Road to Redemption (2001 film)
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John Schmidt[1]
Dave Ross[1]
Gordon Druvenga[1]
Rick Garside, line producer[1]
Jason Behrman, associate producer[1]
Julie Condra[1]
Leo Rossi[1]
Jay Underwood[1]
Tony Longo[1]
Wes Studi[1]
| Road to Redemption | |
|---|---|
 Promotional poster | |
| Directed by | Robert Vernon[1] |
| Written by | Robert Vernon[1] |
| Produced by | John Shepherd[1] John Schmidt[1] Dave Ross[1] Gordon Druvenga[1] Rick Garside, line producer[1] Jason Behrman, associate producer[1] |
| Starring | Pat Hingle[1] Julie Condra[1] Leo Rossi[1] Jay Underwood[1] Tony Longo[1] Wes Studi[1] |
| Cinematography | Michael Balog[1] |
| Edited by | John Schmidt[1] John Pipes[1] |
| Music by | John Campbell[1] |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | World Wide Pictures[1] |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 85 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $2.2 million[2] |
| Box office | $236,823[3] |
Road to Redemption is a film produced by John Shepherd and Jason Behrman,[4] and distributed by Billy Graham Ministries' World Wide Pictures and released in select theaters in 2001.[2] It was written and directed by Robert Vernon[1] and starred Pat Hingle, Jay Underwood, Julie Condra, and Leo Rossi.[5] It was released on home video and DVD in June 2001.[6]
Amanda Tucker and her live-in boyfriend Alan Fischer steal $250,000 from Sully Santoro, a Las Vegas mob boss who also happens to be Amanda's employer. They bet the money at the races, and subsequently lose it all. While Alan decides to set Sully's office on fire to explain the missing money, Amanda decides to visit her Grandpa Nathan in Flagstaff, Arizona. He happens to be wealthy.
Unfortunately for Amanda, he's also recently found Jesus, and though he agrees to give her the money, he tacks on a caveat: she has to drive him to his favorite fishing hole. Nathan's favorite place to fish is Lake Redemption, Montana. She agrees. The pair load up her VW Beetle and embark on a road trip. Along the way, they're pursued by her boss's thugs, they encounter a rattlesnake and a grizzly bear, they follow a truck full of feathers, and they regularly pray for miracles.
During their cross-country adventure, Nathan plays evangelical broadcasts on the radio that include Billy Graham's "Day of Decision", and regularly discusses his spirituality in an attempt to convert Amanda to Christianity. Eventually, it appears to work.
Cast
- Pat Hingle as Nathan Tucker[1]
- Julie Condra as Amanda Tucker[1]
- Leo Rossi as Sully Santoro[1]
- Jay Underwood as Alan Fischer[1]
- Tony Longo as Vincent the Enforcer[1]
- Wes Studi as Frank Lightfoot[1]
- Johnny Meyer[7]
Production
Filmed on location in California and Utah,[2] production was completed on the film in 2000.[5] Songs for the film were provided by the Christian music group River, who renamed their album My Life Message to Road to Redemption in order to match the film.[8]
World Wide gave the film a budget of $2.2 million.[2] The film made only $236,823 in box office sales.[3]
Release
Road to Redemption was screened in February 2001.[9] The film was released in two waves to select theaters in the U.S. only: on February 16 (Minneapolis, Phoenix, San Antonio, Austin, Norfolk, Seattle, Nashville, Portland) and March 9 (San Diego, Cincinnati, Denver, Dallas, Kansas City, Tampa).[2] After it had played in select theaters, the film was screened at local churches, both before[10] and after[11] the DVD home video release on June 1, 2001.[6] Prior to the home video release, the film was included alongside other Christian offerings such as The Bibleman Adventure and Escape From Hell, in a free festival that toured several cities, including Toronto, Memphis, and Orlando.[12]
The film began airing on U.S. television the first week of June 2001[13] and continued to air on U.S. television through November 2002.[14] It played in the U.K. on television in March 2002[15] and still aired in January 2003.[16]
World Wide stated that the use of select theaters for Road to Redemption was a strategic decision to determine the viability of a national theatrical release.[17]
Road to Redemption was re-released on DVD in 2006 as part of the "Billy Graham Presents" collection of three films.[18]