AN AUDIO SNAPSHOT REVIEW
A Long Way Off is a modern retelling of the prodigal son parable. In it, Jake and his brother Seth live and work on their family’s farm, a large operation that’s been in business for 70 years. The next thing you know, Jake is talking to his father about his inheritance. Not like a when Dad dies inheritance, but an I-need-it-now inheritance. Surprisingly, Dad agrees and has his lawyer draw up the papers.
Now with lots of cash in hand, Jake trades his pickup for a Maserati and acquires an upscale address. He spends lavishly. But Jake doesn’t just splurge, he also buys large amounts of stock in a hot video game company. Then one day, Jake discovers that his stocks have tanked. Overnight his credit cards no longer work and most of his so-called friends are nowhere to be found. What else is there to do but check out the local homeless shelter?
A Long Way Off takes Jesus’ familiar story and brings home the parable’s messages by giving it a 21st-century framework. Forgiveness. Repentance. The emptiness of worldly living. The love of a father through thick and thin. Now, I need to point out that Jake’s lifestyle choices have him drinking hard and making implied immoral choices. So this probably isn’t a pic for the youngest viewers in the family.
