Director: Angus MacLachlan
Writer: Angus MacLachlan
Stars: Jane Levy, Will Pullen, David Strathairn
Synopsis: A man tries to protect his daughter-in-law when he finds out that his son is having an affair.
As the scale of cinema grows and budgets become exponentially larger, it is easy to forget the little people who make watching a film feel personal. The locations may be small, and the characters may seem familiar, but it is just as important to tell a story about a family trying to make it in the world as it is to show superheroes attempting to save it. In A Little Prayer, we see a family doing their best to get by; there are no over-the-top scenes of screaming dialogue or emotionally manipulative moments, but instead quiet, tender scenes that, while predictable, are charming enough to evoke a poignant feeling that is sometimes needed.
The family in A Little Prayer consists of a husband and wife, Bill (David Strathairn) and Venida (Celia Weston), their son David (Will Pullen), and his wife, Tammy (Jane Levy). Bill and David are similar in many ways; they both work for a company that has been in the family for generations, they’re both veterans, and they both struggle with problems related to drinking and trauma. Bill understands his son, David, more than David knows, because he sees him going down a similar path, leading to the regret he faces and questioning the job he did in raising his son. Because of his understanding, he shares a strong bond with Tammy, guiding her through the complicated marriage he knows she is dealing with. The bond between the two makes it difficult for Bill when he realizes that David has been cheating on Tammy, as he struggles with whether to protect his son and his marriage or to tell Tammy and give her a fair chance to move on.
Writer-director Angus MacLachlan is a playwright, bringing his knowledge of the stage to the screen. This film is minimalist, with the home serving as the primary setting where most of the action unfolds. Other settings are used, but for the most part, we deal with this family inside their home and the conversations they have, attempting to understand each other and their place in everything. While it can cause the film to feel slow, and maybe too slow for some viewers, the approach invites the audience to feel connected to the family on a personal level, as if they were viewing conversations between their own parents, siblings, or in-laws. As a director, MacLachlan doesn’t have to do much as the personal, charming, and emotional script carries much of the weight.
However, it isn’t as though he reinvented the wheel in terms of Small-Town, USA stories. The script does tend to be predictable at times, following a similar path and dealing with the same kind of characters, such as older people trying to understand the world around them and young people who are in situations that hurt them for whatever reason, which have become all too synonymous with this style of film. While these are the same kinds of characters that appear in this film, the performances, particularly from the never-better David Strathairn and Jane Levy, prevent this film from falling into melodramatic territory. Their individual performances rank among the absolute best of their careers, including a truly heartbreaking scene involving Bill and his son’s mistress. Still, it is the moments they share and the chemistry they have that make their performances two of the best of the year. There is a genuine love and understanding between Bill and Tammy, and their care for one another is palpable throughout. Celia Weston, as a mother who tries to understand what is happening but seems to be left out, also has a moment towards the middle of the film that is genuinely heartbreaking, and makes it apparent that the performances in this film are what does the heavy lifting.
A Little Prayer shines when MacLachlan gives these talented actors the time to express their emotions. While the film may feel somewhat slow during its quieter moments, the understated script and direction do not come across as amateurish. Instead, they evoke a sense of personal experience that resonates with viewers in various ways. Although A Little Prayer may not revolutionize the family drama genre, the remarkable performances by David Strathairn and Jane Levy ensure that it fits seamlessly into the style and essence of what the genre offers.
