Dial a Prayer

The story is not told exactly linearly, we see snippets of flashbacks that eventually all add up to what happened in the backstory of Cora.

Brittany Snow is 26-yr-old Cora and the first scenes has her showing up for an assignment with the local Detroit "Dial A Prayer" hotline. Everyone else there is happy and enthusiastic but it is clear she would rather be just about anywhere else. But she had gotten into some pretty serious trouble and her high powered lawyer dad managed to get her to do restitution by working the prayer hotlines.

William H. Macy is always good and here he is good as Bill, the leader of the prayer office. The story arc is Cora figuring out that her life up to that point, and the friends she hung out with, might not be the best trajectory and she has to figure out a better path.

The movie works because Brittany Snow is so good and authentic in the role of Cora. I found it on Youtube streaming free movies (with a few ads thrown in). I found it worthwhile viewing.

This was actually listed as a comedy, but it was no such thing. There were a few funny parts about how these phone center employees were trained on how to answer with prayers. This was not at all a Christian movie...some foul language, sex, drinking, etc. I cannot handle sappy Christian movies because they're too fake and white washed. The basic plot was a woman was doing community service after committing a crime and her father was a big shot attorney who basically got her off easy. She reluctantly has to work a prayer call center and hates every minute of it. But she unknowingly actually helps some people. It was a slower paced movie, but it kept me engaged. Her crime slowly unfolds throughout the movie and it connects her to a few other characters. The film kind of pokes fun at Christians doing the "dial a prayer" thing (which is probably why it was listed as a comedy), but there is a moral to the story or at least an evolution of the main character.

Brittany Snow does a great job. She is not one of those nearly perfect Christians you would expect in a movie like this. In fact, there is doubt as to whether she is a Christian at all, for most of the movie. And there's nothing goody-goody about her, if you're concerned about that. Certainly not the sweet girl I remember from another role where she danced on "American Bandstand". She's just enough of a bad girl to attract those who would stay away from a sweet Hallmark type film.

William H. Macy is always good. This isn't one of his best roles, but he does a better job when Bill is serious.

Glenne Headly also does a good job as a woman who may possibly be disturbed. On the other hand, her character seems perfectly fine and a loving mother in other scenes.

The one other standout actor would be Kate Flannery as Cora's best work friend, who has some challenges of her own. Even she has to be cleaned up for TV!

People who would be scared away by perky goody-goody Christians might still not like the other workers. Although one of the worst offenders gets mad once and says, "What're YOU looking at?'

One expectation one might have in a movie like this is Christian music. What most Christian radio stations play. and what might be standard in a movie like this, I can't stand. But this movie has numerous Christian songs that are actually good! Fans of today's music will find this music hopelessly outdated. I wish the group had been identified on "Over My Head" because they were really talented. There's only one song (at least of the Christian songs, and I'm not even sure that's what that is) that has that type of quality, and I find that one annoying. There are other pop and rock songs I don't care for but Cora has most of those on in her car, and another is playing in the flashback that appears to precede Cora's offense. Also, the workers are dancing in one scene to something I don't like, but I couldn't tell whether it was Christian.

There are a couple of nice scenes with snow out in the country.

By the end, there appears to be a message of redemption that would make this a Christian movie teaching Christian values. Before that, even cleaned up for TV, it's not exactly family-friendly.

I do wonder why a bad boy drives a Camry. Isn't that about the most boring car you can drive?

It's still worth seeing if you can deal with the way the message is delivered.

a film about faith. not great but decent. same option of drawing of fundamental transformation, search of life sense, family tension, a love story and the success who change existences and give the second chance. its best part - the dialogue. because it is the inspired option to escape from the sin of sentimental story. and gives to it coherence and some credibility. a film about the fight against past errors. and the reconciliation with yourself. sure, far to be perfect. and not always convincing. but a beautiful story. touching in few scenes, realistic in the others. useful as advise for dark state who is not unknown for many of us. more important, a nice try. to define the faith in not usual manner. to propose a character who reminds many other similar cases from every day media.and that does it a real useful show.

Around Thanksgiving season in suburban Detroit, a troubled 26 years-old woman (Brittany Snow) evades jail by working for a prayer hotline, but she can only connect with those who need help when she stops following the script. William H. Macy plays the pastor of the ministry, Glenne Headly her mentally ill mother and Tom Lipinski a man drawn to Cora.

"Dial a Prayer" (2015) is a drama and spiritual exploration that also satirizes Christian religion as a business in the first half. While it's not what is known as a "faith-based" film, it's also not necessarily anti-God, anti-Scripture, anti-faith or anti-spirituality. For anyone who argues that it's completely anti-spiritual, someone clearly receives a healing through prayer and the laying on of hands, which are biblical concepts.

Yes, so-and-so commits fornication, but the Bible shows God using mighty Samson even though he visited a prostitute (Judges 16). The flick is only against go-through-the-motions Christian religion (notice I said religion).

I'd put this in the same category of "The Preacher's Daughter" (2012) even though that one lacks the satire angle. It's just no where near as good because there's a little too much ambiguity, especially in the weak ending.

The movie runs 1 hour, 37 minutes, and was shot entirely in the Detroit area of Michigan, including Royal Oak, Ferndale and Troy, all of which are 6-12 miles north of the city.

GRADE: B-/C+