A Little Prayer

Angus MacLachlan's film is set around a small family business in North Carolina. Bill learns that his son is having an affair and is caught between telling his daughter-in-law and staying silent; the quiet balance inside the house gives way with that knowledge. The narrative passes no moral judgement. Bill wonders whether he has any right to intervene; the film shows him as well-meaning but standing too close, and leaves room for the daughter-in-law to make her own decision. David Strathairn and Jane Levy lead; MacLachlan is known for writing family stories set in the rural South. The tone is calm, the scenes short and there is no dramatic escalation. Who it's for: those who like quiet American family drama. Who it's not for: viewers expecting a matter resolved; the film leaves it unclosed.