A Little Prayer

R

2023

1 hr. 31 min.

Drama

List

92%

26 Reviews

Tomatometer

Bill (David Strathairn), a Vietnam veteran who has lived in suburban Winston-Salem, North Carolina, for decades with his wife, Venida (Celia Weston), confronts the limits of patriarchal power while parenting his adult children, both of whom are experiencing personal difficulties. Their son David (Will Pullen), is a PTSD-stricken veteran whom Bill suspects of cheating on his wife Tammy (Jane Levy). Tammy and Bill have a special bond for a father and daughter-in-law and appear to completely understand each other, so when he believes his son has strayed, he is at a loss for how to proceed. Meanwhile Patti (Anna Camp), their wilder child, unexpectedly arrives with their granddaughter Hadley (Billie Roy), having left her opioid-addicted husband Cassius for the third time. Bill's every thought is consumed by worries about these three adult children. The heartbreak he so desperately wants to spare them from is something he struggles with, as does how to best support them in their challenges. He attempts to maintain his composure in the face of chaos and eventually discovers the limits of patriarchal interference, for better or worse.

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Angus MacLachlan

Director

Jane Levy

Tammy

Will Pullen

David

David Strathairn

Bill

Celia Weston

Venida

Anna Camp

Actor

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Brian Tallerico

RogerEbert.com

Everyone is good to great, but [A Little Prayer] belongs to Strathairn and Levy, whose bond becomes the center of the film.

Feb 2, 2023

Full Review

Fionnuala Halligan

Screen International

There is much to enjoy in watching MacLachlan’s A Little Prayer play out, and an equal amount of wisdom to be gleaned from it.

Jan 30, 2023

Full Review

Ty Burr

Ty Burr's Watch List

A tough, touching film...

Rated: 3.5/4

Jan 27, 2023

Full Review

Erik Childress

Movie Madness Podcast

Angus MacLachlan brings the same homespun sensibility that he did with Junebug. David Strathairn and Jane Levy give what are sure to be two of the year's best performances and share a climactic scene that may rank as the year's most moving.

Rated: 3.5/4

May 17, 2023

Full Review

Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

A slow moving but smart indie drama.

Rated: B

Mar 23, 2023

Full Review

Louisa Moore

Screen Zealots

This small scale, slow moving story of the secrets buried beneath the everyday pleasantries of a Southern family in turmoil has just enough grace and charm to keep it from sinking.

Feb 17, 2023

Full Review

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Synopsis

Bill (David Strathairn), a Vietnam veteran who has lived in suburban Winston-Salem, North Carolina, for decades with his wife, Venida (Celia Weston), confronts the limits of patriarchal power while parenting his adult children, both of whom are experiencing personal difficulties. Their son David (Will Pullen), is a PTSD-stricken veteran whom Bill suspects of cheating on his wife Tammy (Jane Levy). Tammy and Bill have a special bond for a father and daughter-in-law and appear to completely understand each other, so when he believes his son has strayed, he is at a loss for how to proceed. Meanwhile Patti (Anna Camp), their wilder child, unexpectedly arrives with their granddaughter Hadley (Billie Roy), having left her opioid-addicted husband Cassius for the third time. Bill's every thought is consumed by worries about these three adult children. The heartbreak he so desperately wants to spare them from is something he struggles with, as does how to best support them in their challenges. He attempts to maintain his composure in the face of chaos and eventually discovers the limits of patriarchal interference, for better or worse.

Director: Angus MacLachlan
Executive Producer: Ramin Bahrani, Mark P. Clein, Ethan D. Leder
Screenwriter: Angus MacLachlan
Rating: R (Language)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English