User reviews

I personally enjoyed the down home quality of the film. I think that for such a low budget and relatively unknown actors, this film really shined. I was pleasantly surprised after watching the film, especially with the negative comments from people here. The Prodigal son aspect really appealed to me and I thought that they did not overplay the situation, but instead it came off as a nice sub-plot. The relationship between the siblings was nicely played. The acting was enjoyable, and it was fun to see Louis Herthum of Murder She Wrote Fame acting in this film. Overall a good movie worth renting.

I was an extra in this little film. Its not too bad. All the actors were class acts all the way. The movie has some problems though, one being it never really grabs your attention and dates itself with its jokes. Its nice though. Look for me, I check out Gathering Marsh's ass as she walks by.

This film really moved me. I was crying at the end. It has a beautiful message of forgiveness.

No doubt a low budget film. I didn't recognize a single actor, but they were so believable, like people I should know. The writing and directing was top notch. I come from the South and this just drips with Southern sensibility and old fashion values. Just a really pretty film.

If you like movies about real people facing real life struggles, you will love this movie.

The relationship between Lance (Brad Hunt) and Lucas (Louis Herthum) reminded me of the dynamics in my own family. Hunt is amazing as he portrays the heroine addicted younger brother of Herthum. The conflict between the brothers is very real and in the end heartwarming and moving. I think this is a movie for the whole family to see. This is a prodigal son story well told! If you can't find it at your local Blockbuster ask them to get it. If more youth groups, boys and girls clubs or families sat down to watch this one together they might find a way to help kids on drugs and create a better understand of one another. This is one worth watching.

This was a lovely little film. I really related to the story. It reminded me of my family growing up in the South. The people were so real.

the actors did a great job, especially the wife. She was terrific, totally stuck in the middle of two men she really loved. All I can say is this is a sweet film, well made and well acted.

It's a treasure.

I'm from Baton Rouge and saw this film a few years ago. I remember being so proud that local guys made it and did such a good job. Its not perfect, but it looks really professional and the acting is totally believable. I think the budget was like $500,000, but it looks like a regular movie made in Hollywood. Its better than most of them too. I you get a chance to see it, you should.

What a lousy piece of garbage.

I think one of the above reviews sums this crappola up perfectly with the statement "One of the worst movies ever."

Next time one is in Indonesia and confronted with the prospect of watching Favorite Son on the local Al-Jazeera affiliate, quickly adjust the rabbit ears atop of the television set and catch Reform School Girls playing on loop instead.

Wow! I just saw this at a friend's house and I loved it. It's not the kind of film you see at the theaters, unfortunately. It is small, touching, and filled with actors I've never seen before. It is really special. I have a brother in trouble and this hit home for me. I don't know where he is but I hope this film finds him someday.

Oh my goodness this film is very, very bad. It irritated me tremendously to watch. The story was very slow and very hard to follow. All of the actors were horrible. The city of Cypress Springs, Louisiana where it is set does not even exist. I begged my Husband Pablo to shot off video player while this movie was on, but he would not. He make me go through much misery to watch it. Please, I beg no one else to watch it. Thank you.

I gotta tell ya, this is a good little movie. Yes,its low budget and all that, but it really delivers. You can't watch this without being moved by it. It starts a little slow but gets better every minute. Just a real old fashion kind of movie. Some of the comments I've seen on this site blow my mind. If you get a chance to see Favorite Son, I highly recommend it.

This movie was a big surprise, in that it carried such emotional power and talent, and I had never even heard of it before! It takes the familiar tale of the Prodigal Son and fleshes it out into a modern, tragic, sometimes-funny story. This is no ordinary indie picture. I mean, the actors are incredible (who is this kid Brad Hunt and where has he been??), the movie looks great and (do I really dare say this?) it actually had me crying at the end. I love independent films and I've seen a lot, and Favorite Son, for me, is a step above most. We need more like it.

This small film is a good one to watch with your brother or your father. Brad Hunt, who plays the younger troubled brother is fantastic, as is Nancy Hochman, who plays his sister-in-law. It has excellent production values for such a low budget film. It is well written and directed, finishing with a great tear jerker ending. It deserves a chance to be seen.

Favorite Son without a doubt is a "sleeper". A peculiar film with a universal message. Splendidly written and directed, beautifully photographed, it is authentic to the prehistoric beauty of the south and to the culture it intends to animate. The music, impossible for me to be objective to, as I wrote it, believe there are moments where it was heavy handed and I could've done a better job. However, I still appreciate the positive responses to it and only hope that I did not detract from the impeccable job done by Steven Esteb, director/writer, and Louis Herthum, producer, as they placed their full faith and confidence in me, a first time film scorer. All that said, the movie should be seen by all thoughtful and searching people.

Wendell Tilley

It's awful to think that somewhere, someone actually wrote this and thought they had a winner on their hands. This entire film is pointless and unbelievably stupid. The characters are one-dimensional. The story is a rip-off. This takes the term "amateurish" to a level it was never meant to reach, this is pure drivel. Watch for yourself, if you dare...

I watched this movie on video at a friend's house. How does crap like this get made? This has got to be the worst movie I have ever seen... Ever!! Louis Herthum's performance is by far the worse in the entire movie. The plot is laughable and the direction is... or should I say what direction? Someone associated with this movie... Please take a correspondence course in filmmaking!

When I find a film that I want to write comments about … I sometimes read the IMDb reviews that have already been written and sometimes I don't. This time, since the film was not know to me at all, I did. I was intrigued by the polar opposite remarks. How could this be? However, when it's a film that people either love or hate… I usually love it, so I looked forward to seeing it. Sure enough, once I started watching it, I was TOTALLY sucked in to these people and their plight. This is a good little film! Sure, it has some challenges, but hey, it's an Indie! After seeing the film, I am not surprised by some of the remarks here on IMDb. This is definitely a thinking person's film. In fact, I was thinking about the film days after I saw it and I have to say… that DOES NOT happen very often, even with Studio films. Though this is certainly one for the "Indie" fan… probably not so much for the mainstream "Big Budget" fan.

An interesting story, one that sort of follows the Prodigal Son parable from the Bible, but it is not a religious film at all. The look of the film is wonderful… Louisiana in full bloom. The sound track by Wendell Tilley is terrific! I don' think I ever heard any of the songs or of Tilley, so they were most likely all original. I liked the fact that the writer, Steven D. Esteb, (who also directed) makes you pay attention to what is going on. You must, or you could miss something… and I think from some of the other comments on IMDb, many have. The actors for the most part are quite good.

Brad Hunt who plays Lance Beauchamp is really good though I would have rather seen the director rein him in a bit (a little too "cerebral" , for me). More like his performance in "Dream With the Fishes" (a great little film he did with David Arquett). … but he is good, no doubt. Louis Herthum, who played Lucas Beauchamp (an actor from the TV show "Murder, She Wrote"… he looked familiar but I was never a fan of that show), gives a subdued but powerful performance. He reminded me of Chris Cooper in "OCTOBER SKY". A proud man having a hell of a time getting a grip on his emotions. But when he does… it's pretty moving stuff.

Gathering Marbet (what a name!) is really fun to watch. A sad, and sexy character as Kansas. My heart went out to this lost soul. In fact, that's what this film is about really… lost souls looking for redemption. Grand L. Bush rips your heart out and shows it to you in his amazing delivery in the climactic scene. However, for me the most compelling performance in the movie was that of Nancy Hochman who plays Annie Beauchamp. Where on earth has this talented actress gone? She is simply terrific. Strong and confident, she handles her dilemma with grace and dignity! I see only one other credit for her after this film, "Godsend" (I don't remember her from that film). Too bad! She should be working! One very interesting thing I discovered was this. I went to the "vote" page and found that viewers in the Baby Boomer range liked the film much better than did younger people. As I say… this is a thinking persons film and with all due respect to the younger crowd… this is not the kind of film that they will be attracted to.

Wow! I just reread this review. I have never written one this long but I am realizing that this movie really made an impression on me. I call myself "Indiedefender" because many "Indies" never get a chance to be seen. When they are, almost by accident as is the case with FAVORITE SON (I found a "screener" copy at a yard sale… great cover) I feel the need to say something about them.

To defend them from people who really don't take a film for what it was meant it to be, but instead what THEY expect or want it to be.

IMDb is great but it makes a critic out of EVERYONE. Many that are not qualified… not that I am … but I am just a true fan and LOVE indie films and appreciate what it must take to make one. This one is DEFINITELY NOT for everyone. However, people with a heart… and a since of what is right (and wrong) in the world, will like it.

With things being what there are in the world today, this would be a good time to watch a film like this… but good luck finding a copy, I can't find it anywhere for sale or rent… and you can't have mine!

How I watched this cheesefest, I'll never know, but I am a movie reviewer and as horrid as this "film" is I have a job to do. How could Louis Herthum even think about walking off the set of "Murder She Wrote", and ruin his career with this silly piece of garbage. Heck, he could have even starred in "Mangler 2" and done more for his acting career. I don't know if his performance is just horrible or if the director, Steven Esteb, had some dark secrets on him and forced him to follow direction under threat of blackmail. Has the screenwriter ever read a book on screenwriting? It lacks basic elements of structure - like a plot. Brad Hunt plays an actor who returns home to Louisiana to be harassed by his older brother played by Herthum over a silly gun their father left when he died. Brad Hunt does somewhat of a good acting job considering the material, but Herthum just moans, groans and is so bitchy through the whole film. Is Herthum's character, Lance Beauchamp, supposed to be sympathetic? I feel sympathy for anyone who has to watch him. I would suggest that he take a correspondence course on acting if possible. I would advise no one to get near this sorry pile of vomit. Overall, it's the only movie I've ever got sick to my stomach from watching. It should never be viewed by human eyes again.