Forgiving the Franklins (2006)

Director:

Jay Floyd

Writer:

Jay Floyd (writer)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

There's more than one way to be born again.

Plot:

A conservative, God fearing Southern family is spiritually changed by an auto accident, but who they become puts them at odds with the highly conservative values around them.

Plot Keywords:

Bible Belt | Coma | Lawyer | Bible | Prayer

Cast

Teresa Willis	...	Betty Franklin
Robertson Dean	...	Frank Franklin
Aviva	...	Caroline Franklin
Vince Pavia	...	Brian Franklin
Mari C. Blackwell	...	Peggy Lester
Pop DaSilva	...	Jesus Christ
Zak Spears	...	Coach Caldwell (as Khris Scaramanga)
Andy Forrest	...	The Pastor
Doug Purdy	...	Junior Law Partner
Bob Savage	...	Senior Law Partner
Terry Leftgoff	...	Bert Lester
Erica Woodson	...	Station Attendant
Kimberly Price	...	Christian Parent's Association Leader
Tracy Berna	...	Christian Women's Group member
Suzanne Brown	...	Christian Parent's Association Woman

MPAA:

Rated R for strong sexual content including a scene of aberrant intimacy, graphic nudity, frank dialogue and some language.

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Certification:

USA:R

Filming Locations:

Greensboro, North Carolina, USA

Company:

Grinning Idiot Entertainment

Trivia:

This film was made without a film crew, as evidenced by the end credits.

Quotes:

Caroline Franklin: She smokes cigarettes and give blow jobs - that's a 'slut'... right?

Movie Connections:

References "The Sopranos" (1999)

This film has stayed with me

As I've hopped from film to film at the SXSW Film Festival, this film from the opening night has stayed with me. Curious, because it is a dark comedy with quite an absurdist premise.

A family of hyper-stressed fundamentalists in a small community of like minds is changed by an auto accident. Three of the four have the same near-death experience in which they are fully opened, as each receives a reversal of the concept of original sin (I won't spoil this scene with the specifics). The fourth, a middle school cheerleader, is not just the only one physically hurt, but also is unchanged and is now witness to what has become her crazy, apparently spiritually bankrupt, family. Every new moment brings a new outrageousness as they have become innocently naked and frank in every way, horrifying her and then the community.

Forgiving the Franklins has the most beautiful sexual awaking scene between a husband and wife that I have ever seen, to the Sarah Brightman song "Deliver Me," a song that can now bring tears to my eyes.

The cast is terrific. Robertson Dean as the dad, Vince Pavia as the son and Aviva as the cheerleader daughter are excellent, Mari Blackwell plays Peggy, the mom's questioning neighbor and best friend perfectly, a much more nuanced, fleshed out, real character than what might have been (everyone in middle America knows a Peggy). And Theresa Willis positively glows as Betty, the mom. There are lots of risks taken by the actors playing the three changed characters, and these risks pay off.

I hope this film gets a wide release - if so, I plan to see it again.

Very accurate review at: http://www.fosteronfilm.com/phil/forgiving.htm