''Free in Deed'' is a 2015

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...

written, directed, and co-edited by Jake Mahaffy. An international co-production between the United States and New Zealand, it stars

David Harewood David Michael Harewood (born 8 December 1965) is a British actor, presenter and the current president of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. He is best known for his roles as CIA Counterterrorism Director David Estes in ''Homeland'' (2011–2012 ...

Edwina Findley Edwina Findley, also known as Edwina Findley Dickerson, is an American actress. Findley played recurring roles in the HBO television dramas ''The Wire'' (2003–04) and '' Treme'' (2010–13), and from 2014 to 2020 starred as Kelly Isaacs, one of ...

, and RaJay Chandler. It is based on true events, and tells the story of a lonely

Pentecostal Pentecostalism or classical Pentecostalism is a movement within the broader Evangelical wing of Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that emphasizes direct personal experience of God in Christianity, God through Baptism with the Holy Spirit#Cl ...

minister who attempts to perform a

miracle A miracle is an event that is inexplicable by natural or scientific lawsOne dictionary define"Miracle"as: "A surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of a divi ...

when a young woman asks him to heal her son from a seemingly incurable illness. The film had its world premiere at the

72nd Venice International Film Festival The 72nd annual Venice Film Festival, Venice International Film Festival, was held from 2 to 12 September 2015, at Venice Lido in Italy. Mexican filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón was the jury president for the main competition. French-Italian actress ...

on September 11, 2015, where it won the Orizzonti Award for Best Film. It was given a

limited theatrical release __FORCETOC__ Limited theatrical release is a film distribution strategy of releasing a new film in a few cinemas across a country, typically art house theaters in major metropolitan markets. Since 1994, a limited theatrical release in the Unite ...

in the United States on September 8, 2017, by

Gravitas Ventures Gravitas Ventures is an American film distribution company owned by Shout! Studios. The company was founded by Nolan Gallagher in Los Angeles in 2006, and moved its headquarters from Los Angeles to Cleveland in 2019. It focuses on the distribu ...

. It received positive reviews from critics, and was nominated for Best Male Lead (for Harewood), Best Supporting Female (for Findley),

Best Cinematography The following is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various films, festivals, and people's awards. Best Actor/Best Actress *See Best Actor#Film awards, Best ...

(for Berkofsky), and the John Cassavetes Award at the

32nd Independent Spirit Awards The 32nd Film Independent Spirit Awards, honoring the best independent films of 2016, were presented by Film Independent on February 25, 2017. The nominations were announced on November 22, 2016. The ceremony was hosted by Nick Kroll and John Mul ...

Synopsis

In the distinctive world of

storefront church A storefront or shopfront is the facade or entryway of a retail store located on the ground floor or street level of a commercial building, typically including one or more display windows. A storefront functions to attract visual attention to a b ...

es, Pentecostal minister Abe Wilkins tries to perform a miracle. When Melva Neddy, a single mother on the brink of profound desperation, brings her tormented young son to church for

healing With physical trauma or disease suffered by an organism, healing involves the repairing of damaged tissue(s), organs and the biological system as a whole and resumption of (normal) functioning. Medicine includes the process by which the cells ...

, Wilkins is not only forced to confront the seemingly incurable illness of the child, but his own inescapable demons as well. And the more he prays, the more things seem to spiral out of his control.

Cast

as Abe Wilkins *

as Melva Neddy * RaJay Chandler as Benny *

Preston Shannon Preston Shannon (October 23, 1947 – January 22, 2018) was an American electric blues and soul blues guitarist, singer and songwriter. AllMusic noted that "Shannon's specialty is a blend of Southern-fried soul and blues, and his albums and li ...

as Bishop * Prophetess Libra as Mother * Helen Bowman as Isabelle * Zoe Lewis as Etta * Kathy Smith as Pearlie *

Billie Worley Billie Ray Worley is an American film and television actor. He played Patrick Quinn on the U.S. TV show ''Early Edition''. Filmography Movies *'' Hear No Evil'' (1993) *'' I Love Trouble'' (1994) *'' Strange Days'' (1995) *'' I Woke Up Early t ...

as Senior Detective * Darius Wallace as Health Inspector * Jon W. Sparks as Doctor * Alex Coker as Officer Buff

Production

''Free in Deed'' is based on the real-life story of

Milwaukee Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...

minister Ray Hemphill, who was convicted of

child abuse Child abuse (also called child endangerment or child maltreatment) is physical abuse, physical, child sexual abuse, sexual, emotional and/or psychological abuse, psychological maltreatment or Child neglect, neglect of a child, especially by a p ...

for his attempt to perform an

exorcism Exorcism () is the religious or spiritual practice of evicting demons, jinns, or other malevolent spiritual entities from a person, or an area, that is believed to be possessed. Depending on the spiritual beliefs of the exorcist, this may be do ...

on an eight-year-old boy in 2003. Jake Mahaffy said about adapting the story into the film: ''Free in Deed'' was produced by Greyshack Films and Votiv Films, in association with the

New Zealand Film Commission The New Zealand Film Commission (NZFC; ) is a New Zealand government agency formed to assist with creating and promoting New Zealand films. It was established under the New Zealand Film Commission Act 1978 (as amended in 1981, 1985, 1988, 1994 a ...

Principal photography Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production. Personnel Besides the main film personnel, such as the ...

took place in

Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. Situated along the Mississippi River, it had a population of 633,104 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of municipalities in Tenne ...

in February 2014.

Reception

Critical response

Manohla Dargis Manohla June Dargis ( ) is an American film critic. She is the chief film critic for ''The New York Times''. She is a five-time finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism. Career Before being a film critic for ''The New York Times'', Dargis ...

of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' stated, "The movie's realism owes much to the lived-in locations and its two excellent leads, who fill in the gaps with nuanced emotional texture; the script doesn't tell you much about who these people are, but the actors do." Michael Rechtshaffen of the ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...

'' called the film "bleakly spare, powerful" and noted, "The fact-based story, which is allowed to quietly unfold in a series of extended takes, has been stripped of all artifice, especially in regard to the pared-back performances of Harewood and Findley." Jessica Kiang of '' IndieWire'' gave the film a grade of "B+/A-" and remarked, "This small, slow-paced film, deeply upsetting and narrow in scope, is a hard watch. ��But Mahaffy's uncompromising approach, and the quality of its performances, make it a rare and valuable testament." Guy Lodge of ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' described the film as a "searing, skeptical but roundly compassionate ecclesiastical drama" and commented, "Superb, skin-prickling performances by the three principals contribute invaluably to the pic's stern believability." ''

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...

''s critic wrote, "Mahaffy's film paints a portrait of institutional failure on multiple fronts, leaving society's castoffs in free fall. He shows authorities becoming involved only in times of crisis, or to stifle good deeds with red tape."

Accolades

''Free in Deed'' won the Orizzonti Award for Best Film at the

, beating out 34 other films. At the

, it garnered four nominations: Best Male Lead (for Harewood), Best Supporting Female (for Findley),

, and the John Cassavetes Award.

References

External links

* {{IMDb title, 3510304 2015 films 2015 drama films 2015 independent films 2010s American films 2010s New Zealand films 2010s English-language films American drama films American independent films American films based on actual events New Zealand drama films New Zealand independent films Drama films based on actual events English-language drama films English-language independent films Religious drama films Films about exorcism Films about faith healing Films about mother–son relationships Films about single parent families Films about spirituality Films set in churches Films set in Memphis, Tennessee Films shot in Memphis, Tennessee