source: The Heart of Man

A moving and heart renching look inside ourselves and the shame we all carry. The movie brings hope through stories of personal salvation and the pursuing heart of our father God to our darkest sins and hurt. This movie has changed me. I am a new creature.

Thank you to the creators of this film for the beautiful portrayal of struggle so many people go through- and the freedom that comes from the realization that among other things, God is not condemning or judging us, but is loving us and wants to enter into our struggle with us....

Just finished watching the film. I was totally confused who the senior player was until I saw the credits. If he was the father why did he chase the son. If he was God, why did he need physical tools to break the son free and why did he ignore all the other prisoners. And the son was not prodigal in the real sense, only in the traditional church sense. That's my head speaking and it had nothing to do with the value of the film. I think it is a tremendously important tool and one that will reach a lot more people than traditional church tools and methods, because it's real people being vulnerable and true, and it shows hope and grace in action.

This film has been masterfully produced and of all the films I saw in 2018 it was the most impactful on me personally. One I will watch again. this is a christian movie without the cringe factor that to often is apart of such films. you know what I mean! one thing i would say is be prepared to reevaluate where your view of yourself and where your view of God as Father has come from. This film has truly honoured the spirit of Elijah. One thing, I would have not have added was the fireside chat after the film. It was ok, but I found it better to just sit with the gravity of what I just saw without it being explained to me.

This is a movie that takes a hard and honest look at the roots of shame. It examines why so many feel unworthy to be loved and why these feelings create destructive behaviors. It addresses how many use * as an extension of their imagination in an attempt to find fulfillment - with interviews of top thought-leaders, William Paul Young ("The Shack"), Dr. Dan Allender (Professor of Counseling Psychology), John Lynch (co-author, "The Cure) and Jackie Hill Perry (spoken word artist), on brokenness, identity and shame. It's a movie about unfailing love and hope. It features a small part from Serena Karnagy (from the Hawaii Five-O series) and it has an amazing music score and cinematography. It's uniquely done and admirably so, as the retelling of the ancient prodigal son story is intertwined with real life testimonies. This movie is a piece of art. I have every intention of watching it several more times. There's a lot to take in - a lot to chew on. It moves you. It's about our human nature and it's a confirmation of a spiritual journey that we are all on - one that ultimately yields great reward. "Shame hates it when we reach out and tell our story. It hates having words wrapped around it - it can't survive being shared. Shame loves secrecy. When we bury our story, the shame metastasizes." - Brené Brown

This movie couldn't have come along at a better time for me. I just started going to church a few months ago, after avoiding it my entire adult life, but I was struggling to find what I was looking for. I was getting discouraged because I wasn't "feeling" it but I desperately want to have a relationship with God before it's too late. I'm 57 and I've made a LOT of mistakes in my life so I need a lot of forgiveness and reassurance. After watching this movie, I have a whole new outlook on my life and my faith. I'm excited and relieved to know that I am worthy of forgiveness. I'm actually looking forward to going to church this week! Thank you for making this amazing movie. I appreciate it more than I can say.

How can I describe a movie that is incredibly visually stimulating when using mere words to describe it? But I will try... The mix of the dramatic presentation juxtaposed by the raw and honest interviews made this rendition of the parable of the prodigal son come alive! The acting was superb and the cinematography was was done with such excellence that if there were no words, you would get the idea clearly by watching all the breathtaking scenes. I went with 5 friends, 3 men and 3 women total. Each of us was moved by the story and felt it applied quite personally to each of us in different ways. It was a story that spoke of tragic results of good desires gone wild. It was a story of our struggle to set ourselves free from the bondage of guilt and shame. It was a story of the heart of our Father, God, and His desire for our best, even when we are at our worst. "Intense" is too light a word to describe the weight of this theme. It is a universal human theme...to desire something more than God Himself. "Prone to wander" could have been the theme song. But it doesn't end there, thankfully. Restoration is the longing of our God for each of us and the transformation that occurs when we begin to understand who we are and Whose we are brings us closer to His heart. His love heals and restores, and as the movie sweetly depicts, brings us back into harmony with our God. I would strongly recommend this movie to men and women of all ages because it speaks to male issues and female issues of lust and desire in ALL aspects of life (not only sexual). Also, there is a discussion at the end of the movie that will help the viewer to understand some of the symbolism and the heart of the director. Some of the characters are part of the discussion as well as some of those being interviewed. This important time wrapped up the theme and intent of the movie nicely, and it was well worth the extra time spent at the end. This flick was done with as much excellence (if not more) than any Hollywood made movie I have ever seen. Ask your local theaters to show it again! When it comes out on DVD, I will be sure to own it and share it with as many as I can!

This is one of the most movie or documentaries, whatever it is, that I have ever seen. I was glued to the actors because it was real. Real everyday life of temptation, falling, God's faithfulness, and His redemption covered with His patience and love. It describes the heart of me as well as each of us in our lives. I was quiet when it was over with a wow moment of awe. Loved staying die the interviewees afterwards to see all that went I to it. The cinematography was incredible

The Heart of Man, surprising the artistic backdrop to this documentary. The stories told are honest (brutally) and they are compelling. Its about how we as humans in the condition we are fall victim to desires that lead deception, brokenness and hurting the very ones we love. We lie, we hide and we deny there is a problem, Until. The documentary itself is so important because of the epidemic of sex addiction that it deals with that is tearing families apart leaving broken and wounded souls in it's path. It is about how to get beyond the addiction and through honestly facing the demon and through reconciliation and redemption lives and families are restored. The backdrop story, a group of actors playing out the very stories told by those sharing their life experiences tell the story without saying a word. And if you never heard any of the real life stories in the film you would still know what they were by what you would see. The cinematography is stunning and so well done, the imagery of a family/clan of years ago and the draw of forbidden desires and the lust for them that leads a prodigal to search out what he believes is there. Only to find heartbreak but a loving father pursue him, restores him and reclaims him as his own. If you struggle with this problem see the film it will help. If you don't struggle with this problem see the film because you can be part of the help. I hope it makes the theaters again but whatever way you can see it do, it will change your understanding of infidelity and sexual addiction how it happens, why and what leads to restoration. It is truly an amazing film.