Prodigal Sons Information

Prodigal Sons is a 2008 American documentary produced and directed by Kimberly Reed.

Background

In the 1960s Carol McKerrow is a married woman living in Montana. She and her husband Loren, believing that she is infertile, adopt a baby boy they name Marc. Carol is surprised to discover that on the day they bring home Marc, she probably became pregnant with her biological son Paul. Soon a second son Todd is born.

Plot

Paul is a High School football hero, the quarter back, named "best looking," and the Valedictorian. Paul however, since kindergarten, has felt that something is sexually wrong with him. Although Paul dates girls in High School, upon going to the University of California, Berkeley, he begins to think he might be a transgender woman. He dates both men and women and in his late 20s, he finally transitions into a female, through gender reassignment surgery, and becomes Kimberly Reed, a lesbian. Paul's younger brother Todd also announces something about his sexuality.

Kimberly Reed becomes a film maker and returns home to Montana for her high school reunion and to reconcile her relationship with her adopted brother Marc. She discovers many revelations on her journey including Marc's shocking blood relationship as the secret grandson of Orson Welles and Rita Hayworth.

In the movie, the intense sibling rivalry and unforeseeable twists of plot and gender forces them to face serious challenges.

Kimberly Reed appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show "Transgender Transition," on February 11, 2010, to discuss her life and movie, along with her mother.

Aftermath

Marc McKerrow's biological mother, Rebecca Welles (Manning), secretly gave birth to a son on March 31, 1966, when she was 21. Orson Welles never knew about his grandson. Rita Hayworth also probably did not know about this boy. When Marc was 21, he was in a car accident that resulted in a traumatic brain injury. This injury led him to be mentally incapacitated and require medical treatment to control violent outbursts.

Rebecca Welles died at the age of 59 in 2004. It was only after Rebecca's death that 38-year-old Marc discovered his true lineage.

Marc McKerrow died suddenly in his sleep on June 18, 2010, only four months after his sibling's appearance on "Oprah." His death was "...caused by complications from a nocturnal seizure" related to his car accident.

Release

Prodigal Sons premiered in the 2008 Telluride Film Festival and was theatrically released February 26, 2010 at Cinema Village in New York, NY. It was released on DVD in July 2010.

Awards

Winner

• FIPRESCI Prize at the Thessaloniki Documentary Film Festival
• Best Documentary Jury Prize at NewFest NYC LGBT Festival
• Best Documentary at Copenhagen LGBT Festival

Special Jury Prizes

• Fearless Filmmaking at the Florida Film Festival
• Bravery in Storytelling at the Nashville Film Festival

Film festivals

• DocPoint International Film Festival
• PRIDE Film Festival
• Spokane International Film Festival
• Melbourne Queer Film Festival
• Miami Gay and Lesbian Film Festival
• Prism Film Festival