suddenly become profound as the weight of history
falls on teenage shoulders.
Determined to resolve their bitter past, the two return home for
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a high school reunion. In the end, they reach their own version We quickly learn that change does not come easily in this
of a truce and learn whether they’re limited by what they’re sleepy Delta town. Freeman’s generosity fans the flames of
born with, or whether they can be reborn. [adult content, racism—and racism in Charleston (population 2,300) has a
language] distinctly generational tinge. The film captures a big moment in
a small town, where hope finally blossoms in black, white, and
Kimberly Reed a whole lot of taffeta. [language]
Director’s Statement
Paul Saltzman
I started out making a film about my
Director’s Statement
adopted brother’s journey to discover his
new lineage. It was undeniably a great In 1965, I was in Mississippi doing voter
story, a real-life fairy tale. I also felt guilty registration work. For over forty years I
that life had been easy for me but not for thought about how race relations might
Marc. I imagined that by celebrating his amazing tale I could have changed, or not changed, since I had
ease his pain, and maybe heal our relationship. I thought I’d be been there. In 2007, I decided to find out. I
making a film about the second chapter in our lives. Little did I had no plan or script or funding. I just wanted to talk with
know we weren’t done with the first. ordinary folks and encourage them to share their stories and
feelings around matters of race. I met Morgan Freeman and
Anyone who has met Marc will tell you that you can’t tell his
filmed with him at his home in the small town of Charleston.
story without telling mine. Our rivalry growing up was the most
important dynamic in his life, and remains so to this day. So I I heard from a young woman that her high school still held
knew I’d end up in this film, but I had no idea it would become separate proms. I then learned that this prom was held in
the personal journey it did. I started out believing this film was Morgan’s home town, and that a decade prior, Morgan had
about Marc’s quest for identity, but it was about my own. In the offered to pay to integrate the prom, but was rebuffed. I asked
end, this film is quite simply about love, and how one family Morgan about it, and he confirmed the story. I asked if he was
faces challenges and triumphs that no one would have ever willing to try again. So a meeting was set up with Morgan at the
imagined. school board office, and we began filming.
Filmography: Views of My Father Weeping Filmography: Return to Mississippi
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