The Gospel
Encyclopedia
The Gospel is a 2005 film directed and written by Rob Hardy
. It was released in the United States
on October 7, 2005. The film retells the Parable of the Prodigal Son
in a modern context.
and his father's church, and later becomes a top-of-the-billboards pop star. He returns to the church years later to find the once-powerful congregation in disarray. With his childhood friend creating a "new vision" for the church, he is forced to deal with family turmoil, career suicide, and relationship issues that send him on a collision course with redemption or destruction.
4 million, The Gospel reported grosses of $15,778,152 at the North American box office.
According to the Rotten Tomatoes
web site, 34% of movie reviews of The Gospel were positive and 66% negative (12 positive, 23 negative).
The film received three nominations in the Black Reel Awards of 2006
: Idris Elba was nominated for Best Actor, Nona Gaye was nominated for Best Actress, and Rob Hardy was nominated for Best Screenplay, Original or Adapted.
Reviews
Rob Hardy
Rob Hardy is a film producer, writer, television and film director. His films include The Gospel, Trois, and Trois 2: Pandora's Box. He wrote his first film, Chocolate City while a student at Florida A&M University. His television credits include ER, Criminal Minds, The Vampire Diaries and...
. It was released in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on October 7, 2005. The film retells the Parable of the Prodigal Son
Parable of the Prodigal Son
The Prodigal Son, also known as the Lost Son and the Prodigal Father, is one of the parables of Jesus. It appears in only one of the Canonical gospels of the New Testament. According to the Gospel of Luke a father extravagantly gives his sons their inheritance before he dies...
in a modern context.
Plot
David Taylor was soon to become a young minister but when tragedy strikes, the loss of his mother, he eventually turns away from GodGod
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
and his father's church, and later becomes a top-of-the-billboards pop star. He returns to the church years later to find the once-powerful congregation in disarray. With his childhood friend creating a "new vision" for the church, he is forced to deal with family turmoil, career suicide, and relationship issues that send him on a collision course with redemption or destruction.
Cast
- Boris KodjoeBoris KodjoeBoris Frederic Cecil Tay-Natey Ofuatey-Kodjoe , better known as Boris Kodjoe, is an Austrian-born German actor and former fashion model who works primarily in the United States...
as David "DT" Taylor - Idris ElbaIdris ElbaIdrissa Akuna "Idris" Elba is a British television, theatre, and film actor. He has starred in both British and American productions. Elba grew up in Canning Town, East London. One of his first acting roles was in the soap opera Family Affairs. He has worked in a variety of TV roles including ...
as Charles Frank - Clifton PowellClifton Powell-Movie career:Powell is known for playing the role of Pinky in the 2000 comedy film, Next Friday and its 2002 sequel, Friday After Next. Powell stars also in the Indie thriller Chain Letter.In 2009 he played "Bowman" in the film Just Another Day...
as Bishop Fred Taylor - Nona GayeNona GayeNona Marvisa Gaye is an American singer, former fashion model, and screen actress. The daughter of soul music legend Marvin Gaye and granddaughter of jazz great Slim Gaillard, she began her career as a vocalist in the early 1990s...
as Charlene Taylor-Frank - Omar GoodingOmar GoodingOmar M. Gooding is an American actor. He is the younger brother of veteran actor Cuba Gooding, Jr. and the son of singer Cuba Gooding, Sr....
as Wesley - Tamyra GrayTamyra GrayTamyra Monica Gray is an American actress, singer and songwriter, who finished fourth place on the first season of the musical reality competition American Idol in 2002. Record and television executive Simon Cowell — who judged the show for nine seasons — was disappointed when she was voted off...
as Rain - China Anne McClain as Alexis
- Donnie McClurkinDonnie McClurkinDonald Andrew McClurkin, Jr. is an American gospel music singer and minister. He has won three Grammy awards, ten Stellar awards, two BET awards, two Soul Train awards, one Dove award and one NAACP Image award for his work....
as Minister Hunter - Aloma WrightAloma WrightAloma Wright is an American actress. She was born in New York and raised in California.- Career :Wright was cast as Laverne Roberts for Scrubs. After six seasons, her character was killed off in My Long Goodbye. She returned in season seven playing a new character, Nurse Shirley...
as Ernesteine - Keshia Knight PulliamKeshia Knight PulliamKeshia Knight Pulliam is an American actress. She is most recognized for her childhood role as Rudy Huxtable on the long-running NBC sitcom The Cosby Show. Currently, she appears as reformed con artist Miranda Lucas-Payne on the TBS comedy-drama Tyler Perry's House of Payne.-Personal life:Keshia...
as Maya Walker - Delores "Mom" Winans
- Dwayne Boyd as Oscar
- Hezekiah WalkerHezekiah WalkerBishop Hezekiah Xzavier Walker, Jr. is a Grammy Award-winning gospel music artist, founder and leader of the Love Fellowship Choir , and Pastor and Bishop of the Love Fellowship Tabernacle, with locations in Brooklyn, New York, and Bensalem, Pennsylvania, in the United States...
as Brother Gordon - Michael J. PaganMichael J. PaganMichael Jamon Pagan is an American actor and screenwriter.-Biography:Pagan attended Long Beach Polytechnic High School in Long Beach and West Los Angeles College in Los Angeles. He has received training at the Tasha Smith Acting Studio and the Ivanna Chubbuck Studio...
as Young David
Cameo Appearances
- Yolanda AdamsYolanda AdamsYolanda Adams is an American Grammy- and Dove-award-winning Yolanda Adams is an American [[Grammy Awards|Grammy]]- and [[Dove Awards|Dove]]-award-winning...
as herself - Martha MunizziMartha Munizzi-Award wins:-Award nominations:Munizzi has been nominated for Grammy, Dove, Stellar and Soul Train Awards as both a performer and songwriter. In 2006, Munizzi was nominated for a Grammy for Best Traditional Soul Gospel Album...
as herself - Fred HammondFred HammondFred Hammond is a gospel music singer, bass guitar player, and record producer.-Musical career:Hammond has been active both as a member of the gospel performing group Commissioned, and as a solo artist...
as himself - Kirk FranklinKirk FranklinKirk Dwayne Franklin is an American Gospel music musician, choir director, and author, and is most notably known for leading urban contemporary gospel choirs such as The Family, God's Property and One Nation Crew .- Early years :...
as himself
Soundtrack
The soundtrack features the following songs:- He Reigns (Kirk FranklinKirk FranklinKirk Dwayne Franklin is an American Gospel music musician, choir director, and author, and is most notably known for leading urban contemporary gospel choirs such as The Family, God's Property and One Nation Crew .- Early years :...
feat. Papa SanPapa SanTyrone Thompson, better known as Papa San, is a Jamaican reggae, dancehall and gospel singer.- Biography :Born in 1966, he was raised by his Rastafarian grandmother and turned to Christianity in 1997...
) - Victory (Yolanda AdamsYolanda AdamsYolanda Adams is an American Grammy- and Dove-award-winning Yolanda Adams is an American [[Grammy Awards|Grammy]]- and [[Dove Awards|Dove]]-award-winning...
) - Glorious (Martha MunizziMartha Munizzi-Award wins:-Award nominations:Munizzi has been nominated for Grammy, Dove, Stellar and Soul Train Awards as both a performer and songwriter. In 2006, Munizzi was nominated for a Grammy for Best Traditional Soul Gospel Album...
) - You Are Good (Greg Kirkland)
- Still Alive (Kirk Franklin singers)
- Change Is Gonna Come (Deitrick HaddonDeitrick HaddonDeitrick Haddon is a Gospel singer, songwriter and producer. A popular artist known for his contemporary style of music, he is well known for his progressive gospel styles.-Early years:Haddon is a native of Detroit, Michigan....
) - Ooh Child (Urban Mix) (Donnie McClurkinDonnie McClurkinDonald Andrew McClurkin, Jr. is an American gospel music singer and minister. He has won three Grammy awards, ten Stellar awards, two BET awards, two Soul Train awards, one Dove award and one NAACP Image award for his work....
feat. Kirk FranklinKirk FranklinKirk Dwayne Franklin is an American Gospel music musician, choir director, and author, and is most notably known for leading urban contemporary gospel choirs such as The Family, God's Property and One Nation Crew .- Early years :...
) - The Closer I Get To You (Donny HathawayDonny HathawayDonny Edward Hathaway was an American soul singer-songwriter and musician. Hathaway contracted with Atlantic Records in 1969 and with his first single for the Atco label, "The Ghetto, Part I" in early 1970, Rolling Stone magazine "marked him as a major new force in soul music."His collaborations...
and Roberta FlackRoberta FlackRoberta Flack is an American singer, songwriter, and musician who is notable for jazz, soul, R&B, and folk music...
) - When I Pray (Interlude) (Joann RosarioJoAnn RosarioJoAnn Rosario is an American gospel/CCM singer.Rosario was born in Chicago to parents of Puerto Rican background. Her father is a pastor and she sang in his church as a child. Her professional career began as a member of Fred Hammond's Radical for Christ. Hammond helped her launch a solo career in...
) - All Things Are Working (Fred HammondFred HammondFred Hammond is a gospel music singer, bass guitar player, and record producer.-Musical career:Hammond has been active both as a member of the gospel performing group Commissioned, and as a solo artist...
) - I Need You To Survive (Hezekiah WalkerHezekiah WalkerBishop Hezekiah Xzavier Walker, Jr. is a Grammy Award-winning gospel music artist, founder and leader of the Love Fellowship Choir , and Pastor and Bishop of the Love Fellowship Tabernacle, with locations in Brooklyn, New York, and Bensalem, Pennsylvania, in the United States...
& the Love Fellowship Choir) - Now Behold The Lamb (Tamyra GrayTamyra GrayTamyra Monica Gray is an American actress, singer and songwriter, who finished fourth place on the first season of the musical reality competition American Idol in 2002. Record and television executive Simon Cowell — who judged the show for nine seasons — was disappointed when she was voted off...
, feat. Idris Elba Serman & Clifton Powell Parable) - Put Your Hands Together (Fred Hammond and Natalie Wilson)
Reception
Produced on a budget of US$United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
4 million, The Gospel reported grosses of $15,778,152 at the North American box office.
According to the Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
web site, 34% of movie reviews of The Gospel were positive and 66% negative (12 positive, 23 negative).
The film received three nominations in the Black Reel Awards of 2006
Black Reel Awards of 2006
Here are the nominees and winners of the 2006 Black Reel Awards....
: Idris Elba was nominated for Best Actor, Nona Gaye was nominated for Best Actress, and Rob Hardy was nominated for Best Screenplay, Original or Adapted.
External links
Reviews
- Music redeems confused 'Gospel', The Boston Globe, Ty Burr, October 7, 2005.
- The Gospel (2005): A Church Welcomes Home a Wayward Son, New York Times, Laura Kern, October 7, 2005.
- Heavenly voices raise 'The Gospel's' spirit, San Francisco Chronicle, Walter Addiego, October 10, 2005.