Synopsis
Marc had a rough life. Adopted as an infant, he was held back in pre-school,
failed to graduate high school, spent time in prison, and suffered a head
injury at twenty-one. His entire worldview was that he was cheated by life.
Then he discovered he is the grandson of Orson Welles and Rita Hayworth.
Unlike Marc, his sister Kim’s life always seemed to be easy. She was the first
child born to her attractive parents, into an extended family of tall Montana
farmers. She was high school class president and valedictorian, voted “most
likely to succeed.” She was also captain of the football team. You see, Kim
used to be Marc’s younger brother. Having these two siblings in the same
grade in a small Montana town made for a perfect storm of brotherly rivalry.
As Marc and Kim return home for their high school reunion, Prodigal Sons
hurtles into a year in the life of their Montana family. Kim, the filmmaker,
sets out to unravel this complex history. Her rare access delicately reveals
not only the family’s most private moments, but also an epic scope as the film
travels from Montana to Croatia, from jail cell to maternity ward, from deaths
to births and commitments of all kinds. In the end, we see that
transformation happens when you least expect it, and sometimes doesn’t
occur even when it seems certain.