Rotten Tomatoes
Cancel Movies Tv shows FanStore News Showtimes

A Little Prayer

Play trailer Poster for A Little Prayer R 2023 1h 31m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
93% Tomatometer 28 Reviews Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
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.

Critics Reviews

View All (28)
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 (Substack) A tough, touching film... Rated: 3.5/4 Jan 27, 2023 Full Review Cody Dericks AwardsWatch But in the end, when the characters and thus the audience are able to look back on all that came before with awareness of the ultimate destination, it all comes together in a moving, lovely way. Rated: B May 10, 2025 Full Review Robert Kojder Flickering Myth In an age when parents insist that their offspring, children, or adults can never do wrong, A Little Prayer is essential. It’s filled with rich performances, complex characters, optimism, heartwarming revelations, and wisdom Rated: 3.5/5 May 8, 2025 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 Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (3)
David C I really loved this film. The acting and writing are spectacular. I can not recommend this movie enough. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 05/09/25 Full Review Mason M I was able to see this at the Ebertfest the other day, even though it hasn't gotten any distribution, and I really liked it. The actors give great performances, particularly David Strathairn. The plot is well written, with many moments genuinely surprising me. This film's main flaw though is it can come off as a bit too dry and without much life due to its hyperrealism. This was a pretty nice watch that I hope gets some more distribution. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 04/27/25 Full Review rika perdana p touching movie and enjoyed Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 03/12/25 Full Review Read all reviews
A Little Prayer

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW

Cast & Crew

View All

Angus MacLachlan

Director

Jane Levy

Tammy

Will Pullen

David

David Strathairn

Bill

Celia Weston

Venida

Anna Camp

Actor

More Like This

View All
Longing 29% 19% Longing Watchlist TRAILER for Longing Crazy Kind of Love % 43% Crazy Kind of Love Watchlist Pleasure Party 63% 61% Pleasure Party Watchlist Young. Wild. Free. 71% % Young. Wild. Free. Watchlist The Killing of Two Lovers 93% 69% The Killing of Two Lovers Watchlist TRAILER for The Killing of Two Lovers Discover more movies and TV shows. View More
View All

A Little Prayer

A Little Prayer (2023) View more photos

Movie Info

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
Producer
Angus MacLachlan, Lauren Vilchik, Max A. Butler
Screenwriter
Angus MacLachlan
Rating
R (Language)
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Runtime
1h 31m