Produced by the Billy Graham Association this is one of the films where the climax is the altar call at one of Graham's Crusades, this one in Seattle. A family with the surname Stuart all get saved.
John Cullum and Hope Lange are the parents and they're drifting apart. Cullum though a nominal Christian has become a workaholic and devoted to his business. Lange is not feeling the passion any more and is drifting toward a possible affair with writer Ian Bannen. Of course in his book discussion group quoting C.S. Lewis is not likely to be conducive to any illicit romance.
Then there's the kids, sons Arliss Howard and John Hammond. Howard is a seminarian who lives in the slum part of town, kind of like Kirk Douglas in is religious phase in Lust For Life. His real faith kind of frightens his parents though not in the way Douglas's did. Hammond is a ne'er do well. When we meet him he's first a fisherman and then takes up tennis and rich princess Morgan Brittany. He's in the title role as The Prodigal.
As this is a religious film specifically for revival audiences it follows most definite parameters. One thing I really could not believe that in 1983 even in the Reagan years Graham himself would be subject and do a university lecture and participate in a Q&A. Those students were a lot more respectful than I suspect college kids of the 80s would be.
This one is definitely for Christian audiences only.
