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The Gospel Our rating: Rate this movie   MPAA rating: PG (for thematic elements, suggestive material and mild language) Genre: Drama Theater release: October 07, 2005 by Sony Pictures/Rainforest Films Directed by: Rob Hardy Runtime: 1 hour 45 minutes Cast: Boris Kodjoe (David Taylor), Idris Elba (Charles Frank), Nona Gaye (Charlene), Clifton Powell (Pastor Fred Taylor), Aloma Wright (Ernestine), Donnie McClurkin (Terrance Hunter) with performances by Yolanda Adams, Martha Munizzi, and Fred Hammond Related: Talk About It/Family Corner

David Taylor and his best friend, Charles Frank, are the future of Atlanta's historic New Revelations Church. On Sunday mornings, David leads the choir and congregation in worship at the church his father founded. He's the pride of his father, Pastor Fred Taylor (Clifton Powell), and his mother. But when his mother dies unexpectedly and his father's church responsibilities keep him from making it to the hospital, David feels like his heavenly and earthly fathers have let him down.

Boris Kodjoe plays the leading man, David Taylor

Fifteen years later, David's only connection to his youthful faith is the large, diamond-encrusted cross hanging between his well-toned pecs. And he's now using the voice that once led worship on sultry, seductive R&B. When David (played first by Michael Pagan, then Boris Kodjoe) finds out that his father is sick, he puts his R&B career on hold to help guide the future of the church he loves. But while he's been gone, Charles (Idris Elba) has been serving faithfully. Charles, now married to David's cousin Charlene (Nona Gaye), has his own plans for the church, and some big dreams for himself.

It all adds up to a twist on Jesus' parable of The Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32). Here, the story leaves the flannelgraph board for the big screen in a modern-day adaptation that's rife with real-life conflict, careerism, church politics and more than a hint of romance.

The Gospel is a solid retelling of the parable, and that's partly because it's a drama rather than a comedy. That fact alone makes it a refreshing change from recent portrayals of African-Americans, and particularly African-American Christians—as was the case in The Fighting Temptations, which, interestingly, starred Cuba Gooding; his younger brother Omar plays a key role in this film. The Gospel is a more universal story, and it has more respect for the role of the church in people's lives. There's no cartoonish choir directing here, a la The Fighting Temptations. But more importantly, it's a universal story about church people, but not one that only church folks can understand. It's situated in an African-American church, but it could apply to any similar situation.

Idris Elba as the Reverend Charles Frank, David's childhood chum

There are several strong performances here, particularly from Aloma Wright, who plays Miss Ernestine, the loyal church secretary who represents the many women who hold together ministries like New Revelations. Miss Ernestine is the voice of reason who keeps David from running away and helps Charles see that his ego is out of control. Powell, as David, does a nice job of portraying a loving-but-weary man who has imperfectly balanced the needs of church and family. Gaye's Charlene has a tense, calculated strength, and her emotive expressions subtly but effectively convey the sources of tension in her marriage and her struggle between her loyalties to her husband and her cousin. Kodjoe's David is stone-faced but adequate, and manages to look fairly convincing singing gospel music. Omar Gooding, who plays David's make-it-happen manager, has a wheel-and-deal ambition and a nice comedic sense. Tamyra Gray (American Idol) plays Rain, a strong-but-vulnerable single parent.

The film takes the interesting approach of having two actors play the oft-maligned "older brother" character. While Elba's Charles is over-performed, eventually becoming more comic than sinister, Donnie McClurkin's portrayal of Minister Terrance Hunter is sympathetic. Minister Hunter shows the neglected element of the older brother's personality: That of a humble, faithful servant who is genuinely surprised to discover he's not next in line for leadership. His struggle to decide whether he should move to another local megachurch—and his frustration with Frank's self-promotion—are believable and sensitive. Hezekiah Walker plays the church's choir director, and cameos by Martha Munizzi, Fred Hammond and Yolanda Adams add star power—and some great performances—without disrupting the story line.

Nona Gaye plays the role of David's cousin Charlene

Writer/director Rob Hardy (Trois, Pandora's Box) and producer Will Packer (Trois) bring a hip-hop influenced sensibility to their editing, making use of rapid cutting to establish history and give a sense of movement to scenes. For example, the film opens with scenes from the church's present juxtaposed with sepia-toned photos of the church's past, letting us know about the importance of this historic church. Similar shots of dancing, exuberance and joy demonstrate the similarity between David's church background and the club scene he becomes a part of. Flashbacks and repeated visual themes—for example, the way major characters handle their Bibles, or the way Charles sits at his desk between his Bible and a copy of Upscale magazine—are used to subtly develop character. Establishment shots and cross-cutting are used both to give sense of place and to move the story along. Repeated lines of dialogue also give the sense of a story that comes full circle. Each character's story ends redemptively, but in ways that are unexpected.

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